The companion to the Showtime documentary series, director Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick challenge the prevailing orthodoxies of traditional history books in this thoroughly researched and rigorously analyzed look at the dark side of American history.“At last the world knows America as the savior of the world!”—Woodrow WilsonThe notion of American exceptionalism, dating back to John Winthrop’s 1630 sermon aboard the Arbella, still warps Americans’ understanding of their nation’s role in the world. Most are loathe to admit that the United States has any imperial pretensions. But history tells a different story as filmmaker Oliver Stone and historian Peter Kuznick reveal in this riveting account of the rise and decline of the American empire.Aided by the latest archival findings and recently declassified documents and building on the research of the world’s best scholars, Stone and Kuznick construct an often shocking but meticulously documented “People’s History of the American Empire” that offers startling context to the Bush-Cheney policies that put us at war in two Muslim countries and show us why the Obama administration has had such a difficult time cleaving a new path.Stone and Kuznick will introduce readers to a pantheon of heroes and villains as they show not only how far the United States has drifted from its democratic traditions, but the powerful forces that have struggled to get us back on track.The authors reveal that:• The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were militarily unnecessary and morally indefensible.• The United States, not the Soviet Union, bore the lion’s share of responsibility for perpetuating the Cold War.• The U.S. love affair with right-wing dictators has gone as far as overthrowing elected leaders, arming and training murderous military officers, and forcing millions of people into poverty.• U.S.-funded Islamist fundamentalists, who fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan, have blown back to threaten the interests of the U.S. and its allies.• U.S. presidents, especially in wartime, have frequently trampled on the constitution and international law.• The United States has brandished nuclear threats repeatedly and come terrifyingly close to nuclear war.American leaders often believe they are unbound by history, yet Stone and Kuznick argue that we must face our troubling history honestly and forthrightly in order to set a new course for the twenty-first century. Their conclusions will challenge even experts, but there is one question only readers can answer: Is it too late for America to change?

In the West, politicians and journalists of all stripes have referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “thug”, a “tyrant”, a “murderer”, a “Communist”, a “Nazi”, the next “Hitler” and more. But amongst the Russian people, his popularity rating has reached levels as high as 85%. There is even a very popular hit ‘disco’ song about him — ‘A Man Like Putin’.So, who’s right? Why such hatred for Vladimir Putin? Is it justified? Or has Putin been targeted merely for standing up the US-EU Axis of Internationalism? In clear, simple, powerful and concise language — supported by more than 100 illustrations — ‘The War Against Putin’ takes readers on an exciting ‘crash course’ journey from Russia’s Medieval founding, through the days of the Czars, through the Communist Revolution and bloody Civil War, through Stalin & World War II, through the Cold War, through the Soviet collapse, through the Yeltsin disaster, and finally the Putin-led rebirth of the Russian nation.It is one of the “greatest stories never told”, and will shed badly needed light on the new Russia, its dynamic leader, the dark forces aiming to bring about its demise, and maybe even World War III.Says Dr. William Carlucci: “I was glued to the edge of my seat with jaw wide open as I read this gem of a book from start to finish, in a single sitting. The clarity and simplicity with which King’s masterpiece demystifies current events represents a rare ability to speak to the reader with entertaining and understandable prose. This piece really needs to go viral, and fast. 5 Huge Stars!”

On November 30, 1939, the Soviet Union's Red Army invaded the young nation-state of Finland, in the full expectation of routing the small, ill-equipped Finnish army and annexing the former Russian territory by the end of the year. But Finland held out for 105 bitterly cold, fiercely combative days, until March 15, 1940, when a peace agreement ended the short, savage Winter War.At the stirring center of the story lie the resourcefulness and resolve of the Finnish people, who against all military odds-in want of ammunition, food, sleep, and troops-fought a blundering, ineptly commanded Red Army to a standstill. On March 15, they ceded to the Soviet 11 percent of their territory and 30 percent of their economic assets, but none of their national pride.The Russians meanwhile had markedly damaged their international standing and effectively ruined their military reputation-to such an extent, as this probing chapter in World War II history demonstrates, that Germany, with proud-blooded Finland as an ally, dared to launch its 1940 invasion of Russia. At the same time, though, the fiasco of the Winter War forced Stalin to acknowledge the shortcomings of the Red Army and to reform it: Germany would fall at Stalingrad in 1941.With authority, this skillfully narrated military history unfolds its story of the four-month Soviet-Finnish war and explores its consequences from London to Moscow, from Helsinki to Paris, to Washington, DC.Robert Edwards is a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph in London, where he lives.

Most of us take for granted the features of our modern society, from air travel and telecommunications to literacy and obesity. Yet for nearly all of its six million years of existence, human society had none of these things. While the gulf that divides us from our primitive ancestors may seem unbridgeably wide, we can glimpse much of our former lifestyle in those largely traditional societies still or recently in existence. Societies like those of the New Guinea Highlanders remind us that it was only yesterday—in evolutionary time—when everything changed and that we moderns still possess bodies and social practices often better adapted to traditional than to modern conditions.The World Until Yesterday provides a mesmerizing firsthand picture of the human past as it had been for millions of years—a past that has mostly vanished—and considers what the differences between that past and our present mean for our lives today.This is Jared Diamond’s most personal book to date, as he draws extensively from his decades of field work in the Pacific islands, as well as evidence from Inuit, Amazonian Indians, Kalahari San people, and others. Diamond doesn’t romanticize traditional societies—after all, we are shocked by some of their practices—but he finds that their solutions to universal human problems such as child rearing, elder care, dispute resolution, risk, and physical fitness have much to teach us. A characteristically provocative, enlightening, and entertaining book, The World Until Yesterday will be essential and delightful reading.Contain tables! Best viewed with CoolReader.

Most of us take for granted the features of our modern society, from air travel and telecommunications to literacy and obesity. Yet for nearly all of its six million years of existence, human society had none of these things. While the gulf that divides us from our primitive ancestors may seem unbridgeably wide, we can glimpse much of our former lifestyle in those largely traditional societies still or recently in existence. Societies like those of the New Guinea Highlanders remind us that it was only yesterday—in evolutionary time—when everything changed and that we moderns still possess bodies and social practices often better adapted to traditional than to modern conditions.The World Until Yesterday provides a mesmerizing firsthand picture of the human past as it had been for millions of years—a past that has mostly vanished—and considers what the differences between that past and our present mean for our lives today.This is Jared Diamond’s most personal book to date, as he draws extensively from his decades of field work in the Pacific islands, as well as evidence from Inuit, Amazonian Indians, Kalahari San people, and others. Diamond doesn’t romanticize traditional societies—after all, we are shocked by some of their practices—but he finds that their solutions to universal human problems such as child rearing, elder care, dispute resolution, risk, and physical fitness have much to teach us. A characteristically provocative, enlightening, and entertaining book, The World Until Yesterday will be essential and delightful reading.Contain tables! Best viewed with CoolReader.

A chronicle of the year that changed Soviet Russia—and molded the future path of one of America’s pre-eminent diplomatic correspondents

1956 was an extraordinary year in modern Russian history. It was called “the year of the thaw”—a time when Stalin’s dark legacy of dictatorship died in February only to be reborn later that December. This historic arc from rising hope to crushing despair opened with a speech by Nikita Khrushchev, then the unpredictable leader of the Soviet Union. He astounded everyone by denouncing the one figure who, up to that time, had been hailed as a “genius,” a wizard of communism—Josef Stalin himself. Now, suddenly, this once unassailable god was being portrayed as a “madman” whose idiosyncratic rule had seriously undermined communism and endangered the Soviet state.

This amazing switch from hero to villain lifted a heavy overcoat of fear from the backs of ordinary Russians. It also quickly led to anti-communist uprisings in Eastern Europe, none more bloody and challenging than the one in Hungary, which Soviet troops crushed at year’s end.

Marvin Kalb, then a young diplomatic attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, observed this tumultuous year that foretold the end of Soviet communism three decades later. Fluent in Russian, a doctoral candidate at Harvard, he went where few other foreigners would dare go, listening to Russian students secretly attack communism and threaten rebellion against the Soviet system, traveling from one end of a changing country to the other and, thanks to his diplomatic position, meeting and talking with Khrushchev, who playfully nicknamed him Peter the Great.

In this, his fifteenth book, Kalb writes a fascinating eyewitness account of a superpower in upheaval and of a people yearning for an end to dictatorship.

When Germany invades Poland, Luftwaffe bombers devastate Warsaw and the city’s zoo along with it. With most of their animals killed, or stolen away to Berlin, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Żabiński begin smuggling Jews into the empty cages. More “guests” hide inside the Żabińskis’s villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing and, on rare occasions of calm, piano concerts. They call this refuge from the Nazi occupation “The House Under a Crazy Star”. As the war escalates Jan becomes increasingly involved in the anti-Nazi resistance. Ammunition is buried in the elephant enclosure and explosives stored in the animal hospital. Plans are prepared for what will become the Warsaw uprising. Through the ever-present fear of discovery, Antonina must keep her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and animal inhabitants—otters, a badger, hyena pups, lynxes—as Europe crumbles around them.

Gregori Rasputin is probably one of the best known, but least understood of the key figures in the events which ultimately led to the downfall of the Russian Tsars some 90 years ago. His political role as the power behind the throne is as much obscured today, as it was then, by the fascination with his morality and private life. Andrew Cook’s re-investigation of Rasputin’s death will reveal for the first time the real masterminds behind the murder of the “mad monk.”

IVARS VĪKSTrejdeviņi Latvijas brīnumiLatvija ir brīnumu pilna zeme ar neparasti spēcīgu bioenerģētisku starojumu. Pāri tai kā milzu sagša klājas blīvs senu svētvietu tīkls. Šeit ir pārsteidzoši daudz ļoti spēcīgu svētavotu, kas tālu pārspēj dziednieciskos avotus citās zemēs. Patiesi apbrīnojamas lietas notiek mūsu debesīs un ūdeņos. Mums ir tādas izcilas zemeslodes vietas kā Pokaiņi, trejdeviņi Ķeveles avoti, Skaņais kalns. Un par to visu var pārliecināties ikviens no mums, kas redz, dzird, jūt un saprot.Ivars Vīks - latviešu svētvietu un seno zināšanu pētnieks, Nacionālo vērtību apzināšanās fonda (VAF) prezidents. Būdams pēc izglītības mehāniķis, metālapstrādes speciālists, noliedz mistiku un ezoteriku, savus secinājumus pamato tikai ar faktiem un aprēķiniem. Savulaik bijis galvenais konstruktors Rīgas Instrumentu rūpnīcā, tad Latvijas Neredzīgo biedrības priekšsēdētājs. Vienmēr aktīvs, kaut kur braucis, ceļojis, laivojis. Kopš acu operācijas gan vairs nevar braukt pa kalnu upēm un piedalīties kalnu ekspedīcijās, nākas vairāk darboties kā gidam, lektoram un pedagogam. Viņš saka: «Dievs mums devis spēku tikt ar visu galā un, kaut ko ņemdams nost, viņš cilvēkam kaut ko citu atstāj vietā. Man tā ir LATVIJAS izpratne.» Kā apliecinājums tam ir daudzās publikācijas, grāmatas, tostarp unikālā enciklopēdija «Kurzeme», kas tapusi sadarbībā ar Sigurdu Rusmani, un aktīvā darbība seno svētvietu apzināšanā un aizsardzībā. Tieši lielā mērā pateicoties Ivaram Vīkam, esam atguvuši Pokaiņus, Ķeveles svētavotus, Pantenes Pujēnus… un beidzot arī sākam apzināties savu Latviju kā izcilu senās civilizācijas pieminekli.Redaktors Hcinrihs Juhcls Mākslinieks Harijs Brants Astras Reines un Zigurda Šlica zīmējumi Maketētājs Zintis Paeglis Zanes Ofkantes, Ivara Vlka u.c. foto© Ivars Viks, 2001 © SIA "GEIZERS" 2001Noskannējis grāmatu un FB2 failu izveidojis Imants Ločmelis

Nikolajs PlaviļščikovsTrūkstošais ķēdes loceklis     Cilvēks nav izņēmums; tāpat kā visi citi dzīvnieki, arī viņš ir cēlies no zemāk organizētiem senčiem. Pērtiķveidīgais sencis nevarēja uzreiz ar vienu „lēcienu” kļūt par cilvēku — ir bijusi gara pārejas formu virkne. Šīs pārejas formas tagad vairs nedzīvo, tās jau sen izmirušas. No tādām pārejām sevišķi interesanta ir šāda starp forma: dzīvnieks, kam piemīt gan cilvēka, gan pērtiķa pazīmes, „vidēja forma” starp cilvēku un pērtiķi. Šā iestarpinātā virknes locekļa paliekas ir ļoti svarīgs teorijas par cilvēka izcelšanos no pērtiķveidīgiem senčiem pierādījums. Zinātnieks Tings meklē šī “trūkstošā posma” kaulus un…Tulkojusi Jausma Ābrama Ilustrējis G. ŅikoļskisNoskannējis grāmatu un failu izveidojis Imants LočmelisLATVIJAS VALSTS IZDEVNIECĪBA RĪGĀ 1947Redaktore M. PauIa. Tehn. redaktors un izdevuma korektors V. SiIiņš. Tipogr. korektore E. Jirgensone.JT 00299. Nodota salikšanai 1946. g. 19. decembrī. Parakstīta iespiešanai 1947. g. 17. februāri. Papīra formāts 73X100 cm. Metiens 8000 eks. lespiedlokšpu skaits 2,5. Izdevniecības lokšau skaits 3,6. Burtu skaits iespiedloksne 28800. Izdevu. Nr. 389. Pašūt. Nr. 3871.Iespiesta Latvijas Poligrāfijas tresta 5. tipogrāfijā, Rīgā, 17. jūnija lauk. 1.MaksS 2 rbl. 30 kap.

Twenty-seven dead. Staggering property losses. Triggered by an offshore earthquake on the Grand Banks, a tsunami unleashed its fury on the coastline of the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland, killing twenty-seven people and destroying homes and fishing premises in fifty outports.Here is the dramatic, incredible story of the South Coast Disaster of 1929, the superhuman efforts of Nurse Dorothy Cherry to save the sick and dying, and Magistrate Malcolm Hollett’s tireless campaign to rebuild shattered lives and devastated communities.Short listed for the 2005 Newfoundland and Labrdor Book Awards — Rogers Cable Non-Fiction Award. Winner of the 2005 Newfoundland and Labrador Historic Sites History and Heritage Award.

Германия, более чем какая иная держава мира, представляла какой наступательный потенциал заложен в подводных лодках. Вскоре после окончания Первой мировой войны, германские военно-морской флот, который стал с апреля 1921 г. называться Reichsmarine, открыл «У-бот контору» в Майнце и «торпедный инспекторат» в Киле. В новых конторах не только проектировали У-боты и вооружение для них, но и внимательно отслеживали развитие подводного флота в других странах, особое внимание обращая на конструкторско-технологические инновации. Вскоре контора и инспекторат слились в отдел, которые переехал в Берлин.

Eine ungewöhnliche und unterhaltsame Darstellung von 5000 Jahren Weltgeschichte.»Unterwegs in der Weltgeschichte« lädt zu einer spannenden Reise durch das Labyrinth der Weltgeschichte ein. Zu den Halte- und Wendepunkten, den Zwischenstationen, aber auch den Meilensteinen der Geschichte. Nicht immer sind es die ausgetretenen Pfade, häufig sind es eher versteckte Routen, auf denen die Geschichte voranschreitet. Immer aber sind es Orte und Zeiten, die Bewegung signalisieren und anzeigen, dass etwas Neues beginnt. Der große Alexanderzug gehört ebenso dazu wie der Geheimweg, auf dem die Perser den Engpass der Thermopylen überwanden. Natürlich das Mittelalter, als Herrschen für Kaiser oder Könige vor allem Herumreisen, Unterwegs-Sein hieß, aber auch die Seepassagen der Hanse oder der Karawanenverkehr auf der Seidenstraße; von all den Wegen, die nach Rom, zur Wartburg oder zu den Gewürzinseln im Fernen Osten führen, ganz zu schweigen. Eine großartige Entdeckungsfahrt durch fünftausend Jahre Geschichte!

В русскоязычном интернете "Планом Даллеса" обычно называются два довольно коротких текста.1. Фрагмент приписываемых Даллесу высказываний, англоязычный источник которых нигде не указывается.2. Фрагменты директивы Совета Национальной Безопасности США 20/1 от 18 августа 1948 г. Их обычно цитируют по книге Н.Н.Яковлева "ЦРУ против СССР"Первый фрагмент является компоновкой высказываний персонажа из романа "Вечный Зов"Второй фрагмент представляет собой тенденциозно переведенные "фигурные цитаты" из реального документа NSC 20/1.Полюбуйтесь на документ полностью.Взято с www.sakva.ru. Там же лежит архив со сканами текста оригинала.Выделенные курсивом фрагменты текста выделены его авторами.В машинописном варианте они подчеркнуты.В изданном сборнике они также выделены курсивом.

John “Iwan” Demjanjuk was at the center of one of history’s most complex war crimes trials. But why did it take almost sixty years for the United States to bring him to justice as a Nazi collaborator?The answer lies in the annals of the Cold War, when fear and paranoia drove American politicians and the U.S. military to recruit “useful” Nazi war criminals to work for the United States in Europe as spies and saboteurs, and to slip them into America through loopholes in U.S. immigration policy. During and after the war, that same immigration policy was used to prevent thousands of Jewish refugees from reaching the shores of America. The long and twisted saga of John Demjanjuk, a postwar immigrant and auto mechanic living a quiet life in Cleveland until 1977, is the final piece in the puzzle of American government deceit. The White House, the Departments of War and State, the FBI, and the CIA supported policies that harbored Nazi war criminals and actively worked to hide and shelter them from those who dared to investigate and deport them. The heroes in this story are men and women such as Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman and Justice Department prosecutor Eli Rosenbaum, who worked for decades to hold hearings, find and investigate alleged Nazi war criminals, and successfully prosecute them for visa fraud. But it was not until the conviction of John Demjanjuk in Munich in 2011 as an SS camp guard serving at the Sobibor death camp that this story of deceit can be told for what it is: a shameful chapter in American history.Riveting and deeply researched, Useful Enemies is the account of one man’s criminal past and its devastating consequences, and the story of how America sacrificed its moral authority in the wake of history’s darkest moment.