History Soviet War

The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union traces the dramatic journey of one of history’s most powerful and enigmatic states—from the revolutionary upheavals of 1917 to the collapse of the USSR in 1991, and the emergence of post-Soviet Russia under Vladimir Putin. This comprehensive history explores the rise of Lenin and the Bolsheviks, Stalin’s brutal consolidation of power, the transformative impact of industrialization and collectivization, and the global tensions of the Cold War. It examines the policies, struggles, and reforms that shaped Soviet society, the eventual unraveling of ...

In 1979, alarmed Soviet leaders watched the growing civil war in Afghanistan with trepidation. Russia’s neighbor had been a close ally for many years, acting as a buffer between Russia and British India, proving vital in the “Great Game” between the two empires. Various coups had, by this point, led to a Moscow-friendly government in Kabul, but things were not playing out as the Soviets had hoped.

Drawing on new and often startling information from newly opened Soviet, Eastern European, and Chinese archives, this thrilling account explores the strategic dynamics that drove the Cold War, provides illuminating portraits of its major personalities, and offers much fresh insight into its most crucial events. Riveting, revelatory, and wise, it tells a story whose lessons it is vitally necessary to understand as America once more faces an implacable ideological enemy.

Red November is filled with hair-raising, behind-the-scenes stories that take you deep beneath the surface and into the action of the Cold War. Few know how close the world has come to annihilation better than the warriors who served America during the tense, 45-year struggle known as the Cold War. Yet for decades, their work has remained shrouded in secrecy.

The explosive first-hand account of America's secret history in Afghanistan With the publication of Ghost Wars, Steve Coll became not only a Pulitzer Prize winner, but also the expert on the rise of the Taliban, the emergence of Bin Laden, and the secret efforts by CIA officers and their agents...

The Soviet invasion of its neighbour Afghanistan in December 1979 sparked a nine-year conflict until Soviet forces withdrew in 1988–89, dooming the communist Afghanistan government to defeat at the hands of the Mujahideen, the Afghan popular resistance backed by the USA and other powers. Gregory Fremont-Barnes reveals how the Soviet invasion had enormous implications on the global stage; it prompted the US Senate to refuse to ratify the hard-won SALT II arms-limitation treaty, and the USA and 64 other countries boycotted the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics.

The Rhodesian SAS was one of the world’s leading Special Forces units. Highly trained and motivated, they took the fight to the very heart of the two communist terrorist armies who were waging war on Rhodesia. Time and again, from the air, overland, and by boat across the great lakes and rivers, the SAS struck ZANLA and ZIPRA, causing massive losses and grievous damage to both organisations then disappearing to re-emerge where they were least expected. While all SAS missions defied the odds, some were truly breath-taking in terms of both their audacity and success. ‘The Rhodesian SAS at...

From the dark days of World War II through the Cold War, Sergey A. Kondrashev was a major player in Russia’s notorious KGB espionage apparatus. Rising through its ranks through hard work and keen understanding of how the spy and political games are played, he “handled” American and British defectors, recruited Western operatives as double agents, served as a ranking officer at the East Berlin and Vienna KGB bureaus, and tackled special assignments from the Kremlin.

Early in 1968, a nuclear-armed Soviet submarine sank in the waters off Hawaii, hundreds of miles closer to American shores than it should have been. Compelling evidence strongly suggests that the sub sank while attempting to fire a nuclear missile.

The Russian war effort to defeat invading Axis powers, an effort that assembled the largest military force in recorded history and that cost the lives of more than twenty-five million Soviet soldiers and civilians, was the decisive factor for securing an Allied victory. Now with access to the wealth of film archives and interview material from Russia used to produce the ten-hour television documentary Russia's War, Richard Overy tackles the many persuasive questions surrounding this conflict.

The spy novel emerged from the intrigues of the mid-20th century for good reason. The war with the Third Reich involved an unseen cloak-and-dagger struggle between the participants, but beyond that, an even larger and longer contest took place in the shadows. The men responsible for this unprecedented leaking of life-or-death information would enter history as the Cambridge Five - though in fact, they may have been only the core of a much larger group.

No nation suffered more losses during the Second World War than the Soviet Union. The figure most historians recognize as roughly accurate is 20 million. The exact figure is impossible to tally for a number of reasons: destroyed records, inexact pre-war records, Soviet politicization of the population figures before and after the war, and much more. No matter what the exact total was, what is known is that the Soviet population only recovered its losses from the war in the late 1950s.

If you want to discover the captivating history of the Cold War and Space Race, then pay attention. Two captivating manuscripts in one audiobook: The Cold War: A Captivating Guide to the Tense Conflict Between the United States of America and the Soviet Union Following World War II and The Space Race: A Captivating Guide to the Cold War Competition Between the United States and Soviet Union to Reach the Moon. So if you want to learn more about the Cold War and Space Race, get this audiobook now!

In December 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill made a speech about a conflict that had some leading figures in Britain and France, including Churchill himself, briefly discussing the idea of going to war with the Soviet Union, even though they were already fighting Adolf Hitler. Of course, war makes strange bedfellows, and one year later, Churchill would find himself allied with the Soviet Union against Germany and Finland. It’s an interesting saga, one with roots in imperial Russian history and the desire of the Finns to be free in their northern forests.

This program is read by the author. From a master of popular history, the lively, immersive story of the race to seize Berlin in the aftermath of World War II as it’s never been told before BERLIN’S FATE WAS SEALED AT THE 1945 YALTA CONFERENCE: the city, along with the rest of Germany, was...

In a different 1990… The Soviet/Warsaw Pact offensive against NATO almost succeeded save for a last ditch defense by NATO forces in the epic Battle of the Weser River. But with the communist advance halted tough decisions lie ahead for NATO. Prime Minister Thatcher and Chancellor Kohl want to counterattack, while the Bush Administration worries about the effects of further war. As NATO deliberates, the United States and Royal Navies gather in the North Sea for a massive offensive against Soviet occupied Norway. In the Soviet Union the Politburo is split between the hawks and doves, and ...

They flew small wooden biplanes at night over the Eastern Front. Searchlights and flak chased them. German troops called them Nachthexen. They flew again and again until dawn. This book tells the full combat story of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, later the 46th Guards. You will see how they trained at Engels, learned night tactics with the Po-2, and took on hard targets near the front. You will follow them through the Kuban, Crimea, Belarus, Poland, East Prussia, and the Oder. You will meet Marina Raskova, commander Yevdokiya Bershanskaya, pilot Nadezhda Popova, navigator Yekaterina ...

The riveting story of the ring of spies known as the Cambridge Five, who infiltrated the highest levels of the British establishment and helped Stalin cement a half century of Soviet domination over Eastern Europe The Cambridge Five was the most infamous spy ring in history. Its members—Kim...

From “one of Russia’s smartest and best-sourced” (The New York Times) reporters comes a gripping and urgent exploration of why the Soviet Union’s collapse was incomplete and the Cold War was never over—revealing the resurgence of imperialism in Russia and its current implications for...

Hitler vs Stalin: The Clash of Two Tyrants and the Battle for Europe Hitler vs Stalin dives deep into the brutal and complex rivalry between two of history’s most infamous dictators, Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. This gripping narrative explores their rise to power, contrasting ideologies, and the devastating impact their regimes had on the 20th century. From the shadowy halls of Berlin and Moscow to the blood-soaked battlefields of the Eastern Front, this book reveals how their personal ambitions, political strategies, and ruthless decisions shaped the fate of millions and changed the ...