This book explores why there is a major war again in Europe. Putin's actions need to be understood if not forgiven. With the Ukraine conflict seen as a proxy war of NATO versus Russia, how likely is the fighting to spread?
The author, a highly respected journalist and political commentator, explains why Russia invaded a sovereign neighbor. To what extent did NATO's expansion to Russia's borders in the aftermath of the Cold War provoke Putin? Did the West's recent humiliating defeats in the Middle East and South Asia encourage Putin to exploit what he saw as its decadent strategic weakness and lack of resolve? What were the reasons for Russia's savage behavior in Ukraine? How might the Ukraine war end and what will the post-bellum world look like?
The war in Ukraine has had worldwide impact with cost of living, food and energy crises, and raised the risk of nuclear Armageddon by accident or intent. It examines the complex military and political issues in layman's language while the story is told as a compelling historical narrative.
Professor Moorcraft, who has worked in Ukraine and has witnessed Russian troops in action in Afghanistan, is superbly qualified to write this work.
The existence of German-speaking units fighting for the Allied cause during WW2 has remained largely a well-kept secret. But seventy-five years on these units' contribution to victory needs to be fully acknowledged.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill had no qualms about using native German speakers from Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Germany itself. The majority were Jews who had fled persecution.
Two examples of these secret units were X Troop Commandos and the Special Interrogation Group.
The SIG men deserve their legendary status. They fought, and often died, wearing Wehmacht uniform. As this book reveals that, after infiltrating Field Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps, one detachment even drew Nazi pay. Once the existence of SIG units became known, their immediate execution on capture was ordered, unless their temporary reprieve would reveal intelligence under torture.
We learn how Churchill's initiative was copied by both Americans and Russians.
Post-war SIG and X Troop survivors joined British special forces or were used to hunt down Nazi war criminals.
All this and more is covered in this groundbreaking book by a writer who is both a leading historian and foreign correspondent.
