The past is never dead, it isn’t even past
The Bratinsky Affair is Jim Loughran’s debut novel. Set in 1976, the thrilling story unfolds through a dual perspective: one is Tom O’Brien, a closeted Irish journalist from Wicklow, seeking the story to prove his ability to his higher-ups, and Irina Bratinsky, a...
At 19:07 on Monday 5th May 1980, the Metropolitan Police passed control of the Iranian Embassy siege to Lt. Col Mike Rose, commanding officer of the Special Air Service. Operation Nimrod was underway, as members of B Squadron abseiled, shot or blasted their way into...
LBJ’s Flawed Plan When President Johnson weighed sending American troops, aircraft, and ships to Vietnam in 1965, Korea was foremost in his mind. The Korean War had sunk the Truman presidency, and President Eisenhower had ended that war only by threatening to use...
The Secretary is a thrilling examination of the deadly unease in 1958 Moscow during the Cold War, from the rare perspective of a female MI6 operative. Lois Vale is tasked with the deep-cover mission of unearthing a suspected mole lurking in the British embassy,...
Deborah Lawrenson on The Secretary What drew you to the Cold War era specifically, 1958 Moscow, as the setting for The Secretary? Growing up around the world as an embassy child, I was always aware that my parents were living an unusual and interesting life. My...
Europe’s Old Towns, the historic quarters at the heart of cities across the continent, tell stories about European history that date back to the Middle Ages. Some are epic narratives; some are fairy-tale fantasies. But some of the most powerful stories they tell are...
At the height of the Cold War in 1958, my parents met in Moscow. They were both working at the British Embassy and their rollercoaster romance was complicated by KGB shadows and rarely being totally alone, even in the apartments they called home. My sister and I grew...
As we reach the end of the year Aspects of History selects the title that stood out above the rest published during 2024. Past books that have won include The World by Simon Sebag-Montefiore, The White Ship by Charles Spencer, and last year's Conflict, by General...
Books of 2023 from Aspects of HistoryAlan Bardos Author of The Dardanelles ConspiracyIt’s been a great year for fiction and non-fiction, but these books are my first amongst equals. Every Spy a Traitor by Alex Gerlis follows Agent Archie, a Russian mole in MI6 across...
Wilfred ‘Biffy’ Dunderdale often features as a daring bit-part player in World War II espionage books, but now this extraordinary character takes centre stage in Tim Spicer’s insightful biography. Dunderdale was an iron fist in a velvet glove. He combined charm with...
