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Michael Dobbs, Baron Dobbs

    November 14, 1948

    Michael Dobbs possesses a unique perspective, having been immersed in the Cold War's geopolitical landscape from childhood. His early life in Russia and subsequent career as a foreign correspondent exposed him to pivotal historical moments, from the Prague Spring to the Tiananmen Square protests and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This intimate, firsthand experience fuels his narrative explorations of the era's complex dynamics and eventual conclusion. Dobbs’s work delves into the intricate machinations and ideological struggles that defined the Cold War, offering readers a deeply informed perspective.

    Michael Dobbs, Baron Dobbs
    The Unwanted
    King Richard
    King Richard: Nixon and Watergate--An American Tragedy
    Down with Big Brother
    One Minute To Midnight
    King Richard: Nixon and Watergate: An American Tragedy
    • "In January 1973, Richard Nixon had just been inaugurated after winning re-election in a historic landslide. But by April 1973, his presidency had fallen apart as the Watergate scandal metastasized into what White House counsel John Dean called "a full-blown cancer." King Richard is the intimate, utterly absorbing narrative of the tension-packed hundred days when the Watergate burglars and their handlers in the administration turned on one another, revealing their direct connection ties to the White House. Drawing on thousands of hours of newly-released taped recordings, Michael Dobbs takes us into the very heart of the conspiracy, recreating these dramatic events in unprecedentedly vivid detail. He captures the growing paranoia of the principal players and their desperate attempts to deflect blame as the noose tightened around them and the daily pressures became increasingly unbearable. At the center of this spellbinding drama is Nixon himself, a man whose strengths, particularly his determination to win at all costs, were also his fatal flaws. Structured like a classical tragedy with a uniquely American twist, this is an epic and deeply human story of ambition, power, and betrayal"--

      King Richard: Nixon and Watergate: An American Tragedy
      5.0
    • One Minute To Midnight

      • 448 pages
      • 16 hours of reading

      Michael Dodds recreates the 'most dangerous moment in human history' and brings the Cuban Missile Crisis to a new generation

      One Minute To Midnight
      4.4
    • Down with Big Brother

      The Fall of the Soviet Empire

      • 528 pages
      • 19 hours of reading

      This book offers an engaging and anecdotal history that captures a significant drama of our time. Through compelling storytelling, it weaves together key moments and insights, providing readers with a deep understanding of the events and their impact. The narrative highlights the emotional and historical significance of the story, making it a remarkable account that resonates with contemporary themes.

      Down with Big Brother
      4.3
    • Focusing on the pivotal moments of the Watergate scandal, this account provides an insider's perspective from the White House during the crisis that led to a president's downfall. The narrative captures the tension and urgency of the events, detailing the conspiracy's unfolding and its impact on American politics. With sharp insights and riveting storytelling, it reveals the high stakes and the dramatic consequences of this historical episode.

      King Richard: Nixon and Watergate--An American Tragedy
      4.3
    • King Richard

      • 416 pages
      • 15 hours of reading

      From an acclaimed British author, a sharply focused, riveting account -- told from inside the White House -- of the crucial days, hours, and moments when the Watergate conspiracy consumed, and ultimately toppled, a president. In January 1973, Richard Nixon was inaugurated after winning re-election in a historic landslide. But by April his presidency had fallen apart as the Watergate scandal metastasised into what White House counsel John Dean called 'a full-blown cancer'. King Richardis the intimate, utterly absorbing narrative of the tension-packed hundred days when the Watergate burglars and their handlers in the administration turned on one another, revealing their direct connection to the White House. Drawing on thousands of hours of newly released taped recordings, Michael Dobbs takes us into the very heart of the conspiracy, recreating these dramatic events in unprecedentedly vivid detail. He captures the growing paranoia of the principal players, and their desperate attempts to deflect blame, as the noose tightened around them and the daily pressures became increasingly unbearable. At the centre of this spellbinding drama is Nixon himself, a man whose strengths -- particularly his determination to win at all costs -- were also his fatal flaws. Structured like a classical tragedy with a uniquely American twist, this is an epic and deeply human story of ambition, power, and betrayal.

      King Richard
      4.3
    • Published in association with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, a riveting story of Jewish families seeking to escape Nazi Germany. In 1938, on the eve of World War II, the American journalist Dorothy Thompson wrote that "a piece of paper with a stamp on it" was "the difference between life and death." The Unwanted is the intimate account of a small village on the edge of the Black Forest whose Jewish families desperately pursued American visas to flee the Nazis. Battling formidable bureaucratic obstacles, some make it to the United States while others are unable to obtain the necessary documents. Some are murdered in Auschwitz, their applications for American visas still "pending." Drawing on previously unpublished letters, diaries, interviews, and visa records, Michael Dobbs provides an illuminating account of America's response to the refugee crisis of the 1930s and 1940s. He describes the deportation of German Jews to France in October 1940, along with their continuing quest for American visas. And he re-creates the heated debates among U.S. officials over whether or not to admit refugees amid growing concerns about "fifth columnists," at a time when the American public was deeply isolationist, xenophobic, and antisemitic. A Holocaust story that is both German and American, The Unwanted vividly captures the experiences of a small community struggling to survive amid tumultuous world events.

      The Unwanted
      4.2
    • Six Months In 1945

      FDR, Stalin, Churchill, and Truman. From World War to Cold War

      • 448 pages
      • 16 hours of reading

      From the author of the best-selling One Minute to Midnight, a riveting account of the pivotal six month period spanning the end of World War II, the dawn of the atomic age, and the beginning of the Cold War. When Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin met in Yalta in February 1945, Hitler's armies were on the run, and victory was imminent. The Big Three wanted to draft a blueprint for a lasting peace—but instead they set the stage for a forty-four year division of Europe into Soviet and Western spheres of influence. After fighting side by side for nearly four years, their political alliance was beginning to fracture. Although the most dramatic Cold War confrontations such as the Berlin airlift were still to come, a new struggle for global hegemony had got underway by August 1945 when Truman used the atomic bomb against Hiroshima. Six Months in 1945 brilliantly captures this momentous historical turning point, chronicling the geopolitical twists behind the fall of the Iron Curtain, while illuminating the aims and personalities of larger-than-life political giants. It is a vividly rendered story of individual and national interests in fierce competition at a seminal moment in history.

      Six Months In 1945
      4.1
    • Churchill's Hour

      • 464 pages
      • 17 hours of reading

      Michael Dobbs skillfully intertwines his historical passion with the legendary figure of Winston Churchill, creating a compelling narrative in two acclaimed works. The books explore Churchill's resilience and leadership during pivotal moments in history, showcasing his unwavering spirit in the face of adversity. Through rich storytelling, Dobbs captures the essence of Churchill's character and the challenges he confronted, offering readers an engaging and insightful look at one of history's most influential leaders.

      Churchill's Hour
      4.1
    • The Lord's Day

      • 437 pages
      • 16 hours of reading

      The boundaries of parental love and child/parent devotion are explored to their breaking point in this unique and breathtaking thriller. Once a year, the Queen, the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the judges, the bishops, leaders spiritual and temporal, assemble in the House of Lords for the State Opening of Parliament. On this day, the Lords' Day, the gathering is still more impressive, for sitting beside his mother is the heir to the throne and up in the galleries are the sons of both the US President and the British Prime Minister. But they are all about to be taken hostage. The siege will lead some to selfless sacrifice, others to lose the respect of those they love most dearly

      The Lord's Day
      3.9
    • Never Surrender

      • 448 pages
      • 16 hours of reading

      The story of one man's defiance and a nation's courage.Friday 10th May 1940. Hitler launches a devastating attack that in days will overrun France, Holland and Belgium, and bring Britain to its knees at Dunkirk. It is also the day Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister. He is the one man capable of standing in Hitler's way - yet Churchill is still deeply mistrusted within his own Cabinet and haunted by the memory of his haunted father.Never Surrender is a novel about the courage and defiance that were displayed in abundance - not just by Churchill, but by ordinary men and women over three of the most momentous weeks in British history.

      Never Surrender
      4.0