A team of British Special Forces commandos parachutes into the high peaks of the Austrian Alps with the mission of stealing into an invulnerable alpine castle, accessible only by aerial gondola, the headquarters of Nazi intelligence. Supposedly sent in to rescue one of their own, their real mission turns out to be a lot more complicated, and the tension climbs as team members start to die off, one by one.

In Zona, Geoff Dyer—‘one of our most original writers’ (New York)—devoted a whole book to Andrei Tarkovsky’s cult masterpiece, Stalker. Now, in this warm and funny tribute to one of his favorite movies, he revisits the action classic Where Eagles Dare. A thrilling Alpine adventure headlined by a magnificent, bleary-eyed Richard Burton and a dynamically lethargic Clint Eastwood, Where Eagles Dare is the apex of 1960s war movies, by turns enjoyable and preposterous. ‘Broadsword Calling Danny Boy’ is Dyer’s hilarious tribute to a film he has loved since childhood: it’s a scene-by-scene analysis—or should that be send-up?—taking us from the movie’s snowy, Teutonic opening credits to its vertigo-inducing climax.

During World War I W. Somerset Maugham, already by then an established playwright and author, was recruited to be a British intelligence agent. These stories reflect his wartime experiences in intelligence gathering. Though fictionalized, they managed to retain enough authentic elements for Winston Churchill to advise Maugham that their publication might be a violation of the Official Secrets Act, resulting in the author burning an additional 14 stories. Set in various locales across the continent, these remaining Ashenden stories are a precursor to the jet-setting spy novels of the 1950s and 1960s. Maugham is known as a master short story writer and these stories are no exception, combining wit and realism to create memorable characters in a unique and highly critical portrait of wartime espionage. Initially released to a mixed reception—with an early review by D. H. Lawrence being especially scathing—Ashenden has since been credited as an inspiration for numerous authors, including John Le Carré, Graham Greene, and Raymond Chandler. The latter in particular was especially impressed, writing in 1950, “There are no other great spy stories—none at all. I have been searching and I know.” This book is part of the Standard Ebooks project, which produces free public domain ebooks.

#1 bestselling author Ken Follett tells the inspiring true story of the Middle East hostage crisis that began in 1978, and of the unconventional means one American used to save his countrymen. . . . When two of his employees were held hostage in a heavily guarded prison fortress in Iran, one man took matters into his own hands: businessman H. Ross Perot. His team consisted of a group of volunteers from the executive ranks of his corporation, handpicked and trained by a retired Green Beret officer. To free the imprisoned Americans, they would face incalculable odds on a mission that only true heroes would have dared. . . .

Required reading for any metalhead, this updated compendium of in-depth, entertaining, and profusely illustrated conversations spanning all of Iron Maiden’s studio albums includes 2021’s Senjutsu. In this new edition of Iron Maiden: Album by Album, prolific rock journalist Martin Popoff pays tribute to Iron Maiden’s discography through a series of in-depth, frank, and fascinating conversations about all of the legendary heavy metal band’s studio albums. Inside, Popoff gathers together metal journalists, authors, and musicians, who offer insights, opinions, and anecdotes about every release. Richly illustrated with thoughtfully curated performance and offstage photography, as well as rare memorabilia, the conversations comprise a unique historical overview of the band, covering: Early albums with original lead singer Paul Di’Anno The songwriting of founder and bassist Steve Harris The impeccable talents of drummer Nicko McBrain and guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers Mega tours undertaken in support of the LPs Fights within the band And much more—even their iconic mascot Eddie is sure to make an appearance or two! Popoff also includes loads of sidebars that provide complete track listings, details on album personnel, and information on where and when the albums were recorded. Reignite your passion for the masters of metal with this captivating album-by-album exploration. Up the Irons!

When Eagles Dare to Fly is a story of hope. It foretells a bright future where the deep-rooted spiritual nature of mankind can overcome the past and lead us to a future of peace, love, and tranquility. This is a powerful story of Mitch and Raymond growing up in a society where men have lost purpose. Robbed of pride, men drink to forget their past and hopeless future; alcoholism and the destruction of their families result. Children are forced to endure physical and mental abuse of their mothers and families. The children realize the cycle must be broken. Joining together, they show their parents a better life. A seemingly insignificant death—a murder—galvanizes the youth to action. Reverting to the “old ways,” the spiritualism of their forefathers, they vow to return to the days when they were a proud, loving people. During their journey, they discover an amazing fact. That bigotry and racism are just barriers erected to hide the fact that mankind suffers from the same diseases.