Willem van Paassen Books

The Normandy Landings that took place on D-Day involved by far the largest invasion fleet ever known. The scale of the undertaking was simply awesome. What followed them was some of the most cunning and ferocious fighting of the war, at times as savage as anything seen on the Eastern Front. As casualties mounted, so too did the tensions between the principal commanders on both sides. Meanwhile, French civilians caught in the middle of these battlefields or under Allied bombing endured terrible suffering. Even the joys of Liberation had their darker side. The war in northern France marked not just a generation but the whole of the post-war world, profoundly influencing relations between America and Europe. Making use of overlooked and new material from over thirty archives in half a dozen countries, "D-Day" is the most vivid and well-researched account yet of the battle of Normandy. As with Stalingrad and Berlin, Antony Beevor's gripping narrative conveys the true experience of war.

I just can't understand how someone like him could do something like that. Amid the worst drought to ravage Australia in a century, it hasn't rained in small country town Kiewarra for two years. Tensions in the community become unbearable when three members of the Hadler family are brutally murdered. Everyone thinks Luke Hadler, who committed suicide after slaughtering his wife and six-year-old son, is guilty. Policeman Aaron Falk returns to the town of his youth for the funeral of his childhood best friend, and is unwillingly drawn into the investigation. As questions mount and suspicion spreads through the town, Falk is forced to confront the community that rejected him twenty years earlier. Because Falk and Luke Hadler shared a secret, one which Luke's death threatens to unearth. And as Falk probes deeper into the killings, secrets from his past and why he left home bubble to the surface as he questions the truth of his friend's crime.

This is the chilling account of how a low-level, small-minded KGB operative ascended to the Russian presidency and, in an astonishingly short time, destroyed years of progress and made his country once more a threat to her own people and to the world. Handpicked by the "family" surrounding an ailing and increasingly unpopular Boris Yeltsin, Vladimir Putin seemed like a perfect choice for the oligarchy to shape according to its own designs. Suddenly the boy who had stood in the shadows was a public figure, and his popularity soared. Russia and an infatuated West were determined to see the progressive leader of their dreams, even as he seized control of media, sent political rivals and critics into exile or to the grave, and smashed the country's fragile electoral system, concentrating power in the hands of his cronies. As a journalist living in Moscow, Masha Gessen experienced this history firsthand, and she has drawn on sources no other writer has tapped.--From publisher description.

The best in compulsive literary crime, from the author of the Sunday Times top ten bestseller, The Dry.

Katie is the sister who has it all: a flourishing career and a smart, loving fianc.̌ Mia is the dreamer: no ties, no responsibilities, no thought for anyone but herself.

The book has received accolades as one of the best of the year, highlighting its exceptional storytelling and impactful themes. It delves into profound subjects, offering readers a rich exploration of character development and emotional depth. The narrative is crafted with skill, ensuring a compelling experience that resonates with audiences, making it a standout choice for those seeking quality literature.

Birma is nooit een gemakkelijk toegankelijk land geweest. De ondoordringbare jungle, die met gedetailleerde kaarten nauwelijks te doorgronden is, heeft het land lange tijd afgesloten gehouden, vergelijkbaar met Tibet. In deze jungle liggen de moeilijk bereikbare Jademijnen, omgeven door mysterieuze verhalen. Er wordt gezegd dat de mijnen worden beschermd door half mens, half slang-wezens en dat de gevonden groene Jade licht geeft. Dergelijke verhalen wekten de hebzucht van de oude Chinese keizers. Het verhaal draait om de uittocht van de laatste Chinese Keizer en Keizerin uit het Zomerpaleis in Peking, beladen met kostbare jadejuwelen, terwijl Engelse troepen oprukken. Het boek belicht de blijvende passie voor de lichtgevende groene Jade. De Engelse auteurs Levy en Scott-Clark, een man en een vrouw, wisten met valse paspoorten en steekpenningen diep het zwaar bewaakte mijngebied binnen te dringen en beschrijven deze onherbergzame plek nauwkeurig. Net als hun voorgangers moesten zij zich een weg banen over bergpaden en door wilde rivieren naar dit streng bewaakte gebied. De huidige Birmese generaals beschouwen het Jade als hun pensioenverzekering en dulden geen getuigen in dit inferno van een mijngebied. Het boek is een meesterlijk geschreven reisverslag, doordrenkt van kennis van de Chinese en Birmese geschiedenis.

Inleiding tot de grafologie, de methode om het karakter van mensen te leren kennen via hun handschrift.