Richard Bassett Livres

The definitive history of Austria's multinational army and its immense role during three centuries of European military history Among the finest examples of deeply researched and colorfully written military history, Richard Bassett's For God and Kaiser is a major account of the Habsburg army told for the first time in English. Bassett shows how the Imperial Austrian Army, time and again, was a decisive factor in the story of Europe, the balance of international power, and the defense of Christendom. Moreover it was the first pan-European army made up of different nationalities and faiths, counting among its soldiers not only Christians but also Muslims and Jews. Bassett tours some of the most important campaigns and battles in modern European military history, from the seventeenth century through World War I. He details technical and social developments that coincided with the army's story and provides fascinating portraits of the great military leaders as well as noteworthy figures of lesser renown. Departing from conventional assessments of the Habsburg army as ineffective, outdated, and repeatedly inadequate, the author argues that it was a uniquely cohesive and formidable fighting force, in many respects one of the glories of the old Europe.

Wilhelm Canaris was appointed by Hitler to head the Abwehr (the German secret service) eighteen months after the Nazis came to power. But Canaris turned against the Fuhrer and the Nazi regime, believing that Hitler would start a war Germany could not win. In 1938 he was involved in an attempted coup, undermined by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. In 1940 he sabotaged the German plan to invade England, and fed General Franco vital information that helped him keep Spain out of the war. For years he played a dangerous double game, desperately trying to keep one step ahead of the Gestapo. The SS chief, Heinrich Himmler, became suspicious of the Abwehr and by 1944, when Abwehr personnel were involved in the attempted assassination of Hitler, he had the evidence to arrest Canaris himself. Canaris was executed a few weeks before the end of the war.

Focusing on the conceptual philosophy of instrument use, this book systematically explores practical applications, categorizing them into displacement-dominated and stress recording systems. It delves into the limitations and theoretical foundations for data assessment and presentation, incorporating essential elements of theoretical soil mechanics. Additionally, advanced electronic techniques like laser scanning and fiber optics are discussed, alongside communication and data recovery systems, providing a comprehensive understanding of modern instrumentation.

The book is a facsimile reprint, which means it reproduces the original text but may include imperfections like marks, notations, marginalia, and flawed pages. Readers should be aware that these elements could affect the reading experience.

Shortly before the D-Day landings, a practice on Slapton Sands in Devon was ambushed by E-boats and within minutes hundreds of mainly American soldiers and sailors were fighting for their lives in the cold waters of the English Chanel. With the invasion imminent the extent of the disaster was kept secret. this is the most infamous wartime legend of South West England surrounded by sinister mystery and mis-information. It has been painstakingly researched over many years using new evidence. The book includes heart rending testimonies from the survivors.

The Story of the United States Army Assault Training Centre in North Devon.

Dapper, dynamic, overarchingly ambitious, Guido Schmidt was Austria's youngest and most controversial Foreign Minister. Corresponding secretly with Gö ring while betraying Axis secrets to Sir Robert Vansittart at the British Foreign Office, Schmidt ducked and weaved across a European landscape of increasing menace and treachery. Accompanying the Austrian Chancellor to Berchtesgaden in February 1938, Schmidt alone kept his nerve and negotiated an agreement with Ribbentrop which neutralised many of Hitler's bullying demands. When Hitler invaded Schmidt was one of the very few Austrian ministers to escape the clutches of the SS. In a curious gesture of protection, Gö ring sent a plane to Vienna to rescue him from the wrath of the Austrian Nazis. This enigmatic move by Hitler's greatest of paladins came back to haunt Schmidt after the war when he was put on trial for high treason. Acquitted in 1947 for " lack of evidence", Schmidt's reputation never recovered. Accessing invaluable family papers hitherto unseen by any historian, Richard Bassett has produced a fascinating account of an important personality who played a pivotal role in the European crisis in the run-up to the Second World.

The Golden City of Prague has long been an intellectual centre of the western world. The writers collected here range from the early nineteenth century to the present and include both Prague natives and visitors from elsewhere. Here are stories, legends, and scenes from the city's past and present, from the Jewish fable of the golem, a creature conjured from clay, to tales of German and Soviet invasions. The international array of writers ranges from Franz Kafka to Ivan Klima to Bruce Chatwin, and includes the award-winning British playwright Tom Stoppard and former American Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, both of whom have Czech roots. Covering the city's venerable Jewish heritage, the glamour of the belle-epoque period, World War II, Communist rule, the Prague Spring, the Velvet Revolution, and beyond, Prague Stories weaves a remarkable selection of fiction and nonfiction into a literary portrait of a fascinating city

Part memoir, part reflection, this book brings to life central Europe during the last ten years of the Cold War. It begins in Trieste in 1979 where the resonances of the Habsburg Empire are still strong. The second part moves to the darker, claustrophobic world of Vienna in 1985, where the atmosphere of the Cold War seemed to infiltrate every brick of a city hovering between two worlds, and even the most seemingly harmless of culinary establishments masked the game of espionage between East and West. In the third part, the story shifts to Prague in 1989 during the dramatic, intoxicating days of the 'velvet revolution' and the long-awaited opening up of the east. Revolution, when it came was from above rather than below: Moscow was far more engaged with events during those turbulent November weeks than is generally appreciated. Throughout the book we encounter a diverse array of glittering characters: penniless aristocrats, charming gangsters, even Amazonian blondes in the service of Eastern European spy agencies; fractious diplomatists and disinherited royalty supply a colourful supporting cast. With charm, wit and insight, Richard Bassett recreates through his personal encounters the elegy, farce and tragedy of Central Europe in the last days of communism.

In 1979, Richard Bassett embarked on adventures in central Europe, experiencing the last echoes of the Hapsburg lands and witnessing the decline of communist rule. Traveling from Trieste to Prague and Vienna to Warsaw, he encountered fading aristocrats, charming gangsters, fractious diplomats, and glamorous informants, offering a unique perspective on life behind the Iron Curtain as a musician and foreign correspondent. The narrative reveals familiar events and places through unexpected lenses: dilapidated mansions, boarding-houses, train carriages, and cafes, often serving as backdrops for espionage between East and West. Bassett shares surprising encounters with figures such as Shirley Temple, Fitzroy Maclean, Lech Walesa, and the last Empress of Austria. He attends King Nicola of Montenegro's funeral, plays bridge with the last recipient of an Austrian imperial decoration, and observes the KGB's final rites for the Soviet empire in Prague. The book intertwines music, art, architecture, food, wine, friendship, and history, reflecting Bassett's romantic inclination towards the values of a bygone era. He vividly captures the essence of Mitteleuropa during a pivotal decade in its history.