elfbiter: Default icon (Default)
2019-08-18 09:16 pm

Skis against the atom

Knut Haukelid – Skis against the atom

There has been number of documentaries about how Norwegian resistance members trained in Britain were parachuted to destroy Norwegian heavy water plants. One of these men was Knut Haukelid, who later wrote the basis of this book.

In hindsight this might have been for nothing since Nazi Germany was not able to create a nuclear weapon for various reasons, some of which are still disputed. One certainly was the fact that number of German and non-German scientists were not cooperative or outright claimed that nuclear weapon was impractical. Fortunately there was not any suitable to V-2 rockets.

Destroying the heavy water factory and the shipment is actually just part of the book. Haukelid also describes the dangers of Norwegian resistance members living under Nazi occupation, including trying to live off the land in the Norwegian mountains and avoiding patrols. And people that might recognize them.
elfbiter: Default icon (Default)
2019-06-22 12:15 am

Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter

Carmen Aguirre - Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter

Carmen Aguirre is an actor and scriptwriter living in Canada. However, in her youth she was part of the Cold War-era secret left-wing network in South America which was effectively a resistance movement against the dominating military dictatorships.

Left-wing resistance in hiding )
elfbiter: Default icon (Default)
2017-05-16 12:04 am

The Voice

Thomas Quasthoff - Die Stimme - Autobiographies (The Voice - Autobiography)

(This is is repost from LJ. It is based of the Finnish translation)

Thomas Quasthoff is a German tenor, lied singer and thalidomide victim. There is an official site. Even if he is profiled as a classic music singer, his last record was a jazz album Watch What Happens. Unfortunately, I have never heard him sing myself.
Small man with a great voice )
"You can get pity for free but you must work for the envy"
elfbiter: Default icon (Default)
2015-01-14 11:53 pm

The Zanzibar Chest

Aidan Hartley - The Zanzibar Chest

Aidan Hartley (named after Aden) is one of those British colonials who never actually returned to Britain, even if they could regard it as "home". But they still mostly stayed where their ancestors had moved. Hartley himself became a war correspondent and wittnessed number of African conflicts, not only the most famous ones.

If you want to read happy stories about the Dark Continent, this book is not for you. )