Virginia Hall left her Baltimore home in 1931 to enter the Foreign Service and went to work for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) when Hitler was building toward the peak of his power in Europe. She was assigned to France; where she helped the Resistance movement; escaped prisoners of war; and American Allied paratroopers. By 1942 she was considered so dangerous to the Gestapo that she had to escape over the Pyrenees mountains―on an artificial leg; no less. When she got to England; she was reassigned to France by the OSS; disguised as an old peasant woman. She helped capture 500 German soldiers and kill more than 150; while she sabotaged Nazi communications and transportation. Hitler's forces were hot on her trail; however; and her daring intelligence activities and indomitable spirit defied the expectations of even the Allies until the very end of the war. Her story was ignored for more than fifty years; and this book now brings Virginia Hall's story to patriots young and old.
#156170 in Books 2011-09-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.29 x 1.18 x 6.23l; 1.16 #File Name: 159698273X256 pages
Review
199 of 208 people found the following review helpful. A Must Read! Goldman is an absolute gem!By ReidDavid P. Goldman; aka Asia Times Online's 'Spengler' columinst; is the single most insightful writer in America today. Goldman's new book 'How Civilizations Die' is an absolute gem as he dispenses with conventional wisdom and gives the reader unique geopolitical insight in a cultural and historical tour de force.Goldman may as well be the originator of the phrase "Demographics is Destiny" because he has argued for years (and in this book) that demographics can go a long way into explaining nations' economic and cultural rise and fall. But then what explains demographics? In the introductory part of the book; Goldman explores why people in the developed world choose to have children and why they don't. His answer seems to be that having children is often an act of religious faith; or at least an article of faith in the future. Those developed societies (read: Europe) that fail to reproduce at replacement rate have lost faith. Not surprisingly; only two developed countries; Jewish Israel; and Judeo-Christian America; currently have birth rates above the 2.1 replacement rate.The next part of Goldman's book takes the reader deep in the heart of Islam and explores how and why Islam is literally convulsing before our eyes despite its religious facade. Who knew that the world had never before seen a drop in birthrates as it sees in Iran today? Who knew that Turkey too faces a demographic crisis in the near future and that native Kurds might soon outnumber native Turks in Turkey? The reader will be shocked as Goldman goes through the numbers and explains the cultural and economic consequences of an Islamic world on the brink.The second part of the book titled 'Theopolitics' takes the reader through history and examines cultures that failed: Prehistoric Greek civilization; Hellenistic civilizations and ancient Rome. Goldman then explains why Islam is soon to be the fourth failed civilization. The focus then shifts to Europe as Goldman explains how a once great continent no longer has a desire to live. This leads into a discussion of my favorite part of the book; a chapter titled 'How Christianity Failed in Europe.' I had always wondered how it was possible that the formerly most powerful nations; who fought for centuries under the nominal faith of Christendom could be so lacking in faith today. As Goldman explains; while the European nations were nominally Christian; they really practiced a form of paganism in that they worshipped themselves. And this was their downfall. In an awesome intellectual journey; Goldman takes the reader through the first Thirty Years' War in Europe (1618-1648) and discusses how that war eventually led to the modern nation state; the death of Christianity in Europe; and eventually the horrors of the second thirty year war in Europe (1914-1945).The final part of the book explains why America is different and how modern Judeo-based Christianity has survived only in America. By examining America's religious roots Goldman contrasts living America with dying Europe and shows why America will thrive; but also why its uniqueness cannot necessarily be transferred to other nations. This of course has foreign policy consequences for us today as we seek to export American democracy (can't be done; Goldman argues). Goldman concludes by offering his foreign policy advice based on 'The Morality of Self Interest' which should be required reading for our policymakers.Goldman is quite literally a polymath. The former head of Fixed Income Research (ie. smartest guy at the firm) at Bank of America; Goldman is a master of not only geopolitics and history; but also of high finance and macroeconomics. The breadth of his knowledge is breathtaking and combined with the writer's fine sense of humor makes for a gem of a book. I cannot recommend this book highly enough - simply an intellectual tour de force!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Fertility trumps civilizationBy Desert RatGoldman (aka "Spengler") contends that every industrialized society except Israel and America are doomed to collapse by the end of the century. The reason is that birth rates are below replacement level. For example: if current birth and death rates continue the will be no German speakers remaining in two hundred years. Islam; he claims; is similarly doomed since Muslim women once they are a educated and enter the modern workforce nearly stop having children.In traditional argricultural societies children have value as productive income earning assists for the nuclear family. In modern industrial / post-industrial they are an expense that reduce their parent's standard of living. The only thing that overcomes this; in the author's view; is a religion based belief in life beyond present. Hence; traditional Jews and evangelical Christians continue to have children at a rate beyond replacement. He also mentions in passing that there is something similar going on with Hinduism and India. A time traveler jumping a century ahead (assuming no large scale nuclear war; comet/asteroid impact; etc) would discover a world dominated by three civilizations Israel; USA; and India. The "good guys" win.However; Goldman is concerned that dying civilizations will feel to take the rest of the world with then hence nuclear catastrophe is more like in balance of this century than it was in the 20th.There may be some holes in Goldman's analysis. The last time I read something on the topic the US fertility rate was break even at best and falling - only immigration was making up the difference. Thus I would like to see more cooraboration of the rates cited. His predictive model is to take a recent trent (fertility rates in this case) and assume they continue indefinitely. This tecnique has a poor track record otherwise we should all be starving; living in standing room only and covered by glaciers.Nonetheless; I don't think Goldman should be totally ignored. Fertility rates should be watched by national security planners since it is just as dangerous to assume that the current world demographic mix will continue.Finally; despite my skepticism the book is very readable and the authors arguments should not be dismissed.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Exceptionally interesting.By SenecaThis book argues that; contrary to the prevailing view concerning the fertility of Muslim women and the consequent expansion of Islam; Islam is in a crisis. What causes the crisis is a fall; in Islamic societies; in the birthrate almost as dramatic as the one which got under way in non-Islamic ones a generation or two earlier. The diference is that the wealthy West can afford to support the vast numbers of the elderly; most Islamic countries; being much poorer; can not. The outcome is likley to be serious disturbances; perhaps revolution and war. Qui bono? The only two developed countries that do have children: the U.S and Israel.Is the author right? Time will tell. Meanwhile; he has written an exceptionally interesting book.
