Author: Simon Mann
Publisher: Kings Road Publishing
ISBN: 1843588595
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 390
Book Description
On 7th March 2004, former SAS soldier and mercenary Simon Mann prepared to take off from Harare International Airport with an aeroplane full of heavy weaponry and guns for hire. Their destination: the former Spanish colony of Equatorial Guinea. Their mission: to remove one of the most brutal dictators in Africa in a privately organised coup d'etat. The plot had the tacit approval of Western intelligence agencies and, according to Mann, the backing of a European government. Simon Mann had personally planned, overseen and won two wars in Angola and Sierra Leone. Everything should have gone right. Why, then, did it go so wrong? When Simon was released from five years' incarceration in two of Africa's toughest prisons, he made worldwide headlines. Since then, he has spoken to nobody about his experiences. Now, he is telling everything, including: * His belief that the CIA deliberately compromised the coup to court favour with Equatorial Guinea's President Obiang, in return for access to the country's vast oil resources. * How the British government approached Simon in the months preceeding the Iraq war, asking him to suggest ways in which a justified invasion of Iraq could be engineered. * The real story behind the involvement of Mark Thatcher in the coup plot * Simon will also tell of his pain when he had to tell his wife, Amanda, who gave birth to their fourth child while he was incarcerated, that he believed he would never be freed.This is Simon's remarkable first-hand account of his life: an account that will read like a thriller as it takes us into the world of mercenaries and spooks: of murky imternational politics, big oil and big bucks; of action, danger, love, despair and betrayal.
Cry Havoc
Author: Simon Mann
Publisher: Kings Road Publishing
ISBN: 1843588595
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 390
Book Description
On 7th March 2004, former SAS soldier and mercenary Simon Mann prepared to take off from Harare International Airport with an aeroplane full of heavy weaponry and guns for hire. Their destination: the former Spanish colony of Equatorial Guinea. Their mission: to remove one of the most brutal dictators in Africa in a privately organised coup d'etat. The plot had the tacit approval of Western intelligence agencies and, according to Mann, the backing of a European government. Simon Mann had personally planned, overseen and won two wars in Angola and Sierra Leone. Everything should have gone right. Why, then, did it go so wrong? When Simon was released from five years' incarceration in two of Africa's toughest prisons, he made worldwide headlines. Since then, he has spoken to nobody about his experiences. Now, he is telling everything, including: * His belief that the CIA deliberately compromised the coup to court favour with Equatorial Guinea's President Obiang, in return for access to the country's vast oil resources. * How the British government approached Simon in the months preceeding the Iraq war, asking him to suggest ways in which a justified invasion of Iraq could be engineered. * The real story behind the involvement of Mark Thatcher in the coup plot * Simon will also tell of his pain when he had to tell his wife, Amanda, who gave birth to their fourth child while he was incarcerated, that he believed he would never be freed.This is Simon's remarkable first-hand account of his life: an account that will read like a thriller as it takes us into the world of mercenaries and spooks: of murky imternational politics, big oil and big bucks; of action, danger, love, despair and betrayal.
Publisher: Kings Road Publishing
ISBN: 1843588595
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 390
Book Description
On 7th March 2004, former SAS soldier and mercenary Simon Mann prepared to take off from Harare International Airport with an aeroplane full of heavy weaponry and guns for hire. Their destination: the former Spanish colony of Equatorial Guinea. Their mission: to remove one of the most brutal dictators in Africa in a privately organised coup d'etat. The plot had the tacit approval of Western intelligence agencies and, according to Mann, the backing of a European government. Simon Mann had personally planned, overseen and won two wars in Angola and Sierra Leone. Everything should have gone right. Why, then, did it go so wrong? When Simon was released from five years' incarceration in two of Africa's toughest prisons, he made worldwide headlines. Since then, he has spoken to nobody about his experiences. Now, he is telling everything, including: * His belief that the CIA deliberately compromised the coup to court favour with Equatorial Guinea's President Obiang, in return for access to the country's vast oil resources. * How the British government approached Simon in the months preceeding the Iraq war, asking him to suggest ways in which a justified invasion of Iraq could be engineered. * The real story behind the involvement of Mark Thatcher in the coup plot * Simon will also tell of his pain when he had to tell his wife, Amanda, who gave birth to their fourth child while he was incarcerated, that he believed he would never be freed.This is Simon's remarkable first-hand account of his life: an account that will read like a thriller as it takes us into the world of mercenaries and spooks: of murky imternational politics, big oil and big bucks; of action, danger, love, despair and betrayal.
Simon Mann
Author: Sue Blackhall
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1844681688
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
It had all the ingredients of a best-selling thriller the clandestine activities of mercenaries, an impossibly dare-devil plot to topple the regime of one of the worlds most corrupt countries; the boys own approach by arrogant old public school pupils and the controversy and intrigue from within governmental departments. Add in high-profile figures embroiled in the plot and the far-reaching repercussions and you have what was to become one of the most talked-about exploits of the twenty-first century. In retrospect, the attempted coup on the tiny African country of Equatorial Guinea was always destined to fail. Even the coups leader, Simon Mann was forced to admit it. This story is about those who dared to involve themselves in change of a country which did not want to be changed; which did not want to find itself the focus of global interest. But far from achieving their aim, those who embarked on the coup found that their own lives would never be the same again. The penalties were high. What was to be nicknamed the Wonga Coup carried a price which could never have been anticipated. Men were at the mercy of the very man whose brutal leadership they had tried to terminate. They found themselves incarcerated in a jail where many before them had been tortured and from where opposers to the regime had mysteriously disappeared. The multi-million pound reward for their endeavors evaporated leaving all feeling cheated, some betrayed and others totally alienated from the outside world. Those, like Simon Mann, the pivotal character in the plot, who finally won freedom have been wary to talk about their ordeal. It is no wonder, for self-preservation is still paramount. They will always have to look over their shoulder. And, just like all good thrillers, there remains an element of suspense.
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 1844681688
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
It had all the ingredients of a best-selling thriller the clandestine activities of mercenaries, an impossibly dare-devil plot to topple the regime of one of the worlds most corrupt countries; the boys own approach by arrogant old public school pupils and the controversy and intrigue from within governmental departments. Add in high-profile figures embroiled in the plot and the far-reaching repercussions and you have what was to become one of the most talked-about exploits of the twenty-first century. In retrospect, the attempted coup on the tiny African country of Equatorial Guinea was always destined to fail. Even the coups leader, Simon Mann was forced to admit it. This story is about those who dared to involve themselves in change of a country which did not want to be changed; which did not want to find itself the focus of global interest. But far from achieving their aim, those who embarked on the coup found that their own lives would never be the same again. The penalties were high. What was to be nicknamed the Wonga Coup carried a price which could never have been anticipated. Men were at the mercy of the very man whose brutal leadership they had tried to terminate. They found themselves incarcerated in a jail where many before them had been tortured and from where opposers to the regime had mysteriously disappeared. The multi-million pound reward for their endeavors evaporated leaving all feeling cheated, some betrayed and others totally alienated from the outside world. Those, like Simon Mann, the pivotal character in the plot, who finally won freedom have been wary to talk about their ordeal. It is no wonder, for self-preservation is still paramount. They will always have to look over their shoulder. And, just like all good thrillers, there remains an element of suspense.
Operation Pineapple Express
Author: Scott Mann
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1668003651
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 448
Book Description
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An edge-of-your-seat thriller about a group of retired Green Berets who come together to save a former comrade—and 500 other Afghans—being targeted by the Taliban in the chaos of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. In April 2021, an urgent call was placed from a Special Forces operator serving overseas. The message was clear: Get Nezam out of Afghanistan now. Nezam was part of the Afghan National Army’s first group of American-trained commandos; he passed through Fort Bragg’s legendary Q course and served alongside the US Special Forces for over a decade. But Afghanistan’s government and army were on the edge of collapse, and Nezam was receiving threatening texts from the Taliban. The message reached Nezam’s former commanding officer, retired Lt. Col. Scott Mann, who couldn’t face the idea of losing another soldier in the long War on Terror. Immediately, he sends out an SOS to a group of Afghan vets (Navy SEALs, Green Berets, CIA officers, USAID advisors). They all answer the call for one last mission. Operating out of basements and garages, Task Force Pineapple organizes an escape route for Nezam and gets him into hiding in Taliban-controlled Kabul. After many tense days, he braves the enemy checkpoints and the crowds of thousands blocking the airport gates. He finally makes it through the wire and into the American-held airport thanks to the frantic efforts of the Pineapple express, a relentless Congressional aide, and a US embassy official. Nezam is safe, but calls are coming in from all directions requesting help for other Afghan soldiers, interpreters, and at-risk women and children. Task Force Pineapple widens its scope—and ends up rescuing 500 more Afghans from Kabul in the three chaotic days before the ISIS-K suicide bombing. Operation Pineapple Express is a thrilling, suspenseful tale of service and loyalty amidst the chaos of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1668003651
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 448
Book Description
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An edge-of-your-seat thriller about a group of retired Green Berets who come together to save a former comrade—and 500 other Afghans—being targeted by the Taliban in the chaos of America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. In April 2021, an urgent call was placed from a Special Forces operator serving overseas. The message was clear: Get Nezam out of Afghanistan now. Nezam was part of the Afghan National Army’s first group of American-trained commandos; he passed through Fort Bragg’s legendary Q course and served alongside the US Special Forces for over a decade. But Afghanistan’s government and army were on the edge of collapse, and Nezam was receiving threatening texts from the Taliban. The message reached Nezam’s former commanding officer, retired Lt. Col. Scott Mann, who couldn’t face the idea of losing another soldier in the long War on Terror. Immediately, he sends out an SOS to a group of Afghan vets (Navy SEALs, Green Berets, CIA officers, USAID advisors). They all answer the call for one last mission. Operating out of basements and garages, Task Force Pineapple organizes an escape route for Nezam and gets him into hiding in Taliban-controlled Kabul. After many tense days, he braves the enemy checkpoints and the crowds of thousands blocking the airport gates. He finally makes it through the wire and into the American-held airport thanks to the frantic efforts of the Pineapple express, a relentless Congressional aide, and a US embassy official. Nezam is safe, but calls are coming in from all directions requesting help for other Afghan soldiers, interpreters, and at-risk women and children. Task Force Pineapple widens its scope—and ends up rescuing 500 more Afghans from Kabul in the three chaotic days before the ISIS-K suicide bombing. Operation Pineapple Express is a thrilling, suspenseful tale of service and loyalty amidst the chaos of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Wonga Coup
Author: Adam Roberts
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1586485326
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
Equatorial Guinea is a tiny country roughly the size of the state of Maryland. Humid, jungle covered, and rife with unpleasant diseases, natives call it Devil Island. Its president in 2004, Obiang Nguema, had been accused of cannibalism, belief in witchcraft, mass murder, billion dollar corruption, and general rule by terror. With so little to recommend it, why in March 2004 was Equatorial Guinea the target of a group of salty British, South African and Zimbabwean mercenaries, travelling on an American-registered ex-National Guard plane specially adapted for military purposes, that was originally flown to Africa by American pilots? The real motive lay deep below the ocean floor: oil. In The Dogs of War, Frederick Forsyth effectively described an attempt by mercenaries to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea -- in 1972. And the chain of events surrounding the night of March 7, 2004, is a rare case of life imitating art -- or, at least, life imitating a 1970s thriller -- in almost uncanny detail. With a cast of characters worthy of a remake of Wild Geese and a plot as mazy as it was unlikely, The Wonga Coup is a tale of venality, overarching vanity and greed whose example speaks to the problems of the entire African continent.
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1586485326
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 322
Book Description
Equatorial Guinea is a tiny country roughly the size of the state of Maryland. Humid, jungle covered, and rife with unpleasant diseases, natives call it Devil Island. Its president in 2004, Obiang Nguema, had been accused of cannibalism, belief in witchcraft, mass murder, billion dollar corruption, and general rule by terror. With so little to recommend it, why in March 2004 was Equatorial Guinea the target of a group of salty British, South African and Zimbabwean mercenaries, travelling on an American-registered ex-National Guard plane specially adapted for military purposes, that was originally flown to Africa by American pilots? The real motive lay deep below the ocean floor: oil. In The Dogs of War, Frederick Forsyth effectively described an attempt by mercenaries to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea -- in 1972. And the chain of events surrounding the night of March 7, 2004, is a rare case of life imitating art -- or, at least, life imitating a 1970s thriller -- in almost uncanny detail. With a cast of characters worthy of a remake of Wild Geese and a plot as mazy as it was unlikely, The Wonga Coup is a tale of venality, overarching vanity and greed whose example speaks to the problems of the entire African continent.
Crisis Zone
Author: Simon Hanselmann
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 1683964446
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
Languages : en
Pages : 296
Book Description
In March 2020, as the planet began to enter lockdown, acclaimed cartoonist Simon Hanselmann decided that what the world needed most was free, easily accessible entertainment, so he set out to make the greatest webcomic ever created! The result is also certain to be one of the most acclaimed and eagerly anticipated graphic novels of 2021. As the Covid-19 pandemic continued to escalate far beyond any reasonable expectations, Crisis Zone escalated right alongside, in real time, with daily posts on Instagram. Crisis Zone's battle mission was to amuse the masses: no matter how horrible and bleak everything seemed, at least Werewolf Jones wasn’t in your house! Over the course of 2020, Crisis Zone has amassed unprecedented amounts of new fans to the Megg and Mogg universe and is presented here, unabridged and uncensored, with a slew of added pages and scenes deleted from the webcomic, as well as an extensive “Director’s Commentary” from Hanselmann himself.
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
ISBN: 1683964446
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
Languages : en
Pages : 296
Book Description
In March 2020, as the planet began to enter lockdown, acclaimed cartoonist Simon Hanselmann decided that what the world needed most was free, easily accessible entertainment, so he set out to make the greatest webcomic ever created! The result is also certain to be one of the most acclaimed and eagerly anticipated graphic novels of 2021. As the Covid-19 pandemic continued to escalate far beyond any reasonable expectations, Crisis Zone escalated right alongside, in real time, with daily posts on Instagram. Crisis Zone's battle mission was to amuse the masses: no matter how horrible and bleak everything seemed, at least Werewolf Jones wasn’t in your house! Over the course of 2020, Crisis Zone has amassed unprecedented amounts of new fans to the Megg and Mogg universe and is presented here, unabridged and uncensored, with a slew of added pages and scenes deleted from the webcomic, as well as an extensive “Director’s Commentary” from Hanselmann himself.
A Biography of Mrs Marty Mann
Author: Sally Brown
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1616491418
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 444
Book Description
Marty Mann was the first woman to achieve long-term sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous, and she inspired thousands of others, especially women, to help themselves. The little-known life of Marty Mann rivals a Masterpiece Theatre drama. She was born into a life of wealth and privilege, sank to the lowest depths of poverty and despair, then rose to inspire thousands of others, especially women, to help themselves. The first woman to achieve long-term sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous, Marty Mann advocated the understanding that alcoholism is an issue of public health, not morality. In their fascinating book, Sally and David Brown shed light on this influential figure in recovery history. Born in Chicago in 1905, Marty was favored with beauty, brains, charisma, phenomenal energy, and a powerful will. She could also out drink anyone in her group of social elites. When her father became penniless, she was forced into work, landed a lucrative public relations position, and a decade later was destitute because of her drinking. She was committed to a psychiatric center in 1938-a time when the term alcoholism was virtually unknown, the only known treatment was "drying out," and two men were compiling the book Alcoholics Anonymous. Marty read it on the recommendation of psychiatrist Dr. Harry Tiebout: it was her first step toward sobriety and a long, illustrious career as founder of the National Council on Alcoholism, or NCA.In the early 1950s, journalist Edward R. Murrow selected Marty as one of the 10 greatest living Americans. Marty died of a stroke in 1980, shortly after addressing the AA international convention in New Orleans.This is a story of one woman's indefatigable effort and indomitable spirit, compellingly told by Sally and David Brown.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1616491418
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 444
Book Description
Marty Mann was the first woman to achieve long-term sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous, and she inspired thousands of others, especially women, to help themselves. The little-known life of Marty Mann rivals a Masterpiece Theatre drama. She was born into a life of wealth and privilege, sank to the lowest depths of poverty and despair, then rose to inspire thousands of others, especially women, to help themselves. The first woman to achieve long-term sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous, Marty Mann advocated the understanding that alcoholism is an issue of public health, not morality. In their fascinating book, Sally and David Brown shed light on this influential figure in recovery history. Born in Chicago in 1905, Marty was favored with beauty, brains, charisma, phenomenal energy, and a powerful will. She could also out drink anyone in her group of social elites. When her father became penniless, she was forced into work, landed a lucrative public relations position, and a decade later was destitute because of her drinking. She was committed to a psychiatric center in 1938-a time when the term alcoholism was virtually unknown, the only known treatment was "drying out," and two men were compiling the book Alcoholics Anonymous. Marty read it on the recommendation of psychiatrist Dr. Harry Tiebout: it was her first step toward sobriety and a long, illustrious career as founder of the National Council on Alcoholism, or NCA.In the early 1950s, journalist Edward R. Murrow selected Marty as one of the 10 greatest living Americans. Marty died of a stroke in 1980, shortly after addressing the AA international convention in New Orleans.This is a story of one woman's indefatigable effort and indomitable spirit, compellingly told by Sally and David Brown.
Skulls
Author: Simon Winchester
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal
ISBN: 9781579129125
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
Skulls is a beautiful spellbinding exploration of more than 300 different animal skulls—amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles—written by New York Times bestselling author, Simon Winchester and produced in collaboration with Theodore Gray and Touch Press, the geniuses behind The Elements and Solar System. In Skulls, best-selling author Simon Winchester (author of The Professor and the Madman; Atlantic: A Biography of the Ocean; Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded; and others)tells the rich and fascinating story of skulls, both human and animal, from every perspective imaginable: historical, biographical, cultural, and iconographic. Presenting details about the parts of the skull (including the cranium, the mandible, the shape and positioning of the eye sockets, and species-specific features like horns, teeth, beaks and bills), information about the science and pseudoscience of skulls, and a look at skulls in religion, art and popular culture, his stories and information are riveting and enlightening. At the center of Skulls is a stunning, never-before-seen-in-any-capacity, visual array of the skulls of more than 300 animals that walk, swim, and fly. The skulls are from the collection of Alan Dudley, a British collector and owner of what is probably the largest and most complete private collection of skulls in the world. Every skull is beautifully photographed to show several angles and to give the reader the most intimate view possible. Each includes a short explanatory paragraph and a data box with information on the animal's taxonomy, behavior, and diet. Skulls was published in December 2011 as an e-book for the iPad by the innovative e-book publishers Touch Press, creators of the best-selling e-books for iPad The Elements and Solar System. Both books were also published in print by Black Dog & Leventhal.
Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal
ISBN: 9781579129125
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
Skulls is a beautiful spellbinding exploration of more than 300 different animal skulls—amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles—written by New York Times bestselling author, Simon Winchester and produced in collaboration with Theodore Gray and Touch Press, the geniuses behind The Elements and Solar System. In Skulls, best-selling author Simon Winchester (author of The Professor and the Madman; Atlantic: A Biography of the Ocean; Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded; and others)tells the rich and fascinating story of skulls, both human and animal, from every perspective imaginable: historical, biographical, cultural, and iconographic. Presenting details about the parts of the skull (including the cranium, the mandible, the shape and positioning of the eye sockets, and species-specific features like horns, teeth, beaks and bills), information about the science and pseudoscience of skulls, and a look at skulls in religion, art and popular culture, his stories and information are riveting and enlightening. At the center of Skulls is a stunning, never-before-seen-in-any-capacity, visual array of the skulls of more than 300 animals that walk, swim, and fly. The skulls are from the collection of Alan Dudley, a British collector and owner of what is probably the largest and most complete private collection of skulls in the world. Every skull is beautifully photographed to show several angles and to give the reader the most intimate view possible. Each includes a short explanatory paragraph and a data box with information on the animal's taxonomy, behavior, and diet. Skulls was published in December 2011 as an e-book for the iPad by the innovative e-book publishers Touch Press, creators of the best-selling e-books for iPad The Elements and Solar System. Both books were also published in print by Black Dog & Leventhal.
Before Columbus
Author: Charles C. Mann
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1416949003
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 128
Book Description
A companion book for young readers based upon the explorations of the Americas in 1491, before those of Christopher Columbus.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1416949003
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 128
Book Description
A companion book for young readers based upon the explorations of the Americas in 1491, before those of Christopher Columbus.
The Degenerates
Author: J. Albert Mann
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 1534419357
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
“Respectful, unflinching, and eye-opening.” —Kirkus Reviews “Historical fiction that not only depicts a cruel, horrifying reality but also the strength and courage of the people who had to endure it.” —Booklist In the tradition of Girl, Interrupted, this fiery historical novel follows four young women in the early 20th century whose lives intersect when they are locked up by a world that took the poor, the disabled, the marginalized-and institutionalized them for life. The Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded is not a happy place. The young women who are already there certainly don’t think so. Not Maxine, who is doing everything she can to protect her younger sister Rose in an institution where vicious attendants and bullying older girls treat them as the morons, imbeciles, and idiots the doctors have deemed them to be. Not Alice, either, who was left there when her brother couldn’t bring himself to support a sister with a club foot. And not London, who has just been dragged there from the best foster situation she’s ever had, thanks to one unexpected, life-altering moment. Each girl is determined to change her fate, no matter what it takes.
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 1534419357
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 288
Book Description
“Respectful, unflinching, and eye-opening.” —Kirkus Reviews “Historical fiction that not only depicts a cruel, horrifying reality but also the strength and courage of the people who had to endure it.” —Booklist In the tradition of Girl, Interrupted, this fiery historical novel follows four young women in the early 20th century whose lives intersect when they are locked up by a world that took the poor, the disabled, the marginalized-and institutionalized them for life. The Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded is not a happy place. The young women who are already there certainly don’t think so. Not Maxine, who is doing everything she can to protect her younger sister Rose in an institution where vicious attendants and bullying older girls treat them as the morons, imbeciles, and idiots the doctors have deemed them to be. Not Alice, either, who was left there when her brother couldn’t bring himself to support a sister with a club foot. And not London, who has just been dragged there from the best foster situation she’s ever had, thanks to one unexpected, life-altering moment. Each girl is determined to change her fate, no matter what it takes.
Anna of Saxony
Author: Ingrun Mann
Publisher: Winged Hussar Publishing
ISBN: 1945430257
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 365
Book Description
Since her early youth at the glittering court of Dresden, Anna had been known as a difficult child and troublemaker. Servants complained about her violent outbursts, while courtiers bemoaned her general disregard for aristocratic female etiquette. Upon reaching her teenage years, the princess’ guardians decided that Saxony’s enfant terrible should leave home as quickly as possible by marrying a foreign suitor in a preferably far-away land. Enter William of Orange: handsome, charming, and heir to one of the Netherlands’ largest estates. The fact that he was also a profligate partier and lover of women was conveniently overlooked. Anna immediately fell for the Dutch bon vivant despite warnings from a few well-meaning relatives. For one, William was a Catholic, while Anna adhered to the Protestant teachings of Martin Luther, critical voices cautioned, correctly predicting future trouble for the princess in the Catholic Netherlands. Furthermore, the prince’s liege lord, the fanatical Philip II of Spain, very much disapproved of a match between his premier vassal and a “Lutheran heretic.” There was also the issue of plain Anna’s growing obsession with the roguish William; an obsession that was not reciprocated. In the end, the impetuous princess threw caution to the wind. No other than William would do for a husband, she insisted, while publicly announcing that “every vein in my body heartily loves him.”
Publisher: Winged Hussar Publishing
ISBN: 1945430257
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 365
Book Description
Since her early youth at the glittering court of Dresden, Anna had been known as a difficult child and troublemaker. Servants complained about her violent outbursts, while courtiers bemoaned her general disregard for aristocratic female etiquette. Upon reaching her teenage years, the princess’ guardians decided that Saxony’s enfant terrible should leave home as quickly as possible by marrying a foreign suitor in a preferably far-away land. Enter William of Orange: handsome, charming, and heir to one of the Netherlands’ largest estates. The fact that he was also a profligate partier and lover of women was conveniently overlooked. Anna immediately fell for the Dutch bon vivant despite warnings from a few well-meaning relatives. For one, William was a Catholic, while Anna adhered to the Protestant teachings of Martin Luther, critical voices cautioned, correctly predicting future trouble for the princess in the Catholic Netherlands. Furthermore, the prince’s liege lord, the fanatical Philip II of Spain, very much disapproved of a match between his premier vassal and a “Lutheran heretic.” There was also the issue of plain Anna’s growing obsession with the roguish William; an obsession that was not reciprocated. In the end, the impetuous princess threw caution to the wind. No other than William would do for a husband, she insisted, while publicly announcing that “every vein in my body heartily loves him.”