Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Valhalla Press announces the coming publication of In the Shadow of Quisling: Norway Grapples with its WWII Ghosts

In the Shadow of Quisling: Norway Grapples with its WWII Ghosts, explores the Nordic Myth of superiority and its surprising persistence in the face of reality.

Today, Northern Europe looks dramatically different than it did before World War II. There’s a sizeable population of non-Nordic immigrants. Turks, Pakistanis, Indians, Vietnamese and Africans live and work in countries that two or three generations ago were largely Caucasian.

The shocking slaughter of teens on an island in the Oslo Fjord brought the tension under the surface bubbling up. Here was an “ethnic Norwegian” taking revenge on the perceived sins of the government and modern society for allowing an alleged ‘invasion’ of Muslims into Europe.

In the Shadow of Quisling is the second book in our Current Political Thought series and is scheduled for publication in February 2012.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Valhalla Press announces the coming publication of Sins of the City Fathers: The shocking miscarriage of justice that haunts Harrisburg

The first thing visitors flying into Harrisburg see as their plane descends to the airport are the cooling towers of Three Mile Island. Three spew out steam as their nuclear reactors generate electricity for the central Pennsylvania area; the fourth tower looms in the background. No steamy cloud rises from its core, no electricity is generated from its dead reactor.

To say that the Harrisburg area has had bad luck with its utilities is an understatement. The city’s efforts to update its incinerator over the last decade has landed it in bankruptcy court and sent shivers of fear through the bond community as the city teeters on defaulting on incinerator bonds as well as its general obligation bonds.

These massive problems are just part of the story. At the heart of the matter is a dysfunctional political system that has tried to run a capitol city on the backs of taxpayers when vast swaths of land remains off the tax rolls because they are owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. That, plus widespread corruption has added to the toxic mix.

The Sins of the City Fathers tells the story of Harrisburg and how it got to be the poster child for fiscal irresponsibility and exposes the shocking miscarriage of justice that still shadows the city. Publication slated for January 1, 2012

Valhalla Press announces coming title in its Current Political Thought series

Pax Turkana: Turkey, Egypt and the Remaking of the Middle East

It was the first post-modern technology-driven revolution. While revolutions of the 20th century took months of struggle, this one was furiously fast. It was as if the usual revolutionary course was on fast-forward. Within the span of a mere 17 days, Egypt’s people forced out a despot and ushered in a care-taking governing council while a new constitution was drafted and elections scheduled.

Compare that to 20th century revolutions such as the Russian Revolution of 1917, which began in early January with widespread strikes an ended with the Czar Nicholas II’s abdication on March 2. The Chinese revolution of 1911 began on October 10 and ended with the abdication of the last emperor of the Manchu Dynasty on February 12, 1912.

It was also the first revolution seen live across the globe. Twitter and Facebook played prominent roles before the international media figured out something big was happening in the most populous Muslim country in the Middle East. When the Mubarek regime sent in riders on camels to terrorize the protestors camped out in Tahrir Square, millions saw it happening on YouTube.

But like revolutions before, abdication is merely the beginning. What happens next is both predictable and unpredictable - predictable in its path, but unpredictable in the details. The Russians got the Bolshevik Revolution by October of the same year after the caretaker government was overthrown. The Chinese got Mao. Who or what will the Egyptians get?

There are a few good bets. The Muslim Brotherhood may rise through election to the Egyptian Parliament, where questions remain unanswered about their agenda. The military may resist giving up its caretaker role and delay elections, spurring another, more violent and ideological revolution. Or the emerging regional influence of Turkey may prove the catalyst for a broader, more moderate, perhaps even secular Islamic republic - something some no doubt believe an oxymoron.

This book explores the possibilities and makes a few educated guesses at Egypt and the region’s future post-American influence. Publication date is January 1, 2012



Monday, October 17, 2011

Titles Coming Soon

In the next few months, Valhalla Press will publish the following titles:

Sins of the City Fathers: The shocking miscarriage of justice that sparked a municipal bankruptcy

In the Shadow of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story

In Quisling's Shadow: Norway Grapples with its WWII Ghosts

The Terrorist Next Door: 9/11, 3/11, 7/7 and 7/22 and chasing the last threat

The Intern’s Legal Guide to Getting Paid

Pax Turkana: Turkey, Egypt and the Remaking of the Middle East