Download or read book The Secret History of STASI Spy Cameras written by H. Keith Melton and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 2020-10-28 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This lavishly illustrated and authoritative book presents the secret history of Stasi and Warsaw Pact subminiature spy cameras used during the Cold War. It is a history that could only have been written through the collaboration of veteran Stasi technical intelligence officers and the world's foremost historians on Cold War spy cameras and tradecraft. With more than 450 photographs, the book reveals the history, development, and operational use of more than 70 secret cameras as used by one of the world's most formidable intelligence services--East German Stasi, or MfS--for secretly copying documents, and for surveillance and compromise. Every major camera system used by the Stasi is covered. A bonus at the end of the book is an exhaustive glossary of Stasi and Warsaw Pact photographic systems and optical devices. This book is a must-have for camera collectors, military enthusiasts, historians, and counterintelligence officers.
Download or read book The Secret History of KGB Spy Cameras written by H. Keith Melton and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 2018-10-28 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This lavishly photographed and authoritative book presents the secret history of Soviet subminiature spy cameras during the Cold War. It is a history that could only have been written by the veteran KGB technical intelligence officers who created and used the cameras in secret operations. With 350 photographs, the book reveals the history, development, and operational use of more than ninety secret cameras used by two of the world's most formidable intelligence services--the KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti [Committee for State Security]) and GRU (Glavnoye Razvedyvatel'noye Upravleniye [Foreign Military Intelligence Agency of the Soviet Army])--for secretly copying documents, and for surveillance and compromise. Every major camera system used by the KGB, and several used by the GRU are included. A bonus at the end of the book is an exhaustive glossary on KGB and GRU photographic systems and optical devices. This book is a must-have for camera collectors, military enthusiasts, historians, and counterintelligence officers.
Download or read book Seduced by Secrets written by Kristie Macrakis and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2008-03-17 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More fascinating than fiction, Seduced by Secrets takes the reader inside the real world of one of the most effective and feared spy agencies in history. The book reveals, for the first time, the secret technical methods and sources of the Stasi (East German Ministry for State Security) as it stole secrets from abroad and developed gadgets at home, employing universal, highly guarded techniques often used by other spy and security agencies. Seduced by Secrets draws on secret files from the Stasi archives, including CIA-acquired material, interviews and friendships, court documents, and unusual visits to spy sites, including "breaking into" a prison, to demonstrate that the Stasi overestimated the power of secrets to solve problems and created an insular spy culture more intent on securing its power than protecting national security. It recreates the Stasi's secret world of technology through biographies of agents, defectors, and officers and by visualizing James Bond-like techniques and gadgets. In this highly original book, Kristie Macrakis adds a new dimension to our understanding of the East German Ministry for State Security by bringing the topic into the realm of espionage history and exiting the political domain.
Download or read book The Hidden History of Big Brother in America written by Thom Hartmann and published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers. This book was released on 2022-03-08 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: America's most popular progressive radio host and New York Times bestselling author Thom Hartmann reveals how the government and corporate America misuse our personal data and shows how we can reclaim our privacy. Most Americans are worried about how companies like Facebook invade their privacy and harvest their data, but many people don't fully understand the details of how their information is being adapted and misused. In this thought-provoking and accessible book, Thom Hartmann reveals exactly how the government and corporations are tracking our every online move and using our data to buy elections, employ social control, and monetize our lives. Hartmann uses extensive, vivid examples to highlight the consequences of Big Data on all aspects of our lives. He traces the history of surveillance and social control, looking back to how Big Brother invented whiteness to keep order and how surveillance began to be employed as a way to modify behavior. As he states, “The goal of those who violate privacy and use surveillance is almost always social control and behavior modification.” Along with covering the history, Hartmann shows how we got to where we are today, how China—with its new Social Credit System—serves as a warning, and how we can and must avoid a similarly dystopian future. By delving into the Constitutional right to privacy, Hartmann reminds us of our civil right and shows how we can restore it.
Download or read book A History of Central Europe written by Robert C. Austin and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-09-30 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This textbook offers a survey of the history of Central Europe since 1848, from the ‘Springtime of Nations’, through the world wars and communist period, to NATO and EU membership. With an emphasis on nation-building, it gives the reader a better understanding of not just political history but also of the region’s economic development and of everyday life. The book brings the reader right up to the present, considering contemporary issues such as the impact of the 2015 refugee crisis, migration out of Central Europe, the weakening of democratic institutions and the re-emergence of nationalism. Throughout, it offers fresh perspectives, gives agency to Central Europe, and pays attention to the ethnic, linguistic and religious diversity of the region. This is essential reading for students taking courses on Central/East-Central Europe. It is also suitable for courses on 19th and 20th Century Europe, or for anyone with an interest in the region.
Download or read book The History of the Stasi written by Jens Gieseke and published by Berghahn Books. This book was released on 2014-01-01 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A well-balanced and detailed look at the East German Ministry for State Security, the secret police force more commonly known as the Stasi. “This is an excellent book, full of careful, balanced judgements and a wealth of concisely-communicated knowledge. It is also well written. Indeed, it is the best book yet published on the MfS.”—German History The Stasi stood for Stalinist oppression and all-encompassing surveillance. The “shield and sword of the party,” it secured the rule of the Communist Party for more than forty years, and by the 1980s it had become the largest secret-police apparatus in the world, per capita. Jens Gieseke tells the story of the Stasi, a feared secret-police force and a highly professional intelligence service. He inquires into the mechanisms of dictatorship and the day-to-day effects of surveillance and suspicion. Masterful and thorough at once, he takes the reader through this dark chapter of German postwar history, supplying key information on perpetrators, informers, and victims. In an assessment of post-communist memory politics, he critically discusses the consequences of opening the files and the outcomes of the Stasi debate in reunified Germany. A major guide for research on communist secret-police forces, this book is considered the standard reference work on the Stasi.
Download or read book Seduced by Secrets written by Kristie Macrakis and published by US Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2014-10-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book reveals, for the first time, the secret technical methods and sources of the Stasi (East German Ministry for State Security) as it stole secrets from abroad and developed gadgets at home. Seduced by Secrets draws on secret files from the Stasi archives. Macrakis recreates the Stasi's secret world of technology through biographies of agents, defectors, and officers and by visualizing James Bond-like techniques and gadgets.
Download or read book Spy Sites of Washington DC written by H. Keith Melton and published by Georgetown University Press. This book was released on 2017-04-01 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Washington, DC, stands at the epicenter of world espionage. Mapping this history from the halls of government to tranquil suburban neighborhoods reveals scoresof dead drops, covert meeting places, and secret facilities—a constellation ofclandestine sites unknown to even the most avid history buffs. Until now. Spy Sites of Washington, DC traces more than two centuries of secret history from the Mount Vernon study of spymaster George Washington to the Cleveland Park apartment of the “Queen of Cuba.” In 220 main entries as well as listings for dozens more spy sites, intelligence historians Robert Wallace and H. Keith Melton weave incredible true stories of derring-do and double-crosses that put even the best spy fiction to shame. Maps and more than three hundred photos allow readers to follow in the winding footsteps of moles and sleuths, trace the covert operations that influenced wars hot and cold, and understand the tradecraft traitors and spies alike used in the do-or-die chess games that have changed the course of history. Informing and entertaining, Spy Sites of Washington, DC is the comprehensive guidebook to the shadow history of our nation’s capital.
Download or read book Life and Death Rays written by Alan Perkins and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2021-07-05 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book provides an accessible introduction to both the scientific background and the key people involved in the discovery and use of radiation and radioactivity. It begins by providing a short history of radiation exposures and radiation poisoning; from the early inappropriate use of X-rays and radium cures through the misadventures of the Manhattan Project and the Chernobyl disaster, to the high-profile and deliberate poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in London with polonium-210, which gave rise to worldwide media attention. The chapters provide a catalogue of deliberate criminal acts, unfortunate accidents, and inadvertent radiation exposures, exploring well-known events in detail, as well as some not so well-known occurrences. It works through the topics by focusing on human stories and events and their biological impact. In addition, it covers descriptions of the beneficial uses of radiation and radioactivity. This book can be enjoyed by any reader with a general interest in science, as well as by students and professionals within the scientific and medical communities. Key features Authored by a subject area specialist who has worked in both clinical practice and academia and was involved with the national media following incidents of national and international importance Provides a unique human perspective into well-known and some lesser known events and a concise history of the discovery of radiation and the events that followed Adds scientific and medical background to a subject of high media interest
Download or read book The Enemy Within written by Terry Crowdy and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2011-12-20 with total page 283 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Separating myth from reality, The Enemy Within traces the history of espionage from its development in ancient times through to the end of the Cold War and beyond, shedding light on the clandestine activities that have so often tipped the balance in times of war. This detailed account delves into the murky depths of the realm of spymasters and their spies, revealing many amazing and often bizarre stories along the way. From the monkey hanged as a spy during the Napoleonic wars to the British Double Cross Committee in World War II, this journey through the history of espionage shows us that no two spies are alike and their fascinating stories are fraught with danger and intrigue.
Download or read book Tunnel 29 written by Helena Merriman and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 2021-08-24 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: He escaped from one of the world’s most brutal regimes.Then, he decided to tunnel back in. In the summer of 1962, a young student named Joachim Rudolph dug a tunnel under the Berlin Wall. Waiting on the other side in East Berlin were dozens of men, women, and children—all willing to risk everything to escape. From the award-winning creator of the acclaimed BBC Radio 4 podcast, Tunnel 29 is the true story of this most remarkable Cold War rescue mission. Drawing on interviews with the survivors and Stasi files, Helena Merriman brilliantly reveals the stranger-than-fiction story of the ingenious group of student-diggers, the glamorous red-haired messenger, the Stasi spy who threatened the whole enterprise, and the love story that became its surprising epilogue. Tunnel 29 was also the first made-for-TV event of its kind; it was funded by NBC, who wanted to film an escape in real time. Their documentary—which was nearly blocked from airing by the Kennedy administration, which wanted to control the media during the Cold War—revolutionized TV journalism. Ultimately, Tunnel 29 is a success story about freedom: the valiant citizens risking everything to win it back, and the larger world rooting for them to triumph.
Download or read book Secret Police Exposed written by A.J. Kingston and published by A.J. Kingston. This book was released on 2023 with total page 373 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover the dark secrets and untold stories of the Gestapo, KGB, Stasi, and Securitate with our captivating book bundle, "Secret Police Exposed." Dive deep into the shadows of these clandestine organizations as we uncover their methods, motives, and the immense power they wielded over the lives of millions. Book 1: "The Gestapo Files: Inside Hitler's Secret Police" takes you on a chilling journey through Nazi Germany. Explore the origins and rise of the Gestapo, delve into its insidious methods of surveillance and control, and gain insights into its brutal interrogations and tactics of terror. With gripping accounts and meticulously researched details, this book offers an unfiltered look at one of history's most feared secret police forces. Book 2: "The KGB Chronicles: Espionage and Intrigue in the Soviet Union" unveils the enigmatic world of the KGB during the height of the Cold War. Immerse yourself in the realm of spies, double agents, and covert operations as we reveal the inner workings of this formidable intelligence agency. Unearth the secrets of its extensive espionage network, its influence on global politics, and the high-stakes game of deception played out on the world stage. Book 3: "The Stasi Enigma: Unveiling East Germany's Secret Police State" offers a gripping exploration of the Stasi's reign of terror in East Germany. Step behind the Iron Curtain and uncover the Stasi's pervasive surveillance apparatus, its network of informants, and its ruthless suppression of dissent. Through personal stories and historical analysis, this book sheds light on the profound impact the Stasi had on every aspect of East German society. Book 4: "Securitate Unmasked: The Dark Secrets of Romania's Secret Police" delves into the oppressive regime of Ceausescu's Romania and the chilling activities of the Securitate. Discover the extent of their surveillance, their methods of interrogation, and the web of fear and betrayal they wove throughout the nation. Unveil the stories of those who resisted the regime and the heavy toll they paid for their defiance. "Secret Police Exposed" is a comprehensive collection that offers a gripping exploration of the rise and fall of these secret police forces. Each book provides a unique perspective on the motives, tactics, and lasting impact of these institutions, leaving no stone unturned in our quest for truth and understanding. Whether you are a history enthusiast, a lover of true crime, or simply curious about the darker chapters of human history, this book bundle is a must-read. Immerse yourself in the gripping narratives, delve into the meticulous research, and gain a deeper understanding of the power dynamics, manipulation, and human resilience that shaped these secret police forces. Don't miss the opportunity to uncover the hidden truths behind the Gestapo, KGB, Stasi, and Securitate. "Secret Police Exposed" is your gateway to a world of intrigue, fear, and the indomitable spirit of those who resisted. Grab your copy today and embark on a captivating journey into the depths of these secretive organizations.
Download or read book The House of One Thousand Eyes written by Michelle Barker and published by Annick Press. This book was released on 2018-09-11 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who can Lena trust to help her find out the truth? Life in East Germany in the early 1980s is not easy for most people, but for Lena, it’s particularly hard. After the death of her parents in a factory explosion and time spent in a psychiatric hospital recovering from the trauma, she is sent to live with her stern aunt, a devoted member of the ruling Communist Party. Visits with her beloved Uncle Erich, a best-selling author, are her only respite. But one night, her uncle disappears without a trace. Gone also are all his belongings, his books, and even his birth records. Lena is desperate to know what happened to him, but it’s as if he never existed. The worst thing, however, is that she cannot discuss her uncle or her attempts to find him with anyone, not even her best friends. There are government spies everywhere. But Lena is unafraid and refuses to give up her search, regardless of the consequences. This searing novel about defiance, courage, and determination takes readers into the chilling world of a society ruled by autocratic despots, where nothing is what it seems.
Download or read book Stasiland written by Anna Funder and published by Odyssey Editions. This book was released on 2015-10-29 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stasiland tells true stories of people who heroically resisted the communist dictatorship of East Germany, and of people who worked for its secret police, the Stasi. Internationally hailed as a classic, it is ‘fascinating, entertaining, hilarious, horrifying and very important’ (Tom Hanks) and ‘a heartbreaking, beautifully written book.’ (Claire Tomalin). East Germany was one of the most intrusive surveillance states of all time. One in 7 people spied on their friends, family and colleagues. In ‘the most humane and sensitive way’ (J.M. Coetzee) Funder tells the true stories of four people who had the extraordinary courage to refuse to collaborate with the Stasi, and the price they paid. She meets Miriam Weber, who was imprisoned at 16 after scaling the Berlin Wall. She drinks with the legendary “Mik Jegger” of the Eastern Bloc who was ‘disappeared’. And she finds former Stasi men who defend their regime long past its demise, and yearn for the second coming of Communism. Stasiland won the Samuel Johnson Prize for best non-fiction published in English in 2004. It was a finalist for the Guardian First Book Award, the W.H. Heinemann Award, the Index Freedom of Expression Awards, The Age Book of the Year Awards, the Queensland Premier’s Literary Award and the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature (Innovation in Writing). It is read in schools and universities in many countries, and has been adapted for CD and the stage by The National Theatre, London.
Download or read book Time Out Berlin written by Editors of Time Out and published by Time Out. This book was released on 2012-07-15 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Time Out Berlin helps travelers get the best out of the ever-changing German capital, giving them the inside track on local culture plus hundreds of independent venue reviews. Besides the coverage of visitor essentials, the guide explores detailed coverage of the cultural and historical sites, and the town's legendary nightlife. This ninth edition covers all aspects of life in the capital city, from festivals and nightlife to avant-garde arts. The home of over 150 museums and 50 theaters, Berlin attracts tourists all year long. The chaotic post-reunification a decade ago, gave rise to a vibrant subculture, as artists and bohemians flooded into the city from around Germany and the world. In the melting pot, fashion, photography, architecture, product design, music, parties all benefitted and continue to thrive.
Download or read book Man Without A Face written by Markus Wolf and published by PublicAffairs. This book was released on 1999-06-04 with total page 460 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For decades, Markus Wolf was known to Western intelligence officers only as "the man without a face." Now the legendary spymaster has emerged from the shadows to reveal his remarkable life of secrets, lies, and betrayals as head of the world's most formidable and effective foreign service ever. Wolf was undoubtedly the greatest spymaster of our century. A shadowy Cold War legend who kept his own past locked up as tightly as the state secrets with which he was entrusted, Wolf finally broke his silence in 1997. Man Without a Face is the result. It details all of Wolf's major successes and failures and illuminates the reality of espionage operations as few nonfiction works before it. Wolf tells the real story of Gunter Guillaume, the East German spy who brought down Willy Brandt. He reveals the truth behind East Germany's involvment with terrorism. He takes us inside the bowels of the Stasi headquarters and inside the minds of Eastern Bloc leaders. With its high-speed chases, hidden cameras, phony brothels, secret codes, false identities, and triple agents, Man Without a Face reads like a classic spy thriller—except this time the action is real.
Download or read book The Stasi written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-02-26 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading "[T]he Stasi often used a method which was really diabolic. It was called Zersetzung, and it's described in another guideline. The word is difficult to translate because it means originally "biodegradation." But actually, it's a quite accurate description. The goal was to destroy secretly the self-confidence of people, for example by damaging their reputation, by organizing failures in their work, and by destroying their personal relationships. Considering this, East Germany was a very modern dictatorship. The Stasi didn't try to arrest every dissident. It preferred to paralyze them, and it could do so because it had access to so much personal information and to so many institutions." - Hubertus Knabe, German historian The history of East Germany was closely intertwined with the development of its security services, specifically the Stasi. In an era of totalitarian countries dominated by repressive state agencies, the Stasi stood out for its size, and the sheer breadth and depth of its surveillance. Films such as Das Leben der Anderen ("The Lives of Others") encapsulated post-unification attitudes and conceptions of both life in East Germany and the activities of the Stasi. Despite its notoriety, the legacy of the Stasi is contested in modern Germany. Former West Germans, and Westerners more generally, closely align the East German state and the Stasi, framing a "Stasi State." Those in the former East Germany, however, resent the patronizing attitudes and conflation of the two institutions, preferring to focus on the social elements of the East German state. Uwe Spiekermann, of the German Historical Institute, succinctly sets out the impressions of many when considering East Germany and its culture of surveillance: "In retrospect, the Stasi has become a symbol for the GDR [East Germany]." The East German State Security Service, or Staatssicherheitsdienst in German (abbreviated to Stasi) was formed in 1950. It purported to be the state's "shield and sword" and closely monitored much of the population for the next 40 years. Some of the figures are startling. By the end of the 1980s, Stasi files were kept on six million out of 18 million inhabitants. When the Stasi archives were opened in the 1990s, files were discovered that stretched for 178 kilometers. Over the course of East Germany's existence, up to two million people acted as spies, and 90,000 people worked at the Ministry, not to mention the numerous "unofficial" informers. East Germany also had a much-feared foreign intelligence arm of its intelligence services, the HV A (German: Hauptverwaltung A or central department), which proved expert at infiltrating West German society and running operations in numerous other countries. But why did the Stasi form, and how did it prove so effective? Answering those questions requires understanding the unique circumstances in which East Germany was formed, as well as politics in Germany at the end of World War II and the start of the Cold War. The Stasi: The History and Legacy of East Germany's Secret Police Agency examines the history of one of the most notorious agencies in history. Along with pictures depicting important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Stasi like never before.
