Secrets of My Life: Vintner, Prisoner, Soldier, Spy by Peter M. F. Sichel
Thanks to Heidi Harmon of Bohlsen Group, I am giving away one print copy of Secrets of My Life by Peter M. F. Sichel
Description of My Life by Peter M. F. Sichel
Peter M. F. Sichel, a fourth-generation wine merchant, found the path he was destined to walk interrupted by the Nazis while growing up as a Jew in Germany. He moved to France in 1939 but was imprisoned as an enemy alien at the outbreak of World War II. When he was released, he hid in the Pyrenees before reaching the United States in 1941.
After joining the Army, he served with the U.S. Office of Strategic Services, sending spies into Germany, before becoming a senior official with the Central Intelligence Agency, where he served in key positions in Berlin, Hong Kong, and Washington.
In this memoir–which needed to be cleared by the CIA–he describes how the Nazis took over Germany, the odd attitude of German Jews to being Jewish, the fault lines in U.S. intelligence during the Cold War, and the life lessons he learned in the wine business.
Praise for My Life by Peter M. F. Sichel
“Peter Sichel was a true insider during the heyday of the CIA during the late 1940s and 1950s. From Berlin to Hong Kong, he served in a global secret war that was, by turns, gallant, necessary, dangerous, and wrongheaded. … His memoir is clear-eyed, charming, and fascinating.” –Evan Thomas, author of The Very Best Men: The Daring Early Years of the CIA
“Peter Sichel is an iconic figure in the history of wine. With his European upbringing and early years in the CIA, his story is both fascinating and compelling. His success with Blue Nun is nothing short of classic marketing.”-Marvin R. Shanken, Editor & Publisher, Wine Spectator
About Peter M. F. Sichel
Peter M. F. Sichel was educated in Germany and England and fled France in 1941 to end up in the United States. He spent seventeen years with the U.S. Office of Strategic Services and the Central Intelligence Agency in some of the top hot spots of the Cold War before joining his family wine business.
Before publishing “The Secrets of My Life: Vintner, Prisoner, Soldier, Spy”, Sichel wrote a basic guide to wines on the American market in 1975 called, “Which Wine”. He currently resides in New York City with his wife, Stella.
Giveaway of My Life by Peter M. F. Sichel
This giveaway is open to Canada and the U.S. and ends on May 20, 2016 at midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Thanks to Sarah-Beth Watkins of Chronos Books, I am giving away one print or ebook copy of These Chivalrous Brothers by David Sunderland.
Description of These Chivalrous Brothers by David Sunderland
The story of the 1882 Palmer Sinai Expedition, a spying and terrorist mission that ended in the murder of its participants and was one of the great cause celebre of the nineteenth century. Just before sunset on August 8th 1882 HMS Cockatrice, a small paddle wheel gunboat, appeared off the Egyptian shore. A rowing boat was lowered down its side and slowly moved towards the beach. On its arrival, six men and a teenage boy alighted.
Three of the group were British, all dressed as Arabs, two were Bedouin tribesmen, one a Jew and one a Syrian. The following morning, this mismatched party set off for the desert, taking with them two boxes of dynamite and 3,000 in gold coin. Five of them were never seen again.
An historical who-done-it, an adventure story, a history of the Anglo-Egyptian War and a biography of those involved in the controversy, /These Chivalrous Brothers/ explores the gulf between the Imperial ideal and reality and provides an insight into the character of the men who built the Empire. Through the biographies, it also throws light on such disparate topics as the early history of spying, spiritualism, female hysteria, biblical archaeology, various African uprisings, the Boer War and the hunt for Jack the Ripper .”
About David Sunderland
David Sunderland is the author of five books and numerous articles on the economic history of London, British Imperialism and nineteenth-century social change; the Series and Collection Editor of Pickering & Chatto’s ‘Britain and Africa’ series (ten volumes); and the Editor of ‘British Economic Development in South East Asia’ (three volumes).
Obtaining his first degree from the London School of Economics and his doctorate from Oxford University, he has worked as a Senior Business Analyst, a Research Fellow/Senior Research Fellow and a Reader in Business History.
Giveaway of These Chivalrous Brothers by David Sunderland
This giveaway is open worldwide however, print is only available to the U.S. and UK and ends on February 12, 2016. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.
Today it is my immense pleasure to kick of the ‘At The Sharp End of Lightening’ by NR Bates tour!
At The Sharp End of Lightning by NR Bates:
Publisher: NR Bates (January 30, 2015) Category: Epic Fantasy, Magic Realism, Literary Fiction, Celtic Mythology, History Tour Date: May/June, 2015 Available in: Print & ebook, 239 Pages
AT THE SHARP END OF LIGHTNING is the tale of family, of loss and sacrifice, of unexpected gifts and coping with disability and new abilities set against the backdrop of climate change occurring across parallel worlds.
The intertwined worlds of Oceanlight and Earth are no longer hidden from view of each other. In one realm, Yalara Narika, a winged Sea Sprite, searches for her family and she encounters a deadly blue haze at sea. Escaping the poison makes her realize that her world, Oceanlight, is experiencing sudden and catastrophic environmental change.
Meanwhile, in the safe suburban normality of North Wales, Einion Morgan Alban, a restless youth with haemophilia, is nearly murdered by a man in a white suit who intentionally shoves him off a cliff. If Yalara and Einion don’t uncover the connections between their worlds and near-deaths, it will have dire consequences for the worlds they live in. Book one of the OCEANLIGHT series.
Praise for ‘At The Sharp End of Lightning’ by NR Bates:
“What a fantastic book, the author takes you into another realm. I couldn’t put the book down, a real page turner. Seeing as this is book 1 I can’t wait for the next one to be written.”-Scotialassie, Amazon.UK Reviewer
“British author NR Bates makes his novel writing debut with AT THE SHARP END OF LIGHTNING, Book 1 of the OCEANLIGHT series. He has indeed written extensively which explains why his command of the medium is so secure: he has published more than one hundred and twenty scientific papers on ocean chemistry, climate change and ocean acidification as a Senior Scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Professor of Ocean Biogeochemistry at the University of Southampton, UK. Bates’ passion for the ocean and environmental sciences has proven a successful driving force in both his scientific mind and his fantasy creative mind. The result, as we read it here, is `true’ Science Fiction fantasy!
Bates opens his book with a map/diagram called The Interfaces – the meaning of which will be explained throughout the novel, but whose information offers hints and suggestions of codes to be solved. And at the end of his book he discusses Welsh history that informed this story as well as the biology and biogeochemistry of the Sargasso Sea, further influences. The author provides an outline of the story that assists the reader immensely: `The interwoven fantastical tale of family, of loss and sacrifice, of unexpected gifts and coping with disability and new abilities set against the backdrop of climate change occurring across parallel worlds.
Bates’ writing style can only be called `elegant’ – he is unafraid to challenge the reader with a rich vocabulary that somehow enhances the characters we encounter. This is obvious form the opening paragraph:
`As the streamer of lightning harmlessly discharged through her body into the palm of her hand, Yalara Narika noticed many things at once. There was fright and surprise as adrenaline raced through her body. The words “I’m alive” came to mind, accompanied by an overwhelming relief when the forked sharpness passed out of her. Then came the reflex response– her call to Calymene, Mother Earth– that she had despite her doubt. A hurried glance brought the reassuring thought “I’m still in the sky.” Simultaneously, she returned to her search– for the “lost”– which was set against the immensity of the seas. And interwoven amongst these reactions were thoughts of that moment in the distant future, at the end of her life, when she’d fly up into the tumult, clad in a cuprous woven fabric, and upon the flash of electrica, her constituent parts would disassemble in an instantaneous coruscation of energy.’
This is our first encounter with being struck by lightning.
As with most fantasy/sci-fi books it takes a while to adjust to the strange names and the references to places of origin, but Bates’ language makes that journey of discovery a rewarding one. He does offer a helpful Sprite Glossary and Human Glossary at books end. This is a strong debut, well worth the investment of mental energy.”- Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame & top 100 reviewer.
Ambitious and enchanting, At The Sharp End Of Lightning by author N R Bates proves a rich and original foray into the realms of fantasy fiction. Compelled by a commanding narrative that readily enthrals the imagination, the magical intrigue simmers throughout as Bates renders his fantasy world in rich hues. A world parallel to our own yet retaining a time worn familiarity that makes it feel immediately authentic. It’s an intricate, intrigue-laden telling, which plays to the best in this popular genre and it’s clear from the start that Bates is in his element.
“There’s certainly much to enjoy here. From cleverly contrived and vibrant scenes to a captivating blend of magical mysticism, he ably manages to avoid prescriptive tropes whilst a certain descriptive economy and a tight word count brings a penetrating levity to his dialogue. Both timely and well observed, he notably avoids the trite mutterings of mediocre characterisation to create genuine depth and emotive resonance, which in turn ensures the reader becomes fully invested in the trials and tribulations of his characters.
Beautifully written and undoubtedly the start of an exciting new series, At The Sharp End Of Lightning proves a fine example of fantasy fiction. Definitely deserving of a place on your bookshelf, it is recommended without reservation!”-Book Viral
About NR Bates:
Print
NR Bates was born in London, grew up in Wales, and lived in Canada and Bermuda. He shares his life with his wife,seven cats, one dog and the tropical wildlife of lizards, wolf spiders and ant colonies that seek out a better life indoors. He is an oceanographer and scientist, and has published more than one hundred and twenty scientific papers on ocean chemistry, climate change and ocean acidification.
He is a Senior Scientist at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and Professor of Ocean Biogeochemistry at the University of Southampton, UK. His novels focus on epic fantasy and magic realism, and inspired by his deep love of the ocean and environmental sciences.
Secrets of My Life: Vintner, Prisoner, Soldier, Spy by Peter M. F. Sichel
Secrets of My Life: Vintner, Prisoner, Soldier, Spy by Peter M. F. Sichel
Thanks to Sarah-Beth Watkins of Chronos Books, I am giving away one print or ebook copy of These Chivalrous Brothers by David Sunderland.
