Death of a Dissident or The Complete Book Of Police And Military Motorcycles

Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB

Author: Alex Goldfarb

The assassination of former Russian intelligence officer Alexander "Sasha" Litvinenko in November 2006 -- poisoned by the rare radioactive element polonium -- caused an international sensation. Within a few short weeks, the fit forty-three-year-old lay gaunt, bald, and dying in a hospital, the victim of a "tiny nuclear bomb." Suspicions swirled around Russia's FSB, the successor to the KGB, and the Putin regime. Traces of polonium radiation were found in Germany and on certain airplanes, suggesting a travel route from Russia for the carriers of the fatal poison. But what really happened? What did Litvinenko know? And why was he killed?

The full story of Sasha Litvinenko's life and death is one that the Kremlin does not want told. His closest friend, Alex Goldfarb, and his widow, Marina, are the only two people who can tell it all, from firsthand knowledge, with dramatic scenes from Moscow to London to Washington. Death of a Dissident reads like a political thriller, yet its story is more fantastic and frightening than any novel.

Ever since 1998, when Litvinenko denounced the FSB for ordering him to assassinate tycoon Boris Berezovsky, he had devoted his life to exposing the FSB's darkest secrets. After a dramatic escape to London with Goldfarb's assistance, he spent six years, often working with Goldfarb, investigating a widening series of scandals. Oligarchs and journalists have been assassinated. Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yuschenko was poisoned on the campaign trail. The war in Chechnya became unspeakably harsh on both sides. Sasha Litvinenko investigated all of it, and he denounced his former employers in no uncertain terms for their dirty deeds.

Death of a Dissident opens a window into the dark heart of the Putin Kremlin. With its strong-arm tactics, tight control over the media, and penetration of all levels of government, the old KGB is back with a vengeance. Sasha Litvinenko dedicated his life to exposing this truth. It took his diabolical murder for the world to listen.

Book review: Pajama Day or Skippyjon Jones Lost in Spice

The Complete Book Of Police And Military Motorcycles

Author: Joseph Berk

From Pittsburgh's adoption of motorcycles for police use in 1909 to Gen. John J. "Black Jack" Pershing's 1916 pursuit of Pancho Villa into Mexican territory on Harley-Davidsons, Indians and Excelsiors to the deployment of motorcycles in both world wars, this book tells the fascinating tale of these magnificent machines from their 20th century beginnings to their current use by police departments and militaries throughout the world. Joseph Berk, author of The Gatling Gun, explores every aspect of police and military motorcycles, including the history of their manufacture by Harley-Davidson, Indian, Kawasaki, BMW, Honda and others; details of their procurement by selected U.S. police departments; critiques of the "Big Three" police models employed in the United States from officers who have put them to the test; a detailed outline of the intensive 10-day training program required of U.S. motor officers; an inside look at how specific police departments from Atlanta to L.A. utilize motorcycles on a day-to-day basis; and a look at the specific makes and models used by Special Forces and other military units from World War I through the turn of the century and beyond.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Chapter 1 - The Police Motorcycle Concept
Chapter 2 - The Big Three Police Motorcycle Manufacturers in the U.S. Market
Chapter 3 - Other Police Motorcycles Throughout the World
Chapter 4 - Motor Officer Training
Chapter 5 - Atlanta's Special Operations Section
Chapter 6 - The Dallas Police Department
Chapter 7 - The Los Angeles Police Department's Special Enforcement Unit
Chapter 8 - The Ontario, California, Police Department
Chapter 9 - American Motorcycles in World War II
Chapter 10 - German Motorcycles in World War II
Chapter 11 - Military Motorcycles Today
Chapter 12 - Military and Police Motorcycles Websites