During the darkest days of WW2, in her home country of Holland, Anna-Maria van der Vaart sheltered Allied pilots, gave refuge to persecuted Jews and stood up to the Nazis by participating in audacious acts of resistance. This is Anna- Maria’s remarkable story alongside those who risked their lives to save others.
Martin Sixsmith Reihenfolge der Bücher (Chronologisch)
Dieser britische Autor und Journalist erlangte Bekanntheit durch seine Berichterstattung von entscheidenden Momenten des späten Kalten Krieges, unter anderem aus Moskau und Polen. Seine umfassenden Auslandserfahrungen prägten seine Perspektive auf Politik und Gesellschaft, was sich in seinen Werken widerspiegelt. Später war er in der politischen Kommunikation und im öffentlichen Dienst tätig und geriet ins Rampenlicht der Öffentlichkeit. Nach seinem Ausscheiden aus der Regierung widmete er sich dem Schreiben und schuf Romane mit politischen Themen sowie gefeierte Sachbücher, die menschliche Erfahrungen und gesellschaftliche Probleme untersuchen.







An original and informative look at the character of Russian leaders throughout history and why they think so differently to the rest of the world. Martin Sixsmith, acknowledged expert on Russia, history and politics argues that it is impossible to understand Vladimir Putin unless he is seen in the wider context of Russian history. All the forces that condition Putin's behaviour, his attitude to the outside world, his desire for political domination and his unrelenting brutality can be traced from Muscovy, Boris Godunov, Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Stalin and right up to the present day. In other words, there is a mindset, the psyche of Russian dictators which has changed little since early days. The terror of encirclement and of invasion by outsiders. Obsessive cruelty and wilful lack of concern for the loss of human life - Stalin sacrificed the lives of millions of Russians to drive back Hitler's troops. A complete lack of concern for what outsiders may think of Russia. The sanctification of the concept of Holy Russia, Mother Russia where the Russian Orthodox Church is too often manipulated by the State to condone the mindless butchery of human beings in the pursuit of an end and purpose which it justified. Nowhere are these factors more obvious than in the present Russian invasion of Ukraine, which thanks to this book, we will understand a great deal better.
Wnikliwa historia putinowskiej Rosji oraz analiza jej mechanizmów. Michaił Chodorkowski, niegdyś bliski współpracownik Putina, a obecnie jego przeciwnik, stawia pytanie „Co z tą Rosją?” Jego życie to seria wzlotów i upadków. Wychowany na komsomolca, zyskał ogromne wpływy jako potentat naftowy i najbogatszy człowiek w Rosji, a także prominentny członek kremlowskiej wierchuszki. Miał odwagę wystąpić przeciwko korupcji reżimu, za co został ukarany – skonfiskowano jego majątek, a on spędził ponad dziesięć lat w łagrze. Po wyjściu na wolność opuścił mafijne państwo, by opowiedzieć Zachodowi prawdę o swoim kraju. Jako insider zna współczesną Rosję lepiej niż niejeden dziennikarz czy ekspert. Dziś Chodorkowski jest działaczem prodemokratycznym, walczącym o ocalenie duszy swojej ojczyzny. Wraz z Martinem Sixsmithem, korespondentem BBC w Moskwie, tłumaczą, jak Zachód powinien rozmawiać z Rosją i co zrobić dla pojednania Wschodu z Zachodem. We wstępie Krystyny Kurczab-Redlich podkreślono, że autobiografia Chodorkowskiego pozwala przyjrzeć się czasom Gorbaczowa, Jelcyna i Putina, ukazując problem, który stał się najpoważniejszym wyzwaniem współczesnego świata.
A major new history of the Cold War: exploring the conflict through the minds of the people who lived it.
An Unquiet Heart
- 640 Seiten
- 23 Lesestunden
Bursting with the real-life drama of love in turbulent times, An Unquiet Heart is a magnificently wrought novel of passion and violence, triumph and tragedy.
Philomena Lee ist selbst noch fast ein Kind, als sie hochschwanger im Kloster Zuflucht sucht. Doch statt Barmherzigkeit erwartet sie dort ein unerbittliches System: Im Irland der 50er-Jahre verkaufen die Nonnen jedes uneheliche Kind, das in ihrem Konvent geboren wird, mit neuer Identität in die USA. Wie viele andere Mütter verliert auch Philomena ihren Sohn, aus Anthony Lee wird mit drei Jahren Michael Hess. Mutter und Sohn können einander nicht vergessen, doch erst 50 Jahre später erfährt Philomena, was aus ihrem Sohn geworden ist.
Russia : A 1,000-year chronicle of the wild East
- 624 Seiten
- 22 Lesestunden
Russia is a country of contradictions: a nation of cultural refinement and artistic originality and yet also a country that rules by 'the iron fist', with an ingrained eagerness to sacrifice the individual for the collectivist cause.
Putin's oil. The Yukos Affair and The Struggle For Russia
- 311 Seiten
- 11 Lesestunden
This title investigates Vladimir Putin's war for control of Russia's vast oil reserves, in particular Mikhail Khodorkovsky's oil firm, Yukos. "Putin's Oil" investigates the complex world of Kremlin politics, including conspiracies and conspiracy theories, allegations that Roman Abramovitch plotted with Putin to destroy Khodorkovsky, suspicions of betrayal and double agents in the Kremlin and in Yukos, murder charges against Khodorkovsky's partners, and the KGB defector who claims they were carried out by Kremlin agents. After the mysterious death in a helicopter crash of the Englishman who had taken over Yukos, the company's war against the Kremlin is now being waged by a troika of mild mannered Britons, pursued by Interpol arrest warrants and Moscow's fury. Khodorkovsky remains in a penal camp in far Eastern Siberia. Martin Sixsmith, former BBC Moscow Correspondent, has gained unprecedented access to many of the players in the drama. The resulting book is both a thriller and an analysis of the defining moments of Putin's presidency and their ongoing impact in Russian and world politics.
A compelling story of family secrets, love and loss
On December 7th, 2006, Alexander Litvinenko was buried in Highgate Cemetery, close to Karl Marx's grave. A former officer of Russia's feared security service, Litvinenko became a whistleblower against the corruption and murder within the Russian government. After fleeing the Kremlin's wrath, he sought refuge in London, aligning himself with Moscow's enemies. His tragic death from poisoning in a hospital far from home marked him as a martyr. Martin Sixsmith, drawing from his experience as a BBC Moscow correspondent and connections with key Russian figures in London, investigates the circumstances surrounding Litvinenko's murder. The narrative traces back to 2000, when tensions escalated between the Kremlin and political adversaries, leading to a prolonged conflict that pitted some of Russia's wealthiest individuals against its most powerful president since Stalin. This ongoing struggle has revived some of the KGB's darkest tactics and is poised to intensify as the 2008 presidential election approaches. The account reveals the shocking implications of Litvinenko's murder, highlighting how Russia's internal conflicts spilled into London, capturing global attention.


