Sinclair McKay

No se puede entender el siglo XX sin conocer la historia de Berlín. Una biografía magistral de la ciudad y sus habitantes. A lo largo del siglo XX, Berlín estuvo en el centro del mundo. Su historia suele abordarse de manera fragmentaria, pero este libro borra las lineas entre generaciones de berlineses para ofrecer una mirada panoramica y enormemente reveladora. El relato arranca en 1919, cuando la ciudad emergio de las sombras de la Gran Guerra para convertirse en sinonimo de modernidad en el arte, el cine, la arquitectura, la industria y la ciencia. Y abarca la posterior caida en picado de la economia, el ascenso nazi, la destruccion de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la psicosis del genocidio y la larga convivencia de dos ideologias enfrentadas que mantuvieron la capital alemana partida en dos hasta la caida del Muro. El relato de Sinclair McKay recoge las voces de quienes transitaron sus calles, amas de casa, oficinistas, trabajadores y unos jovenes pletoricos, testigos de unos años de transformacion emocionante y tambien aterradora. A su vez arroja luz sobre figuras como Albert Einstein o Albert Speer, y muestra los curiosos contrastes de una ciudad que paso de momentos de increible oscuridad a escenas de un ironico humor berlines -como el a menudo ridiculo tira y afloja entre Berlin Este y Oeste- y a otros de alegre esperanza. McKay nos muestra como como nunca antes la habiamos visto esta hipnotica ciudad que alguna vez fue la mas sofisticada del mundo.La critica ha dicho:Me encanta este libro. Oportuno y sabio, es ideal para cualquiera que conozca un poco Berlin y este fascinado por ella, pero le gustaria entenderla mejor.David Aaronovitch, The Times Notable. Una esplendida obra de no ficcion.Matthew D'Ancona, Tortoise La mirada de McKay capta brillantemente los exitos iniciales de Alemania, y luego los reveses y las crecientes derrotas. Descubrir tantos personajes desconocidos y anecdotas fascinantes es maravilloso.Ian MacGregor, The Spectator Un gran tema, investigado de forma exhaustiva, escrito de manera brillante. Cualquiera que quiera comprender el lugar incomparable que ocupo Berlin en la historiadel siglo XX, deberia empezar por este impresionante y asombroso libro.Keith Lowe, autor de Savage Continent and The Fear and the Freedom El potente imaginario de McKay y su magnetica prosa combinadas producen un nuevo relato sobre Berlin que resulta muy estimulante. No puedes entender el siglo XX sin entender Berlin, afirma el autor. Su alegato resulta muy convincente.Julia Boyd, autora de Viajeros en el Tercer Reich Poderosa. Visceral. Realmente reveladora. Con una escritura hermosa y absolutamente convincente. No pense que Sinclair McKay pudiera superar su anterior libro, que era magistral. Con Berlin, ha demostrado que me equivocaba.Damien Lewis, autor de SAS Bravo Three Zero

Pit your wits against the brilliant minds of Scotland Yard, from the bestselling author of Bletchley Park Brainteasers, Sinclair McKay. If you cracked the GCHQ Puzzle Book and tore through the Ordnance Survey Puzzle Book, you MUST show off your brainteaser abilities and prove that you have what it takes to be a detective at the Yard...How can a man be in two places at once? How might a murder be committed when no one is seen entering or exiting the house? Can an entire crime be solved with just a suitcase of empty beer bottles?Its time for you to tackle the conundrums that confounded the best detectives over the years.Since it opened its doors in 1829, Scotland Yard has used the science of detection to solve the most macabre of murders and catch the most audacious of thieves. The Scotland Yard Puzzle Book takes a look through the history of this famous institution and recreates some of the most complex puzzles its detectives have ever faced. Technology can now shine a light on some of the most difficult cases, but the analytical mind needed to crack the clues remains as essential as ever. Do you have what it takes to be a Scotland Yard detective?

If you cracked the GHCQ Puzzle Book and tore through the Ordnance Survey Puzzle Book, you must show off your brainteaser abilities with the newest puzzle book from the bestselling author of Bletchley Park Brainteasers...The Tower of London is one of the worlds most famous landmarks, with its iconic Beefeaters guarding the gates, Crown Jewels that remain securely within and ravens that flock to its walls. It holds a rich history of invasion, intrigue and murder that has captured imaginations for decades.Even though the Tower of London is recognised by people all over the world, it is surprising how very few know about the stories that echo around the ancient walls. From the Norman Conquest to the Reformation and through the break with Rome; from the murder of a King to the execution of numerous queens; from exotic animals held captive, to Nazi spies in the 1940s, the Tower of London has seen a parade of pageantry, political violence and passionate revolution that is shocking and ultimately, fascinating.Now its time to use your smarts to take on brilliant brainteasers and incredible conundrums inspired by the Tower of Londons greatest events. From logic games involving daring attempts on the Crown Jewels to decoding messages smuggled around the Tower by its famous prisoners, to finally discovering what happened to the princes murdered in their sleep, this book will be a maze of addictively brilliant challenges that will take you through the most secret and sacred recesses of this extraordinary London citadel.So its time to don your bearskin, and embark on a mind-bending journey into the depths and dungeons of Londons most ominous landmark in The Tower of London Puzzle Book.

The Sunday Times-bestselling author of Dresden returns with a monumental biography of the city that defined the twentieth century - Berlin'I loved this book . . . apposite and wise . . . To anyone who knows Berlin a little and is fascinated by it, but would like to understand it better, this is a wonderful aid' David Aaronovitch, The TimesThroughout the twentieth century, Berlin stood at the centre of a convulsing world. This history is often viewed as separate acts: the suffering of the First World War, the cosmopolitan city of science, culture and sexual freedom Berlin became, steep economic plunges, the rise of the Nazis, the destruction of the Second World War, the psychosis of genocide, and a city rent in two by competing ideologies. But people do not live their lives in fixed eras. An epoch ends, yet the people continue - or try to continue - much as they did before. Berlin tells the story of the city as seen through the eyes not of its rulers, but of those who walked its streets.In this magisterial biography of a city and its inhabitants, bestselling historian Sinclair McKay sheds new light on well-known characters - from idealistic scientist Albert Einstein to Nazi architect Albert Speer - and draws on never-before-seen first-person accounts to introduce us to people of all walks of Berlin life. For example, we meet office worker Mechtild Evers, who in her efforts to escape an oncoming army runs into even more appalling jeopardy, and Reinhart Cruger, a 12-year-old boy in 1941 who witnesses with horror the Gestapo coming for each of his Jewish neighbours in turn. Ever a city of curious contrasts, moments of unbelievable darkness give way to a wry Berliner humour - from banned perms to the often ridiculous tit-for-tat between East and West Berlin - and moments of joyous hope - like forced labourers at a jam factory warmly welcoming their Soviet liberators.

This insightful portrait of Winston Churchill delves beyond well known political moments incorporating perspectives from various individuals who encountered him throughout his life From Bletchley Park codebreakers and Hollywood stars such as Charlie Chaplin through writers as varied as H G Wells and P G Wodehouse to the likes of Harold Wilson Mahatma Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth II these lesser known interactions reveal glimpses of the man behind the legend We meet Churchill the exuberant schoolboy thug with an early mania for bull dogs and Churchill the elder statesman shedding a tear in the House of Commons smoking room Other incidents include a young journalist rudely dismissing a call from Churchill as a prank and a visiting Dwight D Eisenhower dreaming of being strangled only to awake entangled in Churchill s borrowed nightshirt The book showcases the profound transformations during Churchill s lifetime which ran from Benjamin Disraeli s premiership to the release of the Rolling Stones Route 66 and the shift from steam to atomic power Examining controversial aspects of his legacy this multifaceted portrait challenges preconceived notions inviting readers to reconsider the complexities of Churchill

A fascinating exploration of the uncrackable codes and secret cyphers that helped win wars, spark revolutions and change the faces of nations.There have been secret codes since before the Old Testament, and there were secret codes in the Old Testament, too. Almost as soon as writing was invented, so too were the devious means to hide messages and keep them under the wraps of secrecy. In The Hidden History of Code Breaking, Sinclair McKay explores these uncrackable codes, secret ciphers, and hidden messages from across time to tell a new history of a secret world. From the temples of Ancient Greece to the court of Elizabeth I; from antique manuscripts whose codes might hold prophecies of doom to the modern realm of quantum mechanics, we will see how a few concealed words could help to win wars, spark revolutions and even change the faces of great nations. Here is the complete guide to the hidden world of codebreaking, with opportunities for you to see if you could have cracked some of the trickiest puzzles and lip-chewing codes ever created.

Discover the stories of the brave men and women who worked, trained and fought across the UK, from Bletchley Park in southern England all the way to Arisaig in northern Scotland, in an unbelievable effort to defeat the Nazis and win the Second World War .From the outset of the war, most of Britain felt like a mystery even to those who lived there. All road and railway signs were removed up and down the country to thwart potential enemy spies. An invisible web of cunning spread across the United Kingdom; secret laboratories were hidden in marshes, underground bases were built to conceal key strategic plans and grand country houses became secret and silent locations for eccentric boffins to do their confidential cryptography work.In Secret Britain, Sinclair McKay maps out the UK through the hidden bases and battlegrounds of WWII. These locations are full of history and intrigue, but if you dont know where to look, you might just miss them. Journeying through secret wildernesses, suburbs, underground tunnels and manor houses, Sinclair gives a glimpse into the stories of the incredible people behind the war effort, and shows how you might be able to visit these mysterious and evocative locations yourself.With his trademark warmth and compassion, Sinclair unearths the truths of the war that have remained under layers of secrecy since the war was won in 1945.

Bestselling Bletchley Park Brainteasers continues to delight hundreds of thousands of devoted puzzlers with its fiendish puzzles, riddles and enigmas. Its never to late to join the code breakers of Bletchley Park in their enjoyment of a devilish challenge!Would you love to master morse code? Could you have have outsmarted an enigma machine? Would your love of chess have seen you recruited into the history books?When scouring the land for top-level code breakers, the Bletchley Park recruiters left no stone unturned. As well as approaching the countrys finest mathematicians, they cast their nets much wider, interviewing sixth-form music students who could read orchestral scores, chess masters, poets, linguists, hieroglyphics experts and high society debutantes fresh from finishing school. To assess these individuals they devised various ingenious mind-twisters - hidden codes, cryptic crosswords, secret languages, complex riddles - and it is puzzles such as these, together with the fascinating recruitment stories that surround them, that make up the backbone of this book. The code breakers of Bletchley Park were united in their love of a good puzzle. If you feel the same, why not dive in, put your mental agility to the test and discover: Would Bletchley Park have recruited YOU?

A CUNNING CHRONICLE OF THE 50 CODES THAT ALTERED THE COURSE OF HISTORY AND CHANGED THE WORLD From the bestselling author of Bletchley Park Brainteasers and The Scotland Yard Puzzle Book.There have been secret codes since before the Old Testament, and there were secret codes in the Old Testament too. Almost as soon as writing was invented, so too were the devious means to hide messages and keep them under the wraps of secrecy.In 50 Codes that Changed the World, Sinclair McKay explores these uncrackable codes, secret cyphers and hidden messages from across time to tell a new history of a secret world. From the temples of Ancient Greece to the court of Elizabeth I; from antique manuscripts whose codes might hold prophecies of doom to the modern realm of quantum mechanics, you will see how a few concealed words could help to win wars, spark revolutions and even change the faces of great nations.Here is the complete guide to the hidden world of codebreaking, with opportunities for you to see if you could have cracked some of the trickiest puzzles and lip-chewing codes ever created.-----------------------Praise for Sinclair McKays books:This book [The Secret Life of Bletchley Park] seems a remarkably faithful account of what we did, why it mattered, and how it all felt at the time by someone who couldnt possibly have been born then. - THE GUARDIAN[Bletchley Park Brainteasers] is outrageously difficult but utterly fascinating. - THE EXPRESSSinclair McKays account of this secret war of the airwaves in [Secret Listeners] is as painstakingly researched and fascinating as his bestselling The Secret Life Of Bletchley Park, and an essential companion to it. - DAILY MAIL

This insightful portrait of Winston Churchill delves beyond well-known political moments, incorporating perspectives from various individuals who encountered him throughout his life.From Bletchley Park codebreakers and Hollywood stars such as Charlie Chaplin, through writers as varied as H. G. Wells and P. G. Wodehouse, to the likes of Harold Wilson, Mahatma Gandhi and Queen Elizabeth II, these lesser-known interactions reveal glimpses of the man behind the legend.We meet Churchill the exuberant schoolboy thug with an early mania for bull-dogs, and Churchill the elder statesman shedding a tear in the House of Commons smoking room. Other incidents include a young journalist rudely dismissing a call from Churchill as a prank, and a visiting Dwight D. Eisenhower dreaming of being strangled, only to awake entangled in Churchills borrowed nightshirt.The book showcases the profound transformations during Churchills lifetime, which ran from Benjamin Disraelis premiership to the release of the Rolling Stones Route 66, and the shift from steam to atomic power. Examining controversial aspects of his legacy, this multifaceted portrait challenges preconceived notions, inviting readers to reconsider the complexities of Churchill.

The Sunday Times-bestselling author of Dresden returns with a monumental biography of the city that defined the twentieth century - BerlinThroughout the twentieth century, Berlin stood at the centre of a convulsing world. This history is often viewed as separate acts: the suffering of the First World War, the cosmopolitan city of science, culture and sexual freedom Berlin became, steep economic plunges, the rise of the Nazis, the destruction of the Second World War, the psychosis of genocide, and a city rent in two by competing ideologies. But people do not live their lives in fixed eras. An epoch ends, yet the people continue - or try to continue - much as they did before. Berlin tells the story of the city as seen through the eyes not of its rulers, but of those who walked its streets.In this magisterial biography of a city and its inhabitants, bestselling historian Sinclair McKay sheds new light on well-known characters - from idealistic scientist Albert Einstein to Nazi architect Albert Speer - and draws on never-before-seen first-person accounts to introduce us to people of all walks of Berlin life. For example, we meet office worker Mechtild Evers, who in her efforts to escape an oncoming army runs into even more appalling jeopardy, and Reinhart Cruger, a 12-year-old boy in 1941 who witnesses with horror the Gestapo coming for each of his Jewish neighbours in turn. Ever a city of curious contrasts, moments of unbelievable darkness give way to a wry Berliner humour - from banned perms to the often ridiculous tit-for-tat between East and West Berlin - and moments of joyous hope - like forced labourers at a jam factory warmly welcoming their Soviet liberators.How did those ideologies - fascism and communism - come to flower so fully here? And how did their repercussions continue to be felt throughout Europe and the West right up until that extraordinary night in the autumn of 1989 when the Wall - that final expression of totalitarian oppression - was at last breached? You cannot understand the twentieth century without understanding Berlin; and you cannot understand Berlin without understanding the experiences of its people. Drawing on a staggering breadth of culture - from art to film, opera to literature, science to architecture - McKays latest masterpiece shows us this hypnotic city as never before.Remarkable . . . A majestic work of non-fiction Matthew dAnconaSinclair McKay was born to write this book David Aaronovitch, The TimesA masterful account of a city marked by infamy . . . If there is a book that must be read this year, this is it Amanda ForemanAn electrifying new account of Berlin Julia Boyd, author of Travellers in the Third ReichOne of my favourite historians Dan Snow

Youve already broken codes in Sinclair McKays bestselling Bletchley Park Brainteasers, now its time to pit your wits against the secret heroes of MI5 and MI6 and find out if YOU have what it takes to be a spy!If you cracked the GCHQ Puzzle Book and followed the Ordnance Survey Puzzle Book, you MUST show off your James Bond credentials with Secret Service Brainteasers. . .Whether you have linguistic flair, an instinct for technology or good old common sense, pit your wits against some of the greatest minds of our time with ingenious brainteasers including secret languages, sabotage themed brain bogglers, deadly countdowns and hidden codes.Weaving astonishing stories of the men and women who operate from the shadows, the secret heroes and heroines of MI5 and MI6 who have faced extraordinary and terrifying challenges and a wide range of mind twisting puzzles, Secret Service Brainteasers will test your mental agility to discover: Do YOU have what it takes to be a spy?

Richly-layered and packed with insight, this riveting account of terrible events tells us as much about the present as it does the past Patrick Bishop, author of Paris 44From Peter the Great to Putin, a biography of the city Hitler tried - and failed - to wipe off the mapThe siege of Saint Petersburg then known as Leningrad stands as a testament to human endurance. Intended by the Nazis as civilian extermination, the numbers who perished in this 900-day ordeal almost outweighed the entire total of British and American troop deaths in the Second World War.The citys 2.5 million residents began to starve as rations shrank and dwindled. As temperatures plunged to minus 43C, electricity faltered, and fuel ran out. Yet, amid this suffering, the resilience of culture and hope shone through, with orchestras and theatres defiantly continuing their performances, a flicker of humanity against the backdrop of despair.In Saint Petersburg, bestselling historian Sinclair McKay book chronicles the horrors of the siege through immersive prose and gripping first-hand accounts. He also traces the pivotal importance of Saint Petersburg across the centuries, from Peter the Greats visionary founding of the city to the way it has shaped its most infamous son, Vladimir Putin.From its darkest moments to its enduring spirit, Saint Petersburg explore the layers of history that have shaped this extraordinary place.McKay is a gifted writer; his prose has the cadence, tone and power of a Shostakovich symphony. Horror is majestically conveyed Gerard DeGroot, The Times

No sepuedeentenderelsiglo XX sinconocer lahistoria deBerlín. Unabiografía magistral de la ciudad y sushabitantes.A lo largo del siglo XX, Berlín estuvo en el centro del mundo. Su historia suele abordarse de manera fragmentaria, pero este libro borra las lineas entre generaciones de berlineses para ofrecer una mirada panoramica y enormemente reveladora. El relato arranca en 1919, cuando la ciudad emergio de las sombras de la Gran Guerra para convertirse en sinonimo de modernidad en el arte, el cine, la arquitectura, la industria y la ciencia. Y abarca la posterior caida en picado de la economia, el ascenso nazi, la destruccion de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la psicosis del genocidio y la larga convivencia de dos ideologias enfrentadas que mantuvieron la capital alemana partida en dos hasta la caida del Muro.El relato de Sinclair McKay recoge las voces de quienes transitaron sus calles, amas de casa, oficinistas, trabajadores y unos jovenes pletoricos, testigos de unos años de transformacion emocionante y tambien aterradora. A su vez arroja luz sobre figuras como Albert Einstein o Albert Speer, y muestra los curiosos contrastes de una ciudad que paso de momentos de increible oscuridad a escenas de un ironico humor berlines -como el a menudo ridiculo tira y afloja entre Berlin Este y Oeste- y a otros de alegre esperanza. McKay nos muestra como como nunca antes la habiamos visto esta hipnotica ciudad que alguna vez fue la mas sofisticada del mundo.La critica ha dicho: Me encanta este libro. Oportuno y sabio, es ideal para cualquiera que conozca un poco Berlin y este fascinado por ella, pero le gustaria entenderla mejor. David Aaronovitch, The TimesNotable. Una esplendida obra de no ficcion. Matthew DAncona, TortoiseLa mirada de McKay capta brillantemente los exitos iniciales de Alemania, y luego los reveses y las crecientes derrotas. Descubrir tantos personajes desconocidos y anecdotas fascinantes es maravilloso. Ian MacGregor, TheSpectatorUn gran tema, investigado de forma exhaustiva, escrito de manera brillante. Cualquiera que quiera comprender el lugar incomparable que ocupo Berlin en la historia del siglo XX, deberia empezar por este impresionante y asombroso libro. Keith Lowe, autor de SavageContinent and TheFear andtheFreedomEl potente imaginario de McKay y su magnetica prosa combinadas producen un nuevo relato sobre Berlin que resulta muy estimulante. No puedes entender el siglo XX sin entender Berlin, afirma el autor. Su alegato resulta muy convincente. Julia Boyd, autora de Viajeros en el Tercer ReichPoderosa. Visceral. Realmente reveladora. Con una escritura hermosa y absolutamente convincente. No pense que Sinclair McKay pudiera superar su anterior libro, que era magistral. Con Berlin, ha demostrado que me equivocaba. Damien Lewis, autor de SAS BravoThree Zero

A history of walking over the British countryside.Published to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Ramblers Association, Ramble On tells the story of how country walks were transformed from a small and often illegal pastime to the most popular recreational activity in the country.From the brave band of hikers who scaled the off-limits peak Kinder Scout in 1932, via the intricate Lake District guides of Alfred Wainwright, to the resistant landowners (including the notorious Nicholas Van Hoogstraten, Madonna and Jeremy Clarkson) who have done their level best (and worst) to keep walkers off their land this is the definitive history of rambling.Perfectly capturing the sense of exhilaration on reaching the summit of a blustery hill-top path, Ramble On is for anyone who has ever pulled on a pair of walking boots or is partial to the taste of Kendal mintcake.

La historia de uno de los bombardeos más famosos de la historia, contada a partir de las voces de quienes los sufrieron, en su 75 aniversario.En los últimos días de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, los aliados destruyeron la llamada Florencia del Elba: en una sola noche sobrevolaron Dresde 796 bombarderos, murieron veinticinco mil personas, muchas mas quedarian profundamente traumatizadas y una magnifica ciudad quedo en ruinas. Sinclair McKay ofrece el relato minuto a minuto de aquella noche fatidica desde la perspectiva de sus habitantes. Nos muestra desde que se proyectaba en las salas de cine hasta la porcelana que habia en las repisas, y nos cuenta las muchas historias personales, nunca antes contadas, de habitantes, refugiados, trabajadores, niños, pilotos y prisioneros. McKay da vida a la ciudad antes y despues de la tragedia, al tiempo que explora el rico contexto cultural.Impecablemente investigado y profundamente conmovedor, Dresde se basa en nuevas fuentes y transmite la textura de la vida en una poblacion diezmada. El bombardeo suele invocarse como paradigma de las crueldades ilimitadas de la guerra, y la distancia que otorga el paso del tiempo permite hoy abordar este tema con una mirada mucho mas clara y desprejuiciada, poniendo el foco en las vidas que perdio o trato de reconstruir la gente de a pie.Nunca antes se habia retratado el alcance de este ataque aereo sobre la poblacion civil de un modo tan emotivo, polifonico y profundamente humano como en esta obra maestra de la historia narrativa.La critica ha dicho... Un relato trepidante que trata de dar cuenta desde todos los puntos de vista posibles de lo que ocurrio. [...] Apoyandose en los diarios, recuerdos y testimonios de los supervivientes, McKay parece deambular calle por calle y hasta casa por casa para detallar con admirable precision un escenario dantesco. [...] El resultado es ciertamente brillante. Rafael Nuñez Florencio, El Cultural de El MundoLa linea de sombra esta en el punto de vista: el de quienes vivieron la catastrofe en tierra y los que lo hicieron en el aire, ese abismo que separa a quienes tomaron decisiones de los que no tuvieron eleccion. Karina Sainz Borgo, VozpopuliA pesar de que narra uno de los dias mas tragicos del siglo XX, su lectura esta llena de momentos de comprension y compasion para sus protagonistas, ya fuesen alemanes o ingleses, agresores o agredidos. Luis Alemany, El MundoA traves de historias personales con nombres y apellidos, McKay describe la indolencia con que los habitantes de Dresde vivieron las horas previas, entregados a la celebracion del carnaval e ignorantes de la tragedia que les deparaba el destino. [...] Logra relatar su libro como si fuera un testimonio mas del aquelarre. Juan Fernandez, El Periodico McKey subraya los destellos de humanidad que, entre tanta muerte, brillaron en pleno bombardeo. Fernando Garcia, La VanguardiaLa historia normativa es maniqueista. Se divide en los heroes de Hollywood y los perfidos nemesis de estos. Por ello es tan importante [este libro]. Porque, en este nuevo ensayo, el historiador britanico Sinclair McKay encadena una infinidad de testimonios de las otras victimas. Manuel. P. Villatoro, La Voz Digital

The remarkable story of the real Dads Army, from the bestselling historian of The Secret Life of Bletchley ParkOne of my favourite historians Dan SnowWith the threat of invasion from Hitlers forces looming large in 1940, men of all ages and backgrounds assembled under the banner of the Home Guard. A voluntary force much later nicknamed Dads Army, at its height there were almost two million volunteers prepared to defend every corner of the kingdom, including notable figures like George Orwell, A.A. Milne, and C.S. Lewis. Many women took part too, including in the Womens Home Defence Force which formed in 1941.Far from the stereotype of charming incompetence, the Home Guard were in fact entirely serious in their approach. Many volunteers had fought in World War One, and radical veterans from the Spanish Civil War taught these men and boys new techniques in lethal guerilla fighting. Chocolate-box village greens were re-imagined as bloody battlefields, with duties including rifle and mortar training, night-time patrols and manning anti-aircraft guns all on top of volunteers everyday jobs. Yet all of this was underpinned by an essential good humour, with moments of levity and comradery vital in keeping up a much-needed spirit of defiance.Sunday Times bestselling author Sinclair McKay tells the remarkable story of these courageous, highly-trained and often pioneering men and women through original archival research, vivid storytelling and insights into the beloved television comedy which has shaped the national memory of the Home Guard. With its vibrant personalities and high nostalgia factor, Dads Army tells this extraordinary story in full colour.

No se puede entender el siglo XX sin conocer la historia de Berlín. Una biografía magistral de la ciudad y sus habitantes. A lo largo del siglo XX, Berlín estuvo en el centro del mundo. Su historia suele abordarse de manera fragmentaria, pero este libro borra las lineas entre generaciones de berlineses para ofrecer una mirada panoramica y enormemente reveladora. El relato arranca en 1919, cuando la ciudad emergio de las sombras de la Gran Guerra para convertirse en sinonimo de modernidad en el arte, el cine, la arquitectura, la industria y la ciencia. Y abarca la posterior caida en picado de la economia, el ascenso nazi, la destruccion de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la psicosis del genocidio y la larga convivencia de dos ideologias enfrentadas que mantuvieron la capital alemana partida en dos hasta la caida del Muro. El relato de Sinclair McKay recoge las voces de quienes transitaron sus calles, amas de casa, oficinistas, trabajadores y unos jovenes pletoricos, testigos de unos años de transformacion emocionante y tambien aterradora. A su vez arroja luz sobre figuras como Albert Einstein o Albert Speer, y muestra los curiosos contrastes de una ciudad que paso de momentos de increible oscuridad a escenas de un ironico humor berlines -como el a menudo ridiculo tira y afloja entre Berlin Este y Oeste- y a otros de alegre esperanza. McKay nos muestra como como nunca antes la habiamos visto esta hipnotica ciudad que alguna vez fue la mas sofisticada del mundo.La critica ha dicho:Me encanta este libro. Oportuno y sabio, es ideal para cualquiera que conozca un poco Berlin y este fascinado por ella, pero le gustaria entenderla mejor.David Aaronovitch, The Times Notable. Una esplendida obra de no ficcion.Matthew D'Ancona, Tortoise La mirada de McKay capta brillantemente los exitos iniciales de Alemania, y luego los reveses y las crecientes derrotas. Descubrir tantos personajes desconocidos y anecdotas fascinantes es maravilloso.Ian MacGregor, The Spectator Un gran tema, investigado de forma exhaustiva, escrito de manera brillante. Cualquiera que quiera comprender el lugar incomparable que ocupo Berlin en la historiadel siglo XX, deberia empezar por este impresionante y asombroso libro.Keith Lowe, autor de Savage Continent and The Fear and the Freedom El potente imaginario de McKay y su magnetica prosa combinadas producen un nuevo relato sobre Berlin que resulta muy estimulante. No puedes entender el siglo XX sin entender Berlin, afirma el autor. Su alegato resulta muy convincente.Julia Boyd, autora de Viajeros en el Tercer Reich Poderosa. Visceral. Realmente reveladora. Con una escritura hermosa y absolutamente convincente. No pense que Sinclair McKay pudiera superar su anterior libro, que era magistral. Con Berlin, ha demostrado que me equivocaba.Damien Lewis, autor de SAS Bravo Three Zero

La historia de uno de los bombardeos más famosos de la historia, contada a partir de las voces de quienes los sufrieron, en su 75 aniversario. En los últimos días de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, los aliados destruyeron la llamada Florencia del Elba: en una sola noche sobrevolaron Dresde 796 bombarderos, murieron veinticinco mil personas, muchas mas quedarian profundamente traumatizadas y una magnifica ciudad quedo en ruinas. Sinclair McKay ofrece el relato minuto a minuto de aquella noche fatidica desde la perspectiva de sus habitantes. Nos muestra desde que se proyectaba en las salas de cine hasta la porcelana que habia en las repisas, y nos cuenta las muchas historias personales, nunca antes contadas, de habitantes, refugiados, trabajadores, niños, pilotos y prisioneros. McKay da vida a la ciudad antes y despues de la tragedia, al tiempo que explora el rico contexto cultural. Impecablemente investigado y profundamente conmovedor, Dresde se basa en nuevas fuentes y transmite la textura de la vida en una poblacion diezmada. El bombardeo suele invocarse como paradigma de las crueldades ilimitadas de la guerra, y la distancia que otorga el paso del tiempo permite hoy abordar este tema con una mirada mucho mas clara y desprejuiciada, poniendo el foco en las vidas que perdio o trato de reconstruir la gente de a pie. Nunca antes se habia retratado el alcance de este ataque aereo sobre la poblacion civil de un modo tan emotivo, polifonico y profundamente humano como en esta obra maestra de la historia narrativa.La critica ha dicho...Un relato trepidante que trata de dar cuenta desde todos los puntos de vista posibles de lo que ocurrio. [...] Apoyandose en los diarios, recuerdos y testimonios de los supervivientes, McKay parece deambular calle por calle y hasta casa por casa para detallar con admirable precision un escenario dantesco. [...] El resultado es ciertamente brillante.Rafael Nuñez Florencio, El Cultural de El MundoLa linea de sombra esta en el punto de vista: el de quienes vivieron la catastrofe en tierra y los que lo hicieron en el aire, ese abismo que separa a quienes tomaron decisiones de los que no tuvieron eleccion.Karina Sainz Borgo, Vozpopuli A pesar de que narra uno de los dias mas tragicos del siglo XX, su lectura esta llena de momentos de comprension y compasion para sus protagonistas, ya fuesen alemanes o ingleses, agresores o agredidos.Luis Alemany, El MundoA traves de historias personales con nombres y apellidos, McKay describe la indolencia con que los habitantes de Dresde vivieron las horas previas, entregados a la celebracion del carnaval e ignorantes de la tragedia que les deparaba el destino. [...] Logra relatar su libro como si fuera un testimonio mas del aquelarre.Juan Fernandez, El Periodico McKey subraya los destellos de humanidad que, entre tanta muerte, brillaron en pleno bombardeo.Fernando Garcia, La Vanguardia La historia normativa es maniqueista. Se divide en los heroes de Hollywood y los perfidos nemesis de estos. Por ello es tan importante [este libro]. Porque, en este nuevo ensayo, el historiador britanico Sinclair McKay encadena una infinidad de testimonios de las otras victimas.Manuel. P. Villatoro, La Voz Digital