Author:Fitzroy MaClean
70th Anniversary Edition with a New Foreword by Sunday Times Bestselling Author Simon Sebag Montefiore
'A classic' Observer | 'A legend' Washington Post | 'The best book you will read this year' Colonel Tim Collins
Posted to Moscow as a young diplomat before the Second World War, Fitzroy Maclean travelled widely, with or without permission, in some of the wildest and remotest parts of the Soviet Union, then virtually closed to foreigners. In 1942 he fought as a founder member of the SAS in North Africa. There Maclean specialised in hair-raising commando raids behind enemy lines, including the daring and outrageous kidnapping of the German Consul in Axis-controlled Iraq. In 1943 he parachuted into German-occupied Yugoslavia as Winston Churchill's personal representative to Josip Broz Tito and remained there until 1945, all enemy attempts to capture him proving unsuccessful.
Eastern Approaches is Maclean's classic, gripping account of the sybaritic delights of diplomatic life, the thrill of remote travel in the then-forbidden zones of Central Asia, and the violence and adventure of world-changing tours in North Africa and Yugoslavia. Maclean is the original British action hero and this is blistering reading.
'This book literally changed my life' Simon Sebag Montefiore
'A man of daring character' Winston Churchill
'An absorbing mixture of military adventure, political judgement, urbane wit, cool humour and surprising incident' Financial Times
'One of the bravest men in the British army, and one of the funniest' Ben Macintyre
'Entertaining, important, the model for James Bond' New York Times
One of the bravest men in the British army, and one of the funniest
—— Ben MacintyreAn absorbing mixture of military adventure, political judgement, urbane wit, cool humour and surprising incident
—— Financial TimesA man of daring character
—— Winston Churchill[A] fascinating book… Moorhouse has mastered a large body of material… this is…a very valuable book, as it gathers a mass of detail into a lucid narrative for general readers
—— Noel Malcolm , Sunday TelegraphAn important book. Roger Moorhouse has a wonderful knack of reminding us about the parts of the Second World War that we are in danger of forgetting
—— Dan Snow[A] timely and authoritative book… Moorhouse… has trawled through an impressive quantity of unpublished Polish and German sources…to produce a balanced account of this much neglected yet important episode of the second world war which is both harrowing and inspiring
—— Adam Zamoyski , SpectatorA well-researched, riveting read
—— Alexander Watson , BBC History, *Books of the Year*[A] very valuable addition to the literature on the outbreak of the Second World War… The great strength of this new account lies in the extensive use of Polish sources, all too often overlooked entirely when trying to piece together the history of the campaign... Moorhouse... admirably achieves his aim of putting the Polish-German war back onto the broader canvas of the Second World War
—— Richard Overy , History TodayExemplary... as good as military history can be
—— Timothy Snyder, author of On TyrannyIf you only read one book on D-Day, this should probably be it. It places a microscope on the preparation and the 24-hours of D-Day itself, using interviews and memoirs from veterans to bring the events vividly to life.
—— Editor's Choice , The ConnexionI've long admired the skill and independence with which Hersh has brought important and concealed information to light
—— Ahmed Rashid, Praise for THE KILLING OF OSAMA BIN LADEN , New York Review of BooksOne of the most skilled investigative journalists in American history shares his saga in compelling detail ... Hersh takes readers behind the scenes as he exposes corrupt U.S. foreign policy, Defense Department bumbling in numerous wars, political coverups during Watergate, private sector corporate scandals, and torture tactics used by the U.S. government against alleged terrorists after 9/11. The author shares insightful (and sometimes searing) anecdotes about fellow journalists, presidents and their cronies, military generals, and numerous celebrities. Readers interested in a primer about investigative techniques will find Hersh a generous teacher. Candor is the driving force in this outstanding book. Rarely has a journalist's memoir come together so well, with admirable measures of self-deprecation, transparent pride, readable prose style, and honesty.
—— Starred Kirkus ReviewPowerful . . . There's gripping journalistic intrigue aplenty as [Hersh] susses out sources and documents, fences with officials, and fields death threats. . . . Hersh himself is brash and direct, but never cynical, and his memoir is as riveting as the great journalistic exposés he produced.
—— Publishers WeeklyCandid and revelatory . . . Compared to the contemporary field of blogs, bots, and opinion-driven reportage, the last half of the twentieth-century can look like the heyday of honest and critical journalism. But even now, Hersh remains at the vanguard of tenacious and purposeful writers who speak truth to power, and surely he's inspiring the best at work now. Journalism junkies will devour this insider's account of a distinguished career.
—— BooklistReporter is just wonderful. Truly a great life, and what shines out of the book, amid the low cunning and tireless legwork, is Hersh's warmth and humanity. Essential reading for every journalist and aspiring journalist the world over
—— John le CarréThis novel as a whole attests to Mr. Ackerman's breadth of understanding - an understanding not just of the seasonal rhythms of war in Afghanistan and the harsh, unforgiving beauty of that land, not just of the hardships of being a soldier there, but a bone-deep understanding of the toll that a seemingly endless war has taken on ordinary Afghans who have known no other reality for decades.
—— Michiko Kakutani, New York TimesElliot Ackerman has done something brave as a writer and even braver as a soldier: He has touched, for real, the culture and soul of his enemy
—— Tom Bissell, (The New York Times Book Review)Bouverie… retells [the story of appeasement] with gusto
—— Dominic Sandbrook , Sunday TimesBouverie gives a lucid account… [and] skilfully traces each shameful step to war… which he describes in moving and dramatic detail
—— Lewis Jones , Sunday TelegraphGripping.. Bouverie has written a searching, wide-ranging, and above all readable chronology of a shameful era of British history… a very cautionary tale
—— Nigel Jones , Spectator[An] impressive and very readable account
—— Tony Rennell , Daily MailTim Bouverie’s first historical work… is a well-argued, lucid case for the prosecution of the appeasers
—— David Aaronovitch , The Times, *Book of the Week*So assured is Bouverie’s writing, and so sound his judgments, that it is hard to believe that Appeasing Hitler is his first book. It is a wonderful debut that marks the arrival of a young historian to watch
—— Saul David , Evening Standard, *Book of the Week*[An] accomplished and lucid account
—— Josh Ireland , ProspectBouverie’s well-written Appeasing Hitler aims to provide a timeless lesson on the challenges of standing up to aggression.
—— Jo Johnson , Financial TimesBouverie has mined an impressive range of sources and quotes from them judiciously. His narrative is lucid, his prose efficient, his put-downs witty… [he] tells an important story well.
—— Lucy Hughes-Hallett , New StatesmanThe skill with which Tim Bouverie navigates here through the worlds of politics, officialdom and diplomacy is quite exemplary… his explanations of complex issues are always lucid; his narrative style is thoughtful, unshowy and always a pleasure to read… This is, quite simply, the best book ever to have appeared on this whole subject
—— Noel Malcolm , OldieBouverie’s Appeasing Hitler provides a meticulous picture of a Britain that faced very different problems from our own
—— Thelma Lovell , Catholic HeraldScrupulously fair, [and a] readable account… [an] excellent book
—— Marcus Tanner , TabletAppeasing Hitler…is a staggeringly good account of the build-up to the Second World War… gripping, dramatic and revelatory
—— Christian May , City AMBouverie’s prose is fluent and assured throughout. Those in search of an entertaining read will find one… an admirable retelling of traditional history
—— Robert Crowcroft , History TodayAn enthralling, nuanced tale… the narrative is absolutely compelling
—— Times Literary SupplementAn elegantly written account by a rising young historian
—— The Times, *Summer reads of 2019*This is a gripping account of the wishful thinking that led us to the precipice
—— Neil Armstrong and Hephzibah Anderson , Mail on Sunday, *Summer reads of 2019*There is a sure command of narrative and judgment in faultlessly lucid prose, with subtexts of pathos
—— Bruce Anderson , SpectatorA fascinating narrative on the politics of wishful thinking and the law of unintended consequences in international relations
—— Ali Ansari , History Today, *Books of the Year*[A] finely researched and well-argued book
—— Daily Mail, *Books of the Year*[A] phenomenal book
—— William Keegan , ObserverExcellent
—— Andrew Roberts , Wall Street JournalExcellent and compelling
—— William Leith , Evening Standard