In Code Name Bella Dawn, we deal with money and in particular gold being used as a weapon of war. After all, South Africa has 74% of the world's gold reserves. It is a much more interesting topic than I first realised. Like many others, I was concerned about "perpetual small wars" that only benefit the Merchants of Death and cause tremendous problems for future generations. We love history in GMJ Books and always go back in time to see what we can learn. I made a few interesting discoveries. Did you know, for instance, that when Adolf Hitler seized Czechoslovakia, he also seized their gold reserves along with their tanks (they formed a significant part of General Heinz Guderian's victorious panzer divisions in 1940) not to mention, a formidable weapons industry? Yet, the gold bullion that was stolen was in London, not in Czechoslovakia. The gold was kept in London to safeguard it against abuse. In later years, West Germany did the same. After the 1940 defeats, all of the UK's and the British Empire's wealth including gold reserves went to Canada for safekeeping. A large portion of France's gold bullion was already kept on a small island in the West Indies (some say St Martinique) out of Hitler's reach and kept hostage there by the watching Royal Navy. Thus, you may say that the politicians of the day well knew the value of gold as a weapon of war or they would not have taken the above measures. Yet, Sir Montagu Norman, the Governor of the Bank of England, released all the Czechoslovakian gold to Nazi Germany on request. Winston S Churchill spoke out, bitterly but alone. In today's money (2016, when this book was first published), that gold was worth just over 100-million-pound Sterling. You may be sure that many British and Commonwealth soldiers died because of this. Code Name Bella Dawn is full of such historical examples to enjoy. Our conclusion is most definitive that money can be used as a weapon of war. We see it today with "blood diamonds" being used to fuel wars - something we deal with in a later book, Code Name Dawn. Currently, the fact that no Western country, not the USA, not the UK, not one, has the gold reserves to back their currencies and are totally overextended with loans to China, should be worrying. This will certainly be abused in any future war. What is also fascinating is that there are only two countries buying gold physically and in enormous quantities, China and Russia. We also know that since the 1990s China has been buying silver mines in Africa, a place where they are rapidly replacing America and is often warned about in GMJ Books.Description: Spymaster extraordinaire, Angelique Dawson and her team uncovered a plot involving an unholy alliance between white supremacists and Muslim radicals. Oddly, the Muslim radicals are protected by counter-espionage intelligence officials inside South Africa. It is clear that the white supremacists somehow found the lost Transvaal Republic's Kruger millions. They are using the gold to pay for weapons and training. She tracks them down to an isolated game ranch right on the edge of the Zimbabwean border with South Africa, a place that is being used as an entrance point by the radicals, who are coming and going unofficially. Against her future husband and longtime bodyguard, former Police Special Forces Company Commander, Geoffrey Foxtrot's, advice, Angelique infiltrates the place and is captured with Foxtrot. The white supremacists threaten to hand her over to the Zimbabweans, a sure and slow death by torture awaits them if they cannot escape. Angelique makes one of the best speeches of her life regarding right-wing terrorism in South Africa... If you wish to read about Covert and Special Forces Operations in sub-Saharan Africa, the GMJ Books are the place to start. You will learn about Special Forces techniques and military history not known outside the select few. Code Name Bella Dawn is the nineteenth book of the popular GMJ Series.
About the Author: George M James is a pseudo name for the author and used for security reasons and the safety of his family. He is an expert on counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency operations in sub-Saharan Africa, a military historian and published author of more than 50 books. In the GMJ Series, you will learn about Covert Operations, Special Forces techniques, current political analyses and military history not known outside the select few. Every GMJ Book is based on historical fact and often what is revealed in a GMJ Book is published by the mainstream media a short while later. Many of the GMJ Books are used as training material by Police Forces (SWAT) across the world. Each GMJ Book has a large element of the truth inside it, they are well researched. The GMJ Books may very well change the way you look at counter-terrorism and espionage. George M James's books, both under his real name and as GMJ, are widely read among military veterans of many nations. Note please that GMJ does not claim to have served in South African Army or Police Special Forces. Regarding my books - "I make up my opinions from facts and reasoning, and not to suit any body but myself. If people don't like my opinions, it makes little difference as I don't solicit their opinions or votes." William Tecumseh Sherman. I don't write PC books, however, for what I have to say in my books, it was Martin Luther that stated: "I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I can do no other, so help me God. Amen." And so it will be, GMJ