History has many dark secrets that some have wished remained hidden from the official record so that the history that has been portrayed remains sanitized and above reproach. But it is also said that what you do in the dark always comes to light. In the wake of the coup that saw the overthrow of Chilean President Salvador Allende (1908-1973) on September 11, 1973, the country was placed in a vice grip by his successor, Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006), who commenced a program of retribution against enemies, activist and those “suspected” of being part of the opposition to the new government. His regime was marred by human rights violations for which he was arrested by British Police in England on October 17, 1998. Pinochet was extradited back to his native Chile but never stood trial for his actions. He died on December 10, 2006 of congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema. His death marked the end of legal action to bring him to justice but it did not stop the prosecution of others who were complicit in the horrific actions that took place in the aftermath of the coup. Researchers continued to investigate Pinochet’s actions and those of fellow dictators in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. During one such expedition in Paraguay, a trove of documents were uncovered that shed light on a joint program created by several neighboring countries to track down those deemed enemies of the state with the purpose of execution. The program is known as Operation Condor and here Charles River Editors provides a concise summary of how and why the program came into existence.
For those who are unfamiliar with Operation Condor, the book’s contents may come as a significant shock. I think readers may benefit from also taking a look at Peter Kornbluh’s ‘‘The Pinochet File: A Declassified Dossier on Atrocity and Accountability‘, which provides a detailed explanation of Pinochet’s rise to power and the crimes against humanity that occurred under his reign. It is not necessary to read that book in order to enjoy this one but Kornbluh’s book is complemented by what is found here. And while Kornbluh’s book focuses mainly on Pinochet, this book is centered on Operation Condor itself. To set the stage for the gritty details of the operation, the author explains the dictatorships that were found in the nations that formed Operation Condor. A brief explanation of the regimes of Argentina’s Juan Perón (1895-1974) and Paraguay’s Alfredo Stroessner (1912-2006) and provided as examples. The two rulers are just a sample of the many dictatorships that became common to Latin American during the 1960s and 1970s as the term “the disappeared” became part of the Latin American lexicon.
This book is dark and the descriptions of actions carried out by operatives of the program may be tough for some readers to accept. The actions of American operative Michael Townley and the Central Intelligence Agency (“CIA”) are also discussed and sheds light on a very dark time in United States foreign policy as Washington courted and accepted right-wing tyrants determined to keep their nations classified as banana republics. Power, greed and violence were the trifecta that spread fear and mayhem across several continents as political opponents and voices against the government were murdered in cold blood sometimes on foreign soil. Pinochet remained firmly at the center and his intelligence apparatus Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional (“DINA”) served as nucleus for the death sowed as operatives spared no expense or destination to carry out acts of violence. The attacks were brazen and shocking, and caused Washington to finally take notice. Undoubtedly, there are many more secrets buried in files locked tightly away in the archives of several countries. But the truth about Operation Condor remains public for the world to see.
We have heard the saying that the past is prologue. Latin America has been plagued by dictatorships, fraudulent elections, corruption and murder. It remains to be seen if the region that is full of beautiful scenery, people and cultures will move forward and correct the wrongs that have been done in the past. As it does, it remains critical to remember the dark legacy of Augusto Pinochet and Operation Condor.
ASIN: B07QY6CTNZ
On June 6, 1944, American, British and Canadian troops stormed the beaches at Normandy, France and commenced an ground war against Nazi Germany. The European Theatre was marked by brutal fighting that saw high numbers of casualties on all sides of the conflict. In the end, Nazi Germany fell to allied forces and accepted an unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945, commonly known as VE Day. The Japanese military continued to fight and remained defiant until two atomic bombs forced it too into surrending to Allied forces. VJ Day marked the end to World War II and the world breathed a sign of relief. For the United States Army, the European Theatre was a hard fought campaign that no one ever wanted to see again. Author Stephen Ambrose has composed a breathtaking account of the Army’s mission from the beaches at Normandy until the Allies seized Berlin in May, 1945.
Those of you who follow my blog probably know by now that I have covered quite a number of books regarding Northern Ireland the conflict known as “The Troubles”. My curiousity with the conflict in Northern Ireland stems partly from my love of history and partly from my visit to Ireland in 2016. I sought to fully understand the battle being waged by Republicans to unify the country and the opposition mounted by Loyalist who remain in support of British rule. Author Tim Pat Coogan has written of the 1916 Easter 
It is simply amazing that eighty-one years after his death, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) continues to be part of American pop culture. The term “Freudian slip” is still used by professionals of all walks. It has been many years since I have read his work, in fact my memories of studying Freud come mainly from my time in college. A neighbor in my building needed to off-load some books and among the prized possessions was a group of Freud’s works. I picked them out rathern than see them head off to recycling, believing that even in the digital age, good books in print still have a place in every library.
A colleague gave me this book as a gift during the holiday season, mainly due to his knowledge of my fondness for history. I quickly made a mental note to give it a read in the near future. When I saw the title, I was slightly puzzled at the term “The Forgotten 500”. I have read books on World War II but none mentioned any 500 forgotten soldiers. Upon closer inspection, I soon began to realize why I had not heard the story. At the time the mission occurred, it was carefully hidden by the State Department and Office of Strategic Services who did not wish to jeopardize the lives of any remaining U.S. soldiers still trapped behind enemy lines. Further, in the years that followed, the the story faded into the annals of military history regarding the second world war. Even my father, who is an ardent World War II buff, has never mentioned this story. Our next discussion will certainly be interesting.
I was in search of a quick read and saw this book which I had added previously to my list of books to buy. In my neighborhood, there is a building with a mural dedicated to Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) and as I walk past each time, I think of the fact that so many years after her death, she is still revered by millions of people both in the United States and in her native Mexico. In September, 1925, Frida was a passenger on a bus with her boyfriend Alejandro Gómez Arias. Their bus collided with a street car and left Kahlo with devastating injuries. She suffered broken bones in several parts of her body and the accident displaced three vertebrae in her back. She never fully recovered from the accident and was plagued with constant pain until her death on July 13, 1954. On August 21, 1929, she married Diego Rivera (1886-1957) and accompanied him to the United States, first landing in San Francisco, while he worked as painter. Over course of her time living in the United States and later visiting, she received medical treatment for the lingering effects of the 1925 bus accident. She never failed to write home to her mother whom she loved deeply. Those letters have been translated into English and are composed here to show readers the very intimate relationship between mother and daughter.
When this book came up as a recommendation, I thought back to the movie ‘
If you have ever listened to a song by Sam Cooke (1931-1964), then I am sure you can agree that no one is ever the same after hearing his voice. My parents and grandparents played his albums and knew many of his songs by memory, singing them with as much passion as Cooke did while on stage. For millions of black Americans, Sam Cooke was the best singer of his time and his death on December 11, 1964, sent music fans into mourning as one of the most beloved singers in America was laid to rest. Today, almost fifty-six years after his death, the songs he produced sound as if they were recorded yesterday. In fact, earlier today, I listened yet again to ‘A Change is Gonna Come’ which many people believe to be his best recording. Spike Lee opted to use it in the 1992 film ‘Malcolm X’, in the scene where Malcolm (Denzel Washington) walks toward the Audubon Ballroom and his fate after parking his car. Cooke’s music has stood the test of time and will continue to do so. But just who was the real Sam Cooke?
June 30, 1960, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was formed after fifty-two years of Belgian colonization. Its charismatic leader, Patrice Lumumba (1925-1961), served as an inspiration and hope for the people of Congo, who wished to govern themselves and move their country into a new direction. Less than one year later on January 17, 1961, Lumumba was executed in Katanga as a result of a coup by military colonel Joseph Mobutu (1930-1997). The assassination and seizure of power by Mobutu, set in motion a cycle of violence that has continued for more than five decades. Between 1994 and 2003, the conflict known as “Africa’s first world war” ravaged the country and caused the deaths of an estimated five million people. Rebel groups continue to operate in various regions of the country, continuing the system of violence. In 2005, Anjan Sundaram was finishing his final semester at Yale University, where he graduated with a degree in advanced mathematics. After forming a friendship with a cashier, he made the decision to abandon a career in corporate American and move to the Congo, where he would ply his trade as a foreign correspondent in one of the most tumultuous places on earth. This book titled “Stringer’ is a memoir of his time in the Congo and the many people that became a part of his life.
On Easter Sunday, my mother would have my brother and I watched the epid Hollywoof Film ‘The Ten Commandements’. It is one Chartlon Heston’s (1923-2008) best roles and his agtonist in the film, Yul Brynner (1920-1985), delivers an equally compelling performance a Ramesses II. In fact, it remains the film by which I have always recognized Brynner. However, like most great stars of his era, often called the “Golden Era of Hollywood”, there was more to his life than the public was able to see. His son Rock Brynner decided to turn memories of his childhood into this memoir of the time he spent with his father, one of Hollywood’s leading men.
FREETHINKING BIBLIOPHILE 
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