Tag Archives: espionage and commandos

All the Shah’s Men

Posted on May 29, 2016 by smellincoffee

All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror© 2003 Stephen Kinzler272 pages On one  dismal  night in 1953,  a conspiracy destroyed both Iranian democracy and American honor.  At the dawn of the 1950s, Iran was … Continue reading →

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When the Eagle Hunts

Posted on April 15, 2016 by smellincoffee

When the Eagle Hunts© 2002 Simon Scarrow274 pages The Emperor Claudius is determined to make good the conquest of Britain, but his supply fleet sleeps with the fishes. The only Romans to survive a wintry crossing of the (English) channel … Continue reading →

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All Other Nights

Posted on March 9, 2016 by smellincoffee

All Other Nights© 2009 Dara Horn400 pages Why is this night different than all other nights?  Well, for starters, Joseph Rappaport is going to poison his uncle, on suspicion that he is plotting to kill Abraham Lincoln.   That move … Continue reading →

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Hitler’s Undercover War

Posted on October 25, 2015 by smellincoffee

Hitler’s Undercover War: The Nazi Espionage Invasion of the U.S.A.© 1989 William  Breuer358 pages Wars are not confined to battlefields, even when the fields of conflict are as wide-open as the open oceans and the very sky itself, as they … Continue reading →

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Armada

Posted on April 9, 2015 by smellincoffee

Armada© 2012 John Stack400 pages It is the 16th century, and a crisis looms for England.  Spain, who thanks to the plunder of the New World and its Hapsburg connections, is Europe’s heavyweight and the declared enemy of England, threatens war. Spanish … Continue reading →

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A Map of Betrayal

Posted on January 26, 2015 by smellincoffee

A Map of Betrayal© 2014 Ha Jin304 pages When  Lillian Shang touched down in mainland China, her official purpose was to teach. Unofficially, however, she was there to learn — to uncover the truth of her father’s life by tracking down … Continue reading →

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George Washington’s Secret Six

Posted on July 5, 2014 by smellincoffee

George Washington’s Secret Six© 2013 Brian Kilmead257 pages Wars are not won by soldiers alone. In the shadows are those silently gathering information, sometimes at great risks to themselves,  to give the nation’s leaders an edge over the foe — … Continue reading →

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The Last Patriot

Posted on May 16, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Last Terrorist © 2008 Brad Thor 352 pages The Last Patriottakes a modern covert-cops thriller and combines it with The DaVinci Code, though the sinister establishment being threatened by some archaeological find is not the Church of Rome, but … Continue reading →

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An Officer and a Spy

Posted on February 1, 2014 by smellincoffee

An Officer and a Spy© 2013 Robert Harris496 pages    In the late 19th century, the Dreyfuss Affair shook France when one Captain Alfred Dreyfuss, accused of selling French military secrets to the Germany General Staff.  Declared guilty, publicly disgraced, … Continue reading →

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Sharpe’s Revenge

Posted on December 2, 2013 by smellincoffee

Sharpe’s Revenge © 1989 Bernard Cornwell Englishmen in Toulouse, Prussians in Paris — there are foreigners everywhere, and for Napoleon the war is over. Not for Sharpe, though, not by a long shot. His old enemy Pierre Ducos has seen … Continue reading →

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