Douglas Century

The awe-inspiring story of Hannah Senesh, a female paratrooper in World War II whose courage and sacrifice left an indelible mark on history. In the years before World War II, thousands of young Jewish men and women escaped Europe, seeking safety in British Mandatory Palestine. By 1942, horrifying reports began to spread about industrialised killing centres in Poland and a chilling campaign to exterminate Europe’s entire Jewish population. When it became clear that the Allies were unwilling to spare any forces from the war effort to save civilians, the Jewish community in Palestine came up with a daring plan. Working with British Military Intelligence, an elite unit of young Jewish paratroopers volunteered to return to eastern Europe. Once behind enemy lines, they would use their expertise in the local languages and terrain to rescue thousands of downed Allied pilots and escaped POWs. At the same time, these volunteer commandos would help Jewish civilians escape deportation to death camps or take up arms in resistance against the Nazis. Hannah Senesh was one of only three female paratroopers who risked everything to infiltrate occupied Europe. In 1939, at just eighteen years old, Hannah emigrated from Hungary to British Mandatory Palestine, where she dreamed of being a poet and a schoolteacher. Instead, she became a poet and a paratrooper. Five years after fleeing Europe, Hannah parachuted back into occupied territory as a freedom fighter with the most crucial role in her team: the wireless operator tasked with sending and deciphering top secret British radio codes. Though captured after crossing the border into Hungary, she refused to give up her radio codes or any information about her mission, despite enduring months of torture. Her final act of defiance — choosing to die before a firing squad rather than beg for clemency — cemented her legendary status as the ‘Jewish Joan of Arc’, and her posthumously published poems, translated into more than twenty languages, continue to inspire new generations of readers. More than just a gripping historical account of Hannah’s life and afterlife, Crash of the Heavens offers a powerful reminder of the human spirit’s ability to shine, even in the darkest of times.

The awe-inspiring and largely untold story of Hannah Senesh, a female paratrooper in World War II whose courage and sacrifice during a daring mission to rescue Europe's Jews left an indelible mark on history. In the years before World War II, thousands of young Jewish men and women escaped Europe, seeking safety in the British Mandate for Palestine. By 1942, horrifying reports began to spread about ghettos being liquidated, industrialized killing centers in Poland, and a chilling campaign to exterminate Europe's entire Jewish population. When it became clear that the Allies were unwilling to spare any forces from the war effort to save civilians, the Jewish community in Palestine came up with a daring plan. Working with British Military Intelligence, an elite unit of young Jewish paratroopers volunteered to return to Eastern Europe. Once behind enemy lines, they would use their expertise in the local languages and terrain to rescue thousands of downed Allied pilots and escaped POWs who were trapped with no way to communicate--highly trained airmen desperately needed by the British and American air forces to fly more bombing missions. At the same time, these volunteer commandos would help Jewish civilians escape deportation to Auschwitz and other death camps or take up arms in resistance against the Nazis. Hannah Senesh was one of only three female paratroopers who risked everything to infiltrate occupied Europe. In 1939, at just eighteen years old, Hannah emigrated from Hungary to the British Mandate for Palestine, where she dreamed of being a poet and a schoolteacher. Instead, she became a poet and a paratrooper. Five years after fleeing Europe, Hannah parachuted back into occupied territory as a freedom fighter with the most crucial role in her team: the wireless operator tasked with sending and deciphering top-secret British radio codes. Though captured almost immediately after crossing the border into Hungary, she refused to give up her radio codes or any information about her mission, despite enduring months of horrific torture. Her final act of defiance--choosing to die before a firing squad rather than beg for clemency--cemented her legendary status as the "Jewish Joan of Arc." Hannah's legacy lives on today in the widely published diary she'd kept since age thirteen and in her poetry which has inspired generations. Each year on Holocaust Remembrance Day, a short poem Hannah composed on the shores of the Mediterranean in 1942 is sung at ceremonies around the world. Titled "Eli, Eli," or "My God, My God," it has become a modern hymn, taught in schools, sung in synagogues, and printed in thousands of prayerbooks. More than just a gripping historical account of Hannah's life and afterlife, Crash of the Heavens offers a powerful reminder of the human spirit's ability to shine, even in the darkest of times.

Award-winning actor, rapper, and producer Ice-T unveils a compelling memoir of his early life robbing jewelry stores until he found fame and fortune—while a handful of bad choices sent his former crime partner down an incredibly different path. Ice-T rose to fame in the late 1980s, earning acclaim for his music before going on to enthrall television audiences as Odafin “Fin” Tutuola in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. But it could have gone much differently. In this “poignant and powerful” (Library Journal, starred review) memoir, Ice-T and Spike, his former crime partner—collaborating with New York Times bestselling author Douglas Century—relate the shocking stories of their shared pasts, and how just a handful of decisions led to their incredibly different lives. Both grew up in violent, gang-controlled Los Angeles neighborhoods and worked together to orchestrate a series of jewelry heists. But while Ice-T was discovered rapping in a club and got his first record deal, Spike was caught for a jewelry robbery and did three years in prison. As his music career began to take off, Ice made the decision to abandon the criminal life; Spike continued to plan increasingly ingenious and risky jewel heists. And in 1992, after one of Spike’s robberies ended tragically, he was sentenced to thirty-five years to life. While he sat behind bars, he watched his former partner rise to fame in music, movies, and television. “Propulsive” (Publishers Weekly, starred review), timely, and thoughtful, two men with two very different lives reveal how their paths might have very well been reversed if they made different choices. All it took was a split decision.

Bestselling author Douglas Century reveals the untold story of the epic rise and fall of Boris Nayfeld, also known as Biba, one of the most notorious Russian mob bosses of our era.Boris Nayfeld, a.k.a. “Biba,” is the last living boss of the old-school Russian mob in America, and he’s survived to tell it all. Filled with sex, drugs, and murder, Biba’s story is a mind-boggling journey that took him from petty street crime in the USSR to billion-dollar embezzlement in America.Born in Soviet-era Belarus, abandoned by his parents in infancy, Biba’s brutal upbringing left him hungry for more—more power, control, and money. Taking advantage of the rampant corruption in the Soviet Union, Biba’s teenage hooliganism quickly turned into bolder “black cash” rackets, making him, by Soviet standards, a very rich young man. When authorities took notice and threatened him with “the supreme measure”— execution by firing squad—he managed to get out of the USSR just in time.Within months of landing in America, his intimidating presence and street smarts quickly made him legendary in the Soviet émigré community of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, and launched him to the top of New York’s Russian Jewish mob, one of the world’s most inventive, powerful and violent criminal organizations. After decades as a globe-trotting boss, and three stints in U.S. federal prisons he remains unbroken and unrepentant, even as his entire life has unraveled around him.Now seventy-four years old, Biba is a lion in winter. Douglas Century vividly brings the notorious gangster to life in these pages, telling not only his epic journey but also the history of the Russian mob in America.

In the tradition of #1 New York Times bestsellers like Unbroken, Boys on the Boat, and Band of Brothers, No Surrender is an unforgettable story of a father’s extraordinary acts of valor in World War II and a son’s thrilling journey to discover them?an epic narrative of bravery, compassion, and faith.Like most members of the Greatest Generation, Roddie Edmonds, a humble American soldier from East Tennessee, rarely spoke about his experiences during World War II. Not even his son Chris knew the full details of Roddie’s capture at the Battle of the Bulge or his captivity at Stalag IXA, a Nazi POW camp. But when Chris’s daughter was assigned a family history project, Chris reread Roddie’s wartime diaries, which set in motion a series of life-changing events.Called to learn his father’s story with a renewed sense of passion and purpose, Chris embarked on a years-long journey, interviewing surviving POWs under Roddie’s command, and retracing his father’s footsteps, from Fort Jackson, South Carolina, where a boyish Roddie transformed into a seasoned leader of men, to the patch of grass near Ziegenhain, Germany, where he stared evil in the eye and dared a Nazi to shoot.Along with New York Times bestselling author Douglas Century, Chris Edmonds takes us to the front lines of this inspiring multigenerational story, revealing in gripping, novelistic detail Roddie’s previously untold heroism—and the lasting effects his bravery had on the lives of thousands, then and now. “What’s most remarkable about my journey to discover what my father did in the Second World War,” Chris writes, was “the realization that any one of us has the untapped potential to do something incredibly courageous. . . . We all have the potential to change the world simply by standing up for what’s right.”A shining example of the transformative and redemptive power of moral courage, No Surrender is a celebration of faith, family, and service—the very characteristics that define us today.

Part contemporary detective story, part World War II historical narrative, No Surrender is the inspiring true story of Roddie Edmonds, a Knoxville-born enlistee who risked his life during the final days of World War II to save others from murderous Nazis, and the lasting effects his actions had on thousands of lives--then and now.Captured in the Battle of the Bulge, Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds was the highest-ranking American soldier at Stalag IXA, a prisoner of war camp near Ziegenhain, Germany. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Roddie was a simple, soft-spoken man of deep inner strength and unwavering Christian faith. Though he was driven to the limits of endurance, Roddie refused to succumb to Nazi brutality toward the Jewish-American GIs with whom he was serving. Through his inspiring leadership and bravery Roddie saved the lives of hundreds of U.S. infantrymen in those perilous final days of the Second World War. His fearless actions continue to reverberate today.Growing up, Pastor Chris Edmonds knew little of his father's actions in the war. To learn the truth, he followed a trail of clues, a journey that spanned seven decades and linked a sprawling cast of heroes, both known and unknown, from every corner of the country. In No Surrender, Pastor Chris, joined by New York Times bestselling co-author Douglas Century, chronicles his odyssey to tell the unforgettable story of his father and his remarkable valor. He also provides startling details (and vantage points) of some of the major events of World War II and United States Army initiatives that helped the Allies win the war, including the Battle of the Bulge, the massacre at Malmedy, and the now-little-known Army Specialized Training Program which prepared brilliant young "soldier-scholars"--or "Quiz Kids"--from across the nation to battle the Nazis.As compelling as the number-one New York Times bestsellers Unbroken, Boys on the Boat, Band of Brothers, and Schindler's List, illustrated with photographs and historical documents throughout, No Surrender is an epic story of bravery, compassion, and faith, and an inspiring testament to man's goodness. It is also a clarion call for our narcissistic age--a shining example of the transformative and redemptive power of moral courage.

Insiderhistorien om hur världens mest jagade knarkkung togs till fånga! En nervkittlande thriller direkt ur verkligheten, där läsaren steg för steg får följa den åtta år långa jakten på El Chapo från infiltrationen av kartellens innersta kretsar, via det högteknologiska underrättelsearbetet, till den desperata kampen mot klockan då knarkkungen till sist kunde gripas. Den federala narkotikapolisen Andrew Hogan var helt nyutbildad när han fick i uppdrag att infiltrera knarkkartellen Sinaloa. Ovetande kom han en av världens mest jagade män på spåren den ökända knarkkungen Joaquín Archivaldo Guzmán-Loera, ledare för Sinaloakartellen och mer känd som El Chapo. Sex år senare blev Hogan chef för DEA:s insats mot Sinaloa i Mexico City och en av historiens farligaste och mest komplicerade utredningar tog sin början. ***Andrew Hogan är en före detta federal polis från Kansas som 2006 började infiltrera den mexikanska Sinaloakartellen. År 2012 utsågs han till chef för narkotikapolisens insats mot kartellen och blev den som till slut grep El Chapo Guzmán, den ökände knarkkungen och multimiljardären som gäckat polisen i många år. Douglas Century har skrivit och varit medförfattare till en lång rad bästsäljande böcker inom genren true crime.

This is the untold story of the American federal agent who captured the worldâ??s most-wanted drug-lord.

Every generation has a larger-than-life criminal: Jesse James, Billy the Kid, John Dillinger, Al Capone, John Gotti, Pablo Escobar. But each of these notorious lawbreakers had a "white hat" in pursuit: Wyatt Earp, Pat Garrett, Eliot Ness, Steve Murphy. For notorious drug lord Joaqu n Archivaldo Guzm n-Loera--El Chapo--that lawman is former Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Andrew Hogan. In 2006, fresh out of the D.E.A. Academy, Hogan heads west to Arizona where he immediately plunges into a series of gripping undercover adventures, all unknowingly placing him on the trail of Guzm n, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, a Forbes billionaire and Public Enemy No. 1 in the United States. Six years later, as head of the D.E.A.'s Sinaloa Cartel desk in Mexico City, Hogan finds his life and Chapo's are ironically, on parallel paths: they're both obsessed with the details.In a recasting of the classic American Western on the global stage, Hunting El Chapo takes us on Hogan's quest to achieve the seemingly impossible, from infiltrating El Chapo's inner circle to leading a white-knuckle manhunt with an elite brigade of trusted Mexican Marines--racing door-to-door through the cartel's stronghold and ultimately bringing the elusive and murderous king-pin to justice. This cinematic crime story following the relentless investigative work of Hogan and his team unfolds at breakneck speed, taking the reader behind the scenes of one of the most sophisticated and dangerous counter-narcotics operations in the history of the United States and Mexico.

A blend of Manhunt, Killing Pablo, and Zero Dark Thirty, Andrew Hogan and Douglas Century's sensational investigative high-tech thriller--soon to be a major motion picture from Sony--chronicles a riveting chapter in the twentieth-century drug wars: the exclusive inside story of the American lawman and his dangerous eight-year hunt that captured El Chapo--the world's most wanted drug kingpin who evaded the law for more than a decade.Every generation has a larger-than-life criminal: Jesse James, Billy the Kid, John Dillinger, Al Capone, John Gotti, Pablo Escobar. But each of these notorious lawbreakers had a "white hat" in pursuit: Wyatt Earp, Pat Garrett, Eliot Ness, Steve Murphy. For notorious drug lord Joaqu n Archivaldo Guzm n-Loera--El Chapo--that lawman is former Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Andrew Hogan. In 2006, fresh out of the D.E.A. Academy, Hogan heads west to Arizona where he immediately plunges into a series of gripping undercover adventures, all unknowingly placing him on the trail of Guzm n, the leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, a Forbes billionaire and Public Enemy No. 1 in the United States. Six years later, as head of the D.E.A.'s Sinaloa Cartel desk in Mexico City, Hogan finds his life and Chapo's are ironically, on parallel paths: they're both obsessed with the details.In a recasting of the classic American Western on the global stage, Hunting El Chapo takes us on Hogan's quest to achieve the seemingly impossible, from infiltrating El Chapo's inner circle to leading a white-knuckle manhunt with an elite brigade of trusted Mexican Marines--racing door-to-door through the cartel's stronghold and ultimately bringing the elusive and murderous king-pin to justice. This cinematic crime story following the relentless investigative work of Hogan and his team unfolds at breakneck speed, taking the reader behind the scenes of one of the most sophisticated and dangerous counter-narcotics operations in the history of the United States and Mexico.

A highly decorated veteran agent recounts his incredible undercover career, and reveals the shocking links between narcotics trafficking and terrorism. What exactly is ‘undercover’? From a law-enforcement perspective, it’s the art of skillfully eliciting incriminating statements. Edward Follis mastered this dark art over the course of his distinguished 27 years with the US’s Drug Enforcement Administration, where he bought bags of coke in a red Corvette, negotiated multi-million-dollar deals on board private jets, and developed covert relationships with men who were not only international drug-traffickers, but — in some cases — operatives for Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and the Mexican federation of cartels. Spanning five continents and filled with harrowing stories about the world’s most ruthless drug lords and terrorist networks, Follis’s memoir reads like a thriller. Yet every word is true, and every story is documented. The first and only insider’s account of the confluence between narco-trafficking and terrorist organisations, The Dark Art is an electrifying page-turner.

He's a hip-hop icon credited with single-handedly creating gangsta rap. Television viewers know him as Detective Odafin "Fin" Tutuola on the top-rated drama Law & Order: SVU. But where the hype and the headlines end, the real story of Ice-T--the one few of his millions of fans have ever heard--truly begins. Ice is Ice-T in his own words--raw, uncensored, and unafraid to speak his mind. About his orphan upbringing on the gang-infested streets of South Central, his four-year stint in the U.S. Army, his successful career as a hustler and thief, and his fateful decision to turn away from a life of crime and forge his own path to international stardom. Along the way, Ice shares never-before-told stories about friends such as Tupac, Dick Wolf, Chris Rock, and Flavor Flav, among others. And he offers up candid observations on marriage and monogamy, the current state of hip-hop, and his latest passion: mentoring at-risk youths around the country. With insights into the cutthroat world of the street--and the cutthroat world of Hollywood--Ice is the unforgettable story of a true American original.

A Medal of Honor recipient looks back at his own service in the Vietnam War--and ahead to America's future. Jack Jacobs was acting as an advisor to the South Vietnamese when he and his men came under devastating attack. Wounded, 1st Lt. Jacobs took command and withdrew the unit, returning again and again, saving fourteen lives--for which he received the Medal of Honor. Here, Col. Jacobs tells his stirring story of heroism, honor, and the personal code by which he has lived his life, and expounds with blunt honesty and insight his views on our contemporary world, and the nature and necessity of sacrifice. If Not Now, When? is a compelling account of a unique life at both war and peace, and the all-too-often unexamined role of the citizenry in the service and defense of the Republic.

As an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, William Queen must tackle a number of challenging cases. In the winter of 1985, he faces his toughest mission to date: He must apprehend Mark Stephens, a notorious narcotics trafficker who has been terrorizing the communities around Los Angeles with frequent rampages involving machine guns and hand grenades. A recluse living in the treacherous backwoods outside the city, Stephens is a wily survivalist. Nobody has been able to catch him, but Queen is determined to take him down. Queen's unique expertise is not taught in any police academy or ATF training seminar-he honed his outdoorsman abilities as a kid. He is adept at hunting and trapping and living for weeks in the wild. Queen will use these skills-along with surveillance, confidential informants, and intelligence gathering-as he doggedly tracks his dangerous quarry, a chase that culminates in a gripping showdown high in the San Bernardino Mountains.