Mike Lees Popular Books
Mike Lees Biography & Facts
Michael Lees (17 May 1922 – 23 March 1993) was a British soldier and member of the Special Operations Executive during World War II, who operated behind enemy lines supporting Italian and Yugoslavian partisan forces. The chief planner of Operation Tombola, an attack on the headquarters of the Wehrmacht's 14th Army near Reggio Emilia, made prematurely in contravention of orders from his superiors. Lees was the son of Bernard Percy Turnbull Lees, who served with distinction in World War I with the Queen's Own Dorset Yeomanry, winning a Military Cross; and grandson of Sir Elliott Lees, the first Baronet Lees, a Major in the Dorset Yeomanry who fought in the Boer War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order.Following in his father's and grandfather's footsteps and joining the Dorset Yeomanry, as war broke out he volunteered for airborne services and was posted to Egypt where, in 1943, he joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE). He was sent to join Serbian nationalist Chetniks fighting against Tito's Communist-led Yugoslav partisans.In September 1944 he was sent to Italy and joined SOE agents fighting alongside Italian partisans in the Apennine mountains. Mission 'Envelope' and Operation Tombola Lees became head of SOE Mission 'Envelope' in January 1945. Shortly after, his relationships with his superiors deteriorated, to the extent he was felt to be a liability. Lees was offered evacuation by his superior Major Charles Macintosh. Lees rejected the offer, and replied vulgarly to Macintosh on March 10: "“by not accepting your invitation to come out I gave you a moral victory, but I did not accept because I realise that the firm would have jumped at the opportunity of putting some British Liaison Officer type who would sit here doing fuckall and give them a peaceful job with FANYs (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry) on their knees”.On March 19 Lees reported that two German defectors had given him the location of German 14th Army Headquarters (possibly actually LI Mountain Corps HQ), and had performed reconnaissance which confirmed their testimony. SOE returned Lees’ message asking him to submit a plan of attack, and not to launch the attack alone, as they hoped to coordinate the action with a broader offensive by the British 15th Army. On March 21 Lees’ submitted a plan of attack, which would have been launched jointly with Italian Partisans and a contingent of Special Air Service (SAS) led by Major Roy Farran. March 28 was the planned date of the operation. SOE responded “wait one week after target date…your scheme will then be correctly timed for maximum effort”.This would have delayed the operation until April 5, immediately proceeding Operation Grapeshot, the Spring 1945 offensive that would end with the capitulation of Axis forces in Italy. SOE planned for the attack to cause maximum disruption to the German defence, and deprive their planners of the ability to reorganize German headquarters staff outside of battle. Despite SOE confirming Lees and Farran had received their orders, the pair disobeyed and attacked the German HQ according to their original timeline. They completely destroyed one of the two villas comprising the HQ, badly burning the other and killing several senior enemy officers. Lees was badly wounded during the attack, and wrote in his report to Major Macintosh "I hope the show was as success…look after the show for me as I will be layed up for a long time, and tell Charles Macintosh to fuck himself.” Aftermath of Operation Tombola Owing to his injuries, Lees was eventually smuggled by small airplane from behind enemy lines to Florence and repatriated to England. While in hospital in Chester, Lees claimed he had been promised a promotion to Major within a week of entering Italy. The report of this claim was passed to Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Thornton Hewitt, commander of Allied Special Forces in Italy. Hewitt investigated the claim, and found it spurious, writing "“I must emphasise most strongly that he was never promised promotion by me or any officer serving under me, that in no circumstances would I recommend his promotion…” This was partially due to Hewitt learning the claim of promotion had come from Lees himself. “I learnt, after he had been dropped, that (Lees) himself had expressed the view that he should have been granted major’s rank”. Hewitt also noted that Lees had been shielded from disciplinary action, only due to the wounds he sustained in combat.On July 17, 1945, Major Farran recommended Lees be immediately gazetted with the Military Cross for his actions during the raid (making no mention of the orders to delay the attack). The recommendation was rejected, owing to both Lees' insubordination, and the squandered opportunity to incorporate Operation Tombola into Operation Grapeshot. Lieutenant Colonel John Grosvenor Beevor wrote in his rejection of the award: “It is not disputed that the facts given are correct or that this officer, along with SAS detachment, showed gallantry and enterprise. But in the opinion of 15th Army Group the value of this operation depended on its timing and Captain Lees with the SAS carried it out prematurely and recklessly, in spite of the express orders from 15th Army Group transmitted by this HQ. But for the gallantry displayed and the fact that Captain Lees was wounded in action, it is probably that disciplinary action would have been considered.”Though not disciplined or court-martialed, Lees was blocked from a post-war career with MI6. Published books The Rape of Serbia: The British Role in Tito's Grab for Power 1943-1944 (Harcourt, 1990)References. Discover the Mike Lees popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Mike Lees books.
Best Seller Mike Lees Books of 2024
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Fighting Chance
Derick AllsopFew sports polarise public opinion as boxing does. Some contend that it is repugnant and barbaric, for others a legitimate, regulated contest of skill, strength and willpower. What...
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Small Walt Spots Dot
Elizabeth Verdick“Every young child deserves to know Small Walt.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)Small Walt meets a stray puppy in this irresistible companion to Small Walt, which Kirkus Reviews ca...
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Mike Mulligan and More
Virginia Lee BurtonMike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel plus three other classic picture book favorites, in one collection.The four complete and unabridged picture books by Virginia Lee Burton in this ...
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Free Money
Declan LynchTravel a road rich in possibilities and fraught with danger ...Journalist Declan Lynch's journey begins with a deposit of €100 in an online betting account, kicking off an honest a...
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Becoming Holyfield
Evander HolyfieldHistory's only fourtime world heavyweight boxing champion and one of America's most admired and beloved athletes reveals the dramatic story of his rise from poverty to the very pin...
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Jumpman
Johnny SmithHow Michael Jordan’s path to greatness was shaped by race, politics, and the consequences of fame To become the most revered basketball player in America, it wasn’t enough for Mich...
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Dotmeme
Mike A. LancasterAfter preventing conservative MP Victor Palgrave from engineering a human mindcontrolled teenage army, Joe Dyson and Ani Lee, operatives for a secret youth division of British Inte...
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Domino Island
Desmond Bagley & Michael DaviesDiscovered after more than 40 years, a vintage actionadventure novel set on Domino Island – a Caribbean paradise toppling under murder, corruption and organised crime…‘Like a dream...
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Short Stories
Mike LeesCollection of short stories by Mike LeesOutpostScience fictionGar, an alien, at home in the distant Core of Systems at the centre of the Galaxy, has become a 'Terrorist' by necessi...
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How The Secret Changed My Life
Rhonda ByrneAn aweinspiring compilation of the most uplifting and powerful reallife stories from readers of the worldwide bestseller The Secret. Discover how everyday people completely transfo...
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Bruce Lee
Matthew PollyThe “definitive” (The New York Times) biography of film legend Bruce Lee, who made martial arts a global phenomenon, bridged the divide between eastern and western cultures, and sm...
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Ten Top Secrets of a Successful Job Search
Mike LeeThis book contains practical tips for job seekers and those individuals who might be looking for a job. It is based upon my over 40 years of assisting thousands of disabled people ...
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Outpost
Mike LeesThe Human Singularity Series, spanning the Galaxy and delving into our innerselves and what the Human being represents in the Cosmos.Prequel to this exciting new series: Outpo...
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Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch in Marriage
Lee Strobel & Leslie StrobelSomeone came between Lee and Leslie Strobel, threatening to shipwreck their marriage. No, it wasn't an old flame. It was Jesus Christ.Leslie's decision to become a follower of Jesu...
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Win or Learn
John KavanaghConor McGregor's trainer tells the amazing story of his long road to success in the world's fastestgrowing sportGrowing up in Dublin, John Kavanagh was a skinny lad who was frequen...
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Selected Works
Earl Of Rochester & Frank H. EllisThe brightest star at the court of King Charles II, John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (164780), lived a life of reckless debauchery and sexual adventuring that led to his death at the...
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Songs of the Dying Earth
George R.R. Martin & Gardner DozoisThis tribute anthology celebrates the work of SF/F legend Jack Vance, featuring original stories from George R. R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, Dan Simmons, Elizabeth Moon, Tanith Lee, Tad...
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Hendo
Dan Henderson & David KanoA riveting memoir by the first MMA double champion and twotime Olympic wrestler who cut a polarizing path as a firebrand figure and went on to become a legend.“Dan Henderson is a s...
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Our Lost Declaration
Mike LeeNew York Times bestselling author and committed constitutional conservative Senator Mike Lee reveals the littleknown stories behind the Founder's takedown of a tyrannical king and ...
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Sniper
Vaughn C. HardackerWhen a sniper kills four people on Boston Common, Boston homicide detective Mike Houston and his partner Anne Bouchard are sent to investigate the case. Amidst the blood and terror...
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Dotwav
Mike A. Lancaster“There’s something in that sound. Something bad. Something dangerous.”Fifteenyearold Ani Lee is a skilled hacker researching a strange .wav file that she’s downloaded when it behav...
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Animal Exercise Fun
Mike LeeWith Animal Exercise Fun our child will playact the natural movements of animals from around the world to learn: breathing, stretching, balance, aerobic, and relaxation exercises.A...
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The Fox
Mike LeesFollow John, a family man, in his adventure into the Scottish Highlands to find answers to his increasing sense of loss in a world he feels is overtaking him and destroyi...
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Outplay
Mike LeesOutplay, book 2 of the Human Singularity series.Mike Lees displays his enigmatic and entertaining prose in Outplay, his new fulllength novel, sounding the depths of human nature in...
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The Secret to Love, Health, and Money
Rhonda ByrneThis indepth masterclass from the author of the groundbreaking bestseller The Secret illustrates how to apply the law of attraction to three of life’s most important areas: relatio...
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Fey
Mike LeeThe Fey; a race of tiny creatures, humanoid in general appearance (size notwithstanding,) but possessing wings, and the ability to fly… as well as some other strange things. They a...
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The Game
George Howe ColtA New York Times Notable Book A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year From the bestselling National Book Award finalist and author of The Big House comes “a wellblended narrative pa...
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Social Media Reading Sampler
WileyLet our experts show you how to take your existing social media marketing efforts to the next level to grow your business. In this Social Media Reading Sampler (Volume 2), we've ga...
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I Found Love
Doug BenderFrom the influential and evergrowing movement I Am Second, a remarkable collection of stories of people searching for and finding love.When I Am Second launched in 2008, the organi...
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Semper Supra
Mike LeesEarth is visited by an alien force determined to cripple the human race. They believe Humans represent a danger to their status quo in the Spiral Arm in which Earth occupies. ...
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Small Man in a Book
Rob BrydonRob Brydon tells story of his slow ascent to fame and fortune in Small Man in a Book.A multiawardwinning actor, writer, comedian and presenter known for his warmth, humour and insp...
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StarFire
Mike LeeCaptain Vince Lombard, GMarine company commander, is tasked with tracking down a stray ship. The Alliance Military Ship StarFire has gone silent, and previous attempts to locate he...
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What Remains
Carole RadziwillA stunning, tragic memoir about John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette, and his cousin Anthony Radziwill, by Radziwill’s widow.What Remains is a vivid and haunting memoir a...
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Albia
Mike LeesAlbia, a 16yearold schoolgirl in the north of England, nurtures dreams of becoming a Princess of a magical kingdom. She'd sit at her favourite spot in the country and admire the vi...
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For Cap and Country
Jesse Hogan, Simon Auteri & Andrew FaulknerThe personal stories behind one of Australia's most beloved sporting icons the baggy green.Australian Test players, past and present, open up about the road from their backyards t...
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Untitled SFR
To Be Confirmed ThresholdA Threshold Editions Book. Threshold Editions has a great book for every reader.
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Ten Top Secrets
Mike LeeBased upon my 40 + years of assisting people in finding jobs in three states, this book is full of insider tips on writing a killer resume, improving interviewing skills (that can ...