Stephen Koch Livres

A history of Soviet propaganda in the West under Stalin. It aims to show how three men - Willi Muzenberg, Otto Katz and Louis Gibarti - manipulated the lives and deeds of some of the most prominent and idealistic public figures.

Focusing on the role of allies in creating an inclusive workplace, this guide emphasizes the importance of participation from all employees, particularly men. It addresses common uncertainties about actions to take and the significance of inclusivity, providing practical insights and encouragement for those looking to make a positive impact in their work environment.

New B-format paperback edition. How Hitler used the murder of a Nazi diplomat to blame the Jews for WW2, based on new archive sources.

As part of its plan to achieve a worldwide communist revolution, the USSR employed a German communist and publisher to recruit Western intellectuals - among them Gide, Hemingway, Malraux and Brecht. Koch examines the role played by these writers in Soviet propaganda and espionage.

Ernest Hemingway and John Dos Passos were friends; writers-in-arms, though they were polar opposites in terms of personality – Dos Passos’ calm contrasting with Hemingway’s machismo. They arrived in Spain during the civil war as comrades, but when Dos Passos undertook to unravel the mystery of the disappearance of his friend, José Robles – a Spanish-born Johns Hopkins profressor who had moved back to Spain to help save the Spanish Republic – their friendship, and Dos Passos’ literary career, reached the breaking point. In this stunning historical narrative, written with a novelists eye for detail, acclaimed writer Stephen Koch explores the relationship between the two men - set against the grippingly dramatic backdrop of the Spanish Civil War - and how their split changed them both as men and as writers.

A remarkable story of a forgotten seventeen–year–old Jew who was blamed by the Nazis for the anti–Semitic violence and terror known as the Kristallnacht, the pogrom still seen as an initiating event of the Holocaust After learning about Nazi persecution of his family, Herschel Grynszpan (pronounced Greenspan) bought a small handgun and on November 7, 1938, went to the German embassy and shot the first German diplomat he saw. When the man died two days later, Hitler and Goebbels made the shooting their pretext for the state–sponsored wave of antiSemitic terror known as Kristallnacht, still seen by many as an initiating event of the Holocaust. Overnight, Grynszpan, a bright but naive teenager, was front–page news and a pawn in a global power struggle.

The narrative explores the life and legacy of Louis Jordan, an influential figure in American music whose hybrid style of jazz, swing, blues, and comedy helped shape R&B. Known as the "King of the Jukeboxes," his memorable songs like "Baby, It's Cold Outside" continue to resonate today. Author Stephen Koch contextualizes Jordan within the broader musical landscape, highlighting his impact on iconic artists such as James Brown and Ray Charles, while also shedding light on his often-overlooked contributions to popular culture over a remarkable five-decade career.