Moscow's Game of Poker

Moscow's Game of Poker
Author: Tom Cooper
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2022-07-31
Genre:
ISBN: 9781804510902

In August 2015, the government of the Russian Federation embarked its military forces on an intervention in Syria. Ever since, there has been no end of discussion about Russian military capabilities and intentions - in Syria and beyond. To many, the performance of the Russian military - and especially the Russian Air-Space Force (VKS) - in this war was a clear demonstration of advanced technology, improved training, fearsome firepower, and great mobility. To others, the military operation only experienced limited success and exposed a number of weaknesses. Prominent amongst the latter were aircraft ill-suited to the necessities of expeditionary warfare, and a gross lack of advanced weaponry and equipment.While the military component of their intervention can only be described as having provided clear evidence that the Russian military was in no condition to directly challenge NATO's eastern frontiers, it cannot be denied that through this action Moscow effected a turning point in the Syrian Civil War, and indeed one on a geostrategic level. Organized and conducted in cooperation with very diverse allies - ranging from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran (IRGC), Hezbollah of Lebanon, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and a myriad of local warlords and their armed militias - through the combination of intentional bombardment of insurgent-controlled parts of Syria, and indirect protection for the IRGC's own military intervention in the country from a possible counter-intervention of the West, the Russians succeeded in saving the regime of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.Moscow's Game of Poker provides a unique overview and analysis of Moscow's political aims, strategy, doctrine, target selection process, military technology and tactics, day-by-day operations, and the way the Russian Federation cooperated with local allies. This story is told in combination with exclusive insight into the similar campaign run by what was left of the Syrian Arab Air Force.This revised edition of Moscow's Game of Poker includes over 130 full color photographs, maps and specially commissioned color artworks of vehicles, aircraft and combatants.

War in Ukraine

War in Ukraine
Author: Tom Cooper
Publisher: Helion and Company
Total Pages: 179
Release: 2023-05-18
Genre: History
ISBN: 1804514047

On 24 February 2022, eight years after invading the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine and organizing an illegal referendum in support of a subsequent Russian annexation, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Both Western and Russian intelligence services expected the invasion to quickly topple the democratically elected government in Kyiv and, with the help of collaborators, to overrun the Ukrainian armed forces in a matter of between 3 and 14 days. Early on 24 February, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (VSRF) launched a series of missile and artillery strikes on the main air bases and dozens of other military facilities in Ukraine. Immediately afterwards, the VSRF launched a ground invasion, with its forces advancing on Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Melitopol, and Kherson. Although following a build-up that had begun in April 2021, and expected by many, the onslaught still came as a major surprise for the Ukrainian government, the Ukrainian armed forces, and the majority of its allies in the West, and also for the mass of officers and other ranks of the VSRF, many of whom believed that they were only to participate in exercises. However, the deeper the Russians rolled into Ukraine, the more resistance they encountered: while some Russian units performed as expected, elsewhere whole armies began falling apart when ordered to advance at maximum possible speed without the necessary firepower and logistic support. After suffering catastrophic losses while failing to reach downtown Kyiv, and failing to reach and enter Chernihiv and Kharkiv, the war in northern and north-eastern Ukraine quickly settled down into a bloody stalemate. In the south, the Russians initially advanced at an astonishing rate, securing Melitopol during the second day of their invasion, and Kherson only a few days later. It was only once President Putin attempted to accelerate the rate of advance through ordering heliborne operations deeper into Ukraine that the VSRF suffered a severe blow in the fighting for Voznesensk and Mykolaiv, and its advance in this part of the country also came to an end. Richly illustrated with color photography and full color artworks, and providing a detailed study of the organization and order of battle of the armed forces involved on both sides, Volume 2 of War in Ukraine provides the first detailed account of the first two weeks of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The New Regional Order in the Middle East

The New Regional Order in the Middle East
Author: Sara Bazoobandi
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2019-09-19
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3030278859

This book examines some of the driving forces of change in the Middle East and aims to provide a regional outlook. The political and social events of the past years have significantly affected the regional structure across the Middle East, evident in socio-economic systems, security framework and the balance of power across the area. Each chapter focuses on one of the driving forces of change, including the Iran Nuclear Deal, the role of external powers, energy and its political and economic role in the region, the regional balance of power struggle amongst the key regional players and the socio-economic challenges across the region.

Moscow 5000

Moscow 5000
Author: Craig Thomas
Publisher: Canelo
Total Pages: 619
Release: 2023-07-24
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1804363855

In the Luzhniki Olympic Stadium, a race for life and death is taking place – and every single second counts... Moscow, 1980: athletes from around the globe are preparing for the men’s 5000 metre race. Each has their own hopes for gold and a unique set of challenges to face on the track ahead. With the clock ticking and the arena roaring, tensions are running high. However, that is not the only race taking place. Away from the eyes of the crowd, a CIA double agent seeking to defect to the USA must evade capture by the KGB, whilst a Ukrainian nationalist cell counts down the seconds to a catastrophic bomb plot that puts the lives of everyone in the arena at risk. What should be a day of celebration soon becomes a lethal mission to steal secrets and save lives. Inside Luzhniki, time is not on anyone's side – every single second counts in this race for more than just Olympic gold... High-octane and razor-sharp, Moscow 5000 is a political thriller perfect for fans of Jack Higgins and Ben Macintyre.

The Girl From Moscow

The Girl From Moscow
Author: Julia Levitina
Publisher: Pantera Press
Total Pages: 377
Release: 2024-02-27
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0645869147

Moscow, 1983. Twenty-one-year-old Ella dreams of playing Natasha Rostova in War and Peace at the Moscow Theatre Academy. But when she meets her good friend Vlad at a city square, Ella finds herself in the middle of a protest and attracts the glare of the KGB. Labelled a traitor, she must withdraw from the academy and she soon yearns to escape the cruel and oppressive Soviet regime. However, her hopes of leaving the country are smashed when her husband, Roman, is sentenced to two years' labour camp. As she looks for another way out, Ella is drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a KGB general, who has the power to secure her freedom. Will she risk everything and leave behind those she loves to pursue a life in the West? An absorbing, thrilling and heart-stopping Cold War drama, perfect for fans of The Spy's Wife and The Girl from Munich. 'A unique new voice in historical fiction' Belinda Alexandra 'Embark on an exhilarating Cold War journey with Julia Levitina's brilliant debut, THE GIRL FROM MOSCOW. I was hooked by Ella's story from the very first page. This is a must-read for fans of fast-paced, engrossing historical fiction.' Kelly Rimmer

Decide to Play Great Poker

Decide to Play Great Poker
Author: Annie Duke
Publisher: Huntington Press Inc
Total Pages: 464
Release: 2011-07-01
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 1935396323

Poker is a game of table position, flop texture, players in a hand, personalities, and so much more. This book teaches you how to identify and analyze those variables, become a great strategist, and have confidence in any poker situation. Decide to Play Great Poker is written by Annie Duke, the world's most renowned woman poker player, with John Vorhaus, himself a winning poker player and prolific author.

The Moscow Puzzles

The Moscow Puzzles
Author: Boris A. Kordemsky
Publisher: Courier Dover Publications
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2014-12-16
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 0486801306

This is, quite simply, the best and most popular puzzle book ever published in the Soviet Union. Since its first appearance in 1956 there have been eight editions as well as translations from the original Russian into Ukrainian, Estonian, Lettish, and Lithuanian. Almost a million copies of the Russian version alone have been sold. Part of the reason for the book's success is its marvelously varied assortment of brainteasers ranging from simple "catch" riddles to difficult problems (none, however, requiring advanced mathematics). Many of the puzzles will be new to Western readers, while some familiar problems have been clothed in new forms. Often the puzzles are presented in the form of charming stories that provide non-Russian readers with valuable insights into contemporary Russian life and customs. In addition, Martin Gardner, former editor of the Mathematical Games Department, Scientific American, has clarified and simplified the book to make it as easy as possible for an English-reading public to understand and enjoy. He has been careful, moreover, to retain nearly all the freshness, warmth, and humor of the original. Lavishly illustrated with over 400 clear diagrams and amusing sketches, this inexpensive edition of the first English translation will offer weeks or even months of stimulating entertainment. It belongs in the library of every puzzlist or lover of recreational mathematics.

The Moscow Diaries

The Moscow Diaries
Author: Richard Bryant
Publisher: Lulu.com
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2008-03-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0615149995

Post-Soviet Russia. The Wild Wild East. Richard Bryant offers a glimpse at real life behind what remains of the rusting Iron Curtain. At a time when relations between the United States and Russia are once again tense, Richard's work is a telling portrait of life in modern Moscow. From train journeys across four timezones to airport security inspections, you'll never look at Russia the same way again.

HAVOK Goes To Moscow

HAVOK Goes To Moscow
Author: Bob Hyslop
Publisher: Cuthan Books
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2014-06-04
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0957369476

1967 USSR Jonas Forbes is hired to protect a guitarist in HAVOK, a rock group booked for concerts in Moscow; but Jonas is also working for MI6. Can he manage both jobs? Can he elude the KGB? As the group travel by coach across Europe he’s also threatened by the STASI and the SB. The Rock World, Cold War and murder feature in this fast-paced thriller.

Hearings

Hearings
Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Foreign Affairs
Publisher:
Total Pages: 1504
Release: 1949
Genre:
ISBN: