Author:Mark Aston,Stuart Tootal
The thrilling, edge-of-your-seat true story of one soldier's Special Forces operations in the Falklands War
'BRILLIANT. A ROLLERCOASTER OF BLISTERING ACTION, SURVIVAL AND BEHIND-THE-LINES DARING' DAMIEN LEWIS
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THE BIGGEST SINGLE LOSS OF LIFE FOR THE SAS SINCE WORLD WAR TWO . . .
1982, the British task force sails to liberate the Falkland Islands. Aboard: SAS D Squadron, determined to make their mark.
No one more so than Mark 'Splash' Aston.
But they have barely seen action when their Sea King helicopter crashes in freezing South Atlantic waters, killing 22 of Mark's comrades.
The last out of the sinking wreck, he suffers a broken neck. But defying medical evacuation orders, Mark sneaks off ship, re-joins his SAS comrades to land on a mountain near Port Stanley - to defend it against days of attacks by Argentine special forces . . .
SAS Sea King Down is a pulse-pounding account of D-Squadron's tragic loss and subsequent heroic stand in one of the most hostile places on Earth.
A story told by a man who barely survived to tell it.
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'A gripping untold story of heroism, hardship and sacrifice within the SAS' BEAR GRYLLS
'Gripping, fast moving and completely authentic. A brilliant piece of work. Better than Bravo Two Zero' - Mike Rose, former Commanding Officer of the SAS
Brilliant. A rollercoaster of blistering action, survival and behind-the-lines daring
—— Damien LewisGripping, fast moving and completely authentic. A brilliant piece of work. Better than Bravo Two Zero
—— Mike Rose, former Commanding Officer of the SASA gripping untold story of heroism, hardship and sacrifice within the SAS
—— Bear GryllsBrings alive the hardships, fear and bravery of the elite soldier . . . A great tale, loaded with comradeship
—— SunIn Hitler's American Gamble, Brendan Simms and Charlie Laderman grippingly retell the story of five days that not only shook but also shaped the world... All students of both World War II and the Holocaust will learn, as I did, from their careful use of neglected documents and their attention to 'counterfactuals' that, for contemporaries, were at least as likely as what actually happened.
—— Niall FergusonOffers fine, well-researched insights into the psyches of leaders who made decisions that changed the course of world history ... For readers seeking a deeper understanding of the realpolitik that drove Germany to war against America, Hitler's American Gamble offers an outstanding narrative.
—— Jonathan W. Jordan , World War 2 MagazineA rare achievement: a microhistory that's global in scope. Filled with fresh insights, excitingly written, and meticulously documented, Hitler's American Gamble is sure to become an instant classic.
—— John Lewis GaddisBrendan Simms and Charlie Laderman show how Hitler's mad decision to declare war on the United States on December 11, 1941 proved suicidal for the Axis, ensured a global catastrophe, and would radically redefine how World War II would end. And yet was Hitler really as unhinged and reckless as it has seemed? ... Hitler's American Gamble is revisionist, but in the best sense of sound research, rare originality, singular analysis, and riveting prose.
—— Victor Davis HansonThe authors effectively prove their thesis in a key volume for World War II history collections.
—— Michael Farrell , Library JournalOn the bicentennial of the Greek revolution, a prominent scholar tracks the historical detail and enormous international significance of the improbable, largely grassroots uprising against the Ottoman Empire. Mazower, a Columbia professor and winner of the Wolfson Prize for History who has written extensively about Greece and the Balkans, ably ties together the many disparate threads of this complex history of Greek independence. ... An elucidating history that is relevant to understanding the geopolitics of Greece today.
—— Kirkus ReviewsThere are lessons in the approach to leadership taken by the military that apply to business and other walks of life . . . the principles set out here are worthy of attention
—— Roger Trapp , Forbes'Daniel James Brown tackles this important story with the same impressive narrative talent and research that made The Boys in the Boat, an enduring bestseller ... The centerpieces of Facing the Mountain are the wrenching, on-the-ground descriptions of battles fought by the 442nd in Europe... every reader will admire the resilience that allowed these soldiers to create communities within the internment camps and to play such a pivotal role in the defeat of the Nazis'
—— BookPage'Facing the Mountain is more than just the story of a group of young men whose valor helped save a country that spurned them, it's a fascinating, expertly written look at selfless heroes who emerged from one of the darkest periods of American history - soldiers the likes of which this country may never see again'
—— NPR'Brown combines history with humanity in a tense, tender and well-researched study of the lives disrupted and disregarded by misperceptions and misinformation. Ain't no mountain high enough to keep young men such as Rudy Tokiwa of Salinas; 'Kats" Miho of Kahului, Hawaii; Fred Shiosaki of Spokane, Wash.; and Gordon Hirabayashi of Seattle from doing what is morally right'
—— San Francisco Chronicle'Rich storytelling and deep historical research about the Japanese American experience are the essence of Facing the Mountain. Although the book graphically describes the horrors of battle, it spotlights stories of heroism and endurance'
—— Christian Science MonitorEssential reading for anyone wishing to understand political ambition and the role of narcissistic leaders and scheming courtiers in any age
—— ROBERT PESTON, Political Editor ITV NewsGripping, novelistic ... brisk and muscular ... written in a sure-footed historical present, the book creates a simulacrum of the 16th century through the painstaking accumulation of attested details ... [giving] the book its vividness and energy ... [De Bellaigue] writes with supreme confidence about power, diplomacy, clothing, avarice, war, statecraft and the exceptional brutality of the era ... While The Lion House unfolds like a novel, through scenes rich with authenticating detail
—— Marcel Theroux , The New York Times Book ReviewDe Bellaigue is a riveting and expert guide to the story of Suleyman's quest for power
—— PETER FRANKOPAN, author of The Silk RoadsNarrated with a verve and flair that make the characters burst from the pages. Outstanding history and an incredibly good read
—— EUGENE ROGAN, author of The Fall of the OttomansExquisite ... So arresting is this book, so enveloping in the tensions of its narrative, that most readers will feel a pang of sorrow that the tale does not run on. The Lion House leaves us with a tease, or taunt: "Who, apart from God, can say what will come next?" A sequel, surely. Although it was the peak of the Ottoman Empire, Suleyman's reign also offers clear glimpses of a great decline to come. Who better to tell us about it than Mr de Bellaigue?
—— Wall Street JournalNon-fiction with the readability of a thriller. Unputdownable
—— VICTORIA HISLOP, author of The IslandSensuous and scholarly, meticulously researched and deliciously irreverent, The Lion House is an intoxicating journey through the Ottomans' golden age
—— AMBERIN ZAMAN, correspondent, Al-Monitor, Turkey correspondent for the Economist (1999-2016) and Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, DCReads like the most gripping fiction ... could very well be Netflix's next epic
—— Radio TimesThe Lion House presents a historical universe that captivates and astonishes and is near-impossible to put down. A superb example of historical literature and research
—— RICHARD WHATMORE, Professor of Modern History at the University of St AndrewsFull of breath-taking events at the cross-roads of empires at a moment in history when notions such as Europe, Asia, Christianity and Islam were infinitely more fluid and permeable than they are today
—— KEREM OKTEM, Professor of International Relations at Ca' Foscari University, VeniceOriginal... de Bellaigue... offers a vivid presentation of events, re-imagined as scenes and episodes... a different, literary kind [of history]
—— Noel Malcolm , Times Literary SupplementDe Bellaigue writes with impecable scholarship, piecing together contemporary accounts to create a thrilling narrative
—— Church TimesDe Bellaigue is an expert stylist, sensitive to rhythm and vocabulary, and passionate in his pursuit of the fugitive detail that gives meaning to a whole episode
—— Literary ReviewAn exhilarating read
—— Rose Shepherd , Saga MagazineAn engrossing book... This is history turned into drama and poetry, awesomely spectacular yet also intensely intimate
—— Yasmin Alibhai-Brown , iNewsThe world of Suleyman the Magnificent...is brought to life in this history
—— The Times, *The Year’s Top 50 Non-Fiction Books*Clearly written, full of empathy for everyday life, which is far too seldom taken into consideration... You devour it like a novel.
—— Welt am SonntagA popular work of non-fiction in the best sense.
—— Die ZeitThe Siege of Loyalty House ... tingles with a discerning historical imagination
—— Spectator, *Best Books of 2022 II*[A] thrilling tale of war
—— Mail on Sunday[A] gripping tale of a royalist house standing its grown against the Roundheads ... Atmospheric, unflinching, and at times extraordinarily witty
—— UK Daily News, *Best History and Politics Books of 2022*[A] poignant book... the story is timeless
—— Economist, *Books of the Year*Compelling
—— Spectator, *Books of the Year 2022*Exhaustively researched and beautifully written, [The Siege of Loyalty House] tells the story of the epic two-year siege of Basing House, a royalist mansion finally captured by Oliver Cromwell in 1645.
—— Daily Express, *Books of the Year 2022*When you are as good a writer as Jessie Childs, and as assuredly immersed in the archives, the pages zing with the technicolour of celluloid. ... [A] masterpiece.
—— Critic, *Non-fiction books of the year 2022*Childs writes an engrossing, spellbinding narrative while laying out a clear and comprehendible history
—— New York Journal of BooksThe broad subject of this poignant book is what happens to people during civil war: how quickly and imperceptibly order becomes chaos and decency yields to cruelty. In other words, how close to inhumanity humanity always is. The focus is on an episode in the English civil war, but the story is timeless
—— EconomistA gripping account of the agony at Basing, The Siege of Loyalty House is also a potted social history of the civil wars and how they started. Jessie Childs, [is] a gifted storyteller
—— London Review of Books