Crown, Cloak, and Dagger

Crown, Cloak, and Dagger
Author: Richard J. Aldrich
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
Total Pages: 563
Release: 2023-09-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1647123720

Surprising revelations about the active role of the monarch in British intelligence The British Royal Family and the intelligence community are two of the most mysterious and mythologized actors of the British State. Crown, Cloak, and Dagger offers a new history of how the two have been inextricably linked from the reign of Queen Victoria to the present. Richard J. Aldrich and Rory Cormac unveil a wealth of archival detail that changes our understanding of the role of the monarch in politics, intelligence, and international relations. Successive queens and kings have all played an active role in steering British intelligence, sometimes against the wishes of prime ministers. Even today, the monarch receives “copy No. 1” of every intelligence report. Attempted assassinations and kidnappings, the abdication crisis, world wars and the Cold War, and the death of Princess Diana are just some of the topics covered in the book. Fascinating and fast-paced, Crown, Cloak, and Dagger demonstrates that the British monarch continues to be far more than a figurehead. This book will inform as well as entertain anyone with an interest in history, espionage, and the royals.

Crown, Cloak, and Dagger

Crown, Cloak, and Dagger
Author: Richard J. Aldrich
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
Total Pages: 438
Release: 2023
Genre: History
ISBN: 1647123712

"Richard J. Aldrich and Rory Cormac reveal the remarkable relationship between the British Royal Family and the intelligence community, from the reign of Queen Victoria, through two world wars and the Cold War, to the present day. Based on painstaking archival research, the authors have uncovered a wealth of detail that changes our understanding of the role of the monarch in modern British politics, intelligence, and international relations. Far from being a dry tome, on page after page Crown, Cloak, and Dagger offers surprising revelations and stories of intrigue. The book begins with the reign of Queen Victoria, when persistent attempts to assassinate her demanded the creation of security services. Successive queens and kings have all played an active role in steering British intelligence, sometimes running parallel networks against the wishes of prime ministers. Even today, Queen Elizabeth II receives "copy No.1" of every intelligence report and likely knows more state secrets than any person alive. This book demonstrates that even in the era of constitutional monarchy, queens and kings continue to be far more than figureheads of state. Crown, Cloak, and Dagger is a fascinating and fast-paced history that will inform as well as entertain anyone with an interest in history, espionage, and the Royal Family"--

The Crown Tower

The Crown Tower
Author: Michael J. Sullivan
Publisher: Orbit
Total Pages: 285
Release: 2013-08-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316243701

Two men who hate each other. One impossible mission. A legend in the making. Hadrian Blackwater, a warrior with nothing to fight for, is paired with Royce Melborn, a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Hired by an old wizard, they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm's most prized possessions. But it isn't gold or jewels that the wizard is after, and if he can just keep them from killing each other, they just might succeed.

Crown of Slaves

Crown of Slaves
Author: David Weber
Publisher: Baen Books
Total Pages: 393
Release: 2003
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0743471482

"And, just to put the icing on the cake, the radical freed slave organization, the Audubon Ballroom, is also on the scene - led by its notorious and ruthless assassin, Jeremy X."--BOOK JACKET.

The Crown's Choice

The Crown's Choice
Author: Kirsten Osbourne
Publisher: Unlimited Dreams Publishing
Total Pages: 161
Release: 2023-12-23
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Amanda Carter is working as a bodyguard in her first real job, guarding the crown prince of the small European nation of Theron. When she’s asked to pretend to date the prince so she can guard him more closely, she immediately agrees. Prince James of Theron has never met a woman who he is as attracted to as Amanda. He thinks pretending to date her will be a great way to get to know her better. After surviving one assassination attempt, they realize that though they’re pretending, someone else isn’t. After the king has a heart attack, James fears he will soon be the ruler of Theron. As he and Amanda plan a wedding, the would-be assassins target Amanda. Will the two of them be able to go through with the wedding? Or will the assassins win in the end?

Mission to Mao

Mission to Mao
Author: Sara B. Castro
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
Total Pages: 297
Release: 2024-09-03
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1647124522

An innovative history of US intelligence officers on the ground and the first official contacts between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party From 1944 to 1947, the United States planted a liaison mission in the headquarters of Chinese Communist forces behind the lines. Nicknamed the "Dixie Mission," for its location in "rebel" territory, it was an interagency delegation that included intelligence officers from the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the US Army, and the State Department. Mission to Mao is a social history of the OSS officers in the field that reveals the weakness of US intelligence diplomacy in the 1940s. Drawing on over 14,000 unpublished records from five archives as well as white papers and memoirs from the participants, Sara B. Castro demonstrates how the US intelligence officers in China clashed with political appointees and Washington over the direction of the US relationship with the Chinese Communists. Interagency and political conflicts erupted over assessments of Communist capabilities and whether or not the mission would later involve operations with the Communists. Castro shows how potential benefits for the war effort were thwarted by politicization, rivalries, and the biases of US intelligence officials. Mission to Mao is a fresh look at US intelligence in WW II China and takes readers beyond the history of "China Hands" versus American anticommunists, introducing more nuance.

Watching the Jackals

Watching the Jackals
Author: Daniela Richterova
Publisher: Georgetown University Press
Total Pages: 460
Release: 2025-01-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1647125154

The untold history of Czechoslovakia's complex relations with Middle Eastern terrorists and revolutionaries during the closing decades of the Cold War In the 1970s and 1980s, Prague became a favorite destination for the world's most prominent terrorists and revolutionaries. They arrived here to seek refuge, enjoy recreation, or hold secret meetings aimed at securing training, arms, and other forms of support. While some were welcome with open arms, others were closely watched and were eventually ousted. Watching the Jackals is the untold history of Czechoslovakia's complex relations with Middle Eastern terrorists and revolutionaries during the closing decades of the Cold War. Based on recently declassified intelligence files, Richterova unveils the story of Prague's engagement with various factions of the Palestine Liberation Organization, along with some of the era's most infamous terrorists, including Carlos the Jackal, the Munich Olympics massacre commander Abu Daoud, and the Abu Nidal Organization. In this gripping account, Richterova explains why "Cold War Jackals" gravitated toward Prague and how the country's leaders reacted to their visits, and she uncovers the role Czechoslovakia's security and intelligence apparatus – the StB (Státní bezpečnost) played in these, at times, dangerous liaisons. Drawing on interviews and remarkably detailed records from the former Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic), Richterova offers readers interested in the intelligence world a fascinating account of how states use their spies to pursue covert policies with violent nonstate actors. The book also introduces new evidence and nuances into old debates about whether the Communist Bloc supported terrorism.

Elevating Leadership

Elevating Leadership
Author: Pelin Kohn
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
Total Pages: 201
Release: 2024-06-17
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1835495648

Elevating Leadership explores the critical importance of innovative pedagogical practices in a world where leadership demands are rapidly changing – using experiential learning, simulations, and technology-enabled tools, Pelin Kohn provides real-world scenarios, fosters practical insights, and enhances problem-solving skills.

Capture the Crown

Capture the Crown
Author: Jennifer Estep
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 409
Release: 2021-07-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0063023040

Bestselling author Jennifer Estep returns to her Crown of Shards world with an all-new trilogy and a bold new heroine who protects her kingdom from magic, murder, and mayhem by moonlighting as a spy. Gemma Ripley has a reputation for being a pampered princess who is more interested in pretty gowns, sparkling jewelry, and other frivolous things than learning how to rule the kingdom of Andvari. But her carefully crafted persona is just an act to hide the fact that Gemma is a powerful mind magier—and a spy. Gemma is undercover, trying to figure out who is stealing large amounts of tearstone from one of the Ripley royal mines when she encounters Prince Leonidas Morricone of Morta—her mortal enemy. Gemma tries to steer clear of the handsome prince, but when she finds herself behind enemy lines, she reluctantly joins forces with Leo. Also coming to Gemma’s aid is Grimley, her beloved gargoyle. Despite the fact that Andvari and Morta are old, bitter enemies, a dangerous attraction sparks between Gemma and Leo. Further complicating matters is Leo’s murderous family, especially Queen Maeven Morricone, the mastermind behind the infamous Seven Spire massacre. The closer Gemma gets to the stolen tearstone, the more deadly plots she uncovers. Everyone is trying to capture the crown, but only one queen can sit on the throne …

A Crown of Wishes

A Crown of Wishes
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Total Pages: 382
Release: 2017-03-28
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1250085500

Contains an extended excerpt from The Gilded Wolves. From the author of The Star-Touched Queen comes a beautiful lush fantasy, Roshani Chokshi's A Crown of Wishes. Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes – a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor. Reaching the tournament is just the beginning. Once they arrive, danger takes on new shapes: poisonous courtesans and mischievous story birds, a feast of fears and twisted fairy revels. Every which way they turn new trials will test their wit and strength. But what Gauri and Vikram will soon discover is that there’s nothing more dangerous than what they most desire.