Ido Graf's Blog
June 24, 2023
Ukraine Rising Short Story released on Amazon

Ukraine Rising is a short story of war, terror and redemption.
It is set during, and in the inevitable aftermath of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine this short story follows a small band of Marines from the Ukrainian Naval Infantry Corps, as they head to Bucha. Driven by a desperate desire to reach their families, the soldiers lives are changed forever following a tragic encounter with a Russian infantry platoon and its brutal Corporal.
The ensuing interaction, with its tragic outcome has unintended consequences for Ukrainian Marine Sergeant Marko Domitrovich, Russian Private Konstantin Orlov and both of their families. Consequences which have a profound and bizarrely transformative impact on Ukraine and Russia into the future that follows the war.
Buy the
Kindle
e-book
and the
paperback
short story now on
Amazon
December 22, 2022
Can you actually eat history?

Trench Cake
During
World War One
troops were under enormous pressure fighting in the trenches. Families back home in the UK were limited by the lack of ingredients due to rationing, but they were also enormously resourceful.
The families making the cakes were very inventive and made cakes from the ingredients they had available. The cakes also had to be robust enough and long lasting to be sent by post whilst remining edible when they arrived.
They proved to be great morale-boosters for the soldiers and airmen.
Eggs not easy to get hold of so vinegar was used instead. Dried fruits helped the cake stay moist for a period. As flour was rationed,
Trench cake
was made small and compact. Perfect for transporting from Britain to the trenches of France.
There were variations on the cake as families did the best, they could with the ingredients they had to hand. For example, sugar was often substituted with molasses or honey as it was not easy to get hold of.
The cakes not only gave the troops nutritional value but they reminded them of what they were fighting for and that they were loved by those at home.
This is a typical list of ingredients:
½ C milk
½ tsp baking soda
1/3 C + 1 TBSP currants or raisins
1 C all-purpose flour
½ C margarine
2 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vinegar
1/3 C + 1 TBSP brown sugar
Spices – traditionally they used whatever was available like ginger, nutmeg, lemon zest and cinnamon.
It is well worth making one of these cakes as they are fun, especially for kids, to make. But they also remind us of their important role in history and the love which they were made with. Why not make a
Trench cake
now?
August 24, 2022
The ominous Castle Zbiroh and its Nazi past!

The beautiful and sleepy Castle Zbiroh lies situated amid vast forests in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has a dark and mysterious past including links to the Knights Templar, the Freemasons and Hitler's SS.
During WW2 the invading German army took it over. They in turn were kicked out by the Nazi SS.
But why did they want it so much and why was it shrouded in secrecy?
Part of the reason was that the Nazis had found that the rock that the castle was built on greatly enhanced their radio listening abilities. But anecdotal evidence and research has found that they also used the Castle as a hiding place in the closing months of the war. Rumour has it that munitions, classified documents and gold were secreted within the castle and its mysterious well!
Some investigations have been made but there has been great concern that the well or any secret caverns were heavily mined by the Nazis.
Castle Zbiroh features in the
political thriller
See Glass by Ido Graf and it gives an alternate perspective on the war in Ukraine and the political situation in Europe, the USA and Russia. It is available on Amazon as a Kindle e-book, paperback or large-print hardback and as an Audible audiobook.
Read it and then question your understanding of what is actually going on in the world today!
August 18, 2022
Brancaster Staithe in Chapter 32

On the remote North Norfolk coast lies a tiny fishing hamlet called
Brancaster Staithe
. It is famed for its shellfish, Brancaster Mussels. I've eaten Mussels freshly collected by the locals myself. They were the finest I have ever tasted.
The place is little changed by time and has a wonderful charm particularly on a blustery day, of which there are many.
It serves as the setting for the action in Chapter 32 and in particular the 'Whelk scene' at the tiny shack named 'The Crab Hut'. It is a quaint place to stop for a fresh seafood snack before walking down to the shore to listen to the wind and the gulls as they tumble through the air.
I spent several days in North Norfolk researching my novel See Glass and some of the happiest times were at
Brancaster Staithe
, eating Cockles and Whelks liberally doused in pepper and malt vinegar while I looked out across the desolate waters heavily laden with the smell of salt.
Buy
See Glass
now to appreciate the setting.
March 7, 2022
Did a thriller novel foretell the war in Ukraine and the conspiracy behind it?

Z is not a letter in the Russian alphabet. Z is a Latin letter and not a part of the Russian Cyrillic alphabet. Does that tell you something? Is the mark, Z, as it is being used, a letter at all? Or is it a coded symbol for something much more sinister? What is the answer to the riddle?
Z was first seen hastily painted onto Russian tanks as they began attacking Ukraine on 24
th
February 2022. After its initial appearance, Z has been printed on cars, posters and even t-shirts. The most notorious being on the shirt of the Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak. The symbol is viewed by some as a pro-war and nationalistic emblem, much the same as the Nazi Swastika or Hakenkreuz as it is known in German.
Try this:
Write the letter Z on a thin piece of paper. This is the symbol for the Russian half of the conundrum. Next draw another Z across its centre. The second Z to symbolize the secret Russian allies in the West. Then turn the paper over.
You will see Hitlers notorious Nazi Swastika.
Alternatively, if you put the two Z symbols side by side and then turn the paper over you get the symbol for the Nazi SchutzStaffel or as we all know them the SS. The use of two ZZ symbols produces the SS badge written with the Armanen runes. Adolf Hitler’s paramilitary force wreaked carnage during World War II killing men, women, and children indiscriminately. Now we face that once more in Europe.
So, what could these symbols have to do with the attack on Ukraine?
It is an attack on the world order!
The Russians bravely fought the Nazis in WW2 and helped rid the world of the Nazis and Adolf Hitler. But not before millions of their own people died.
I meticulously researched See Glass and proposed what I believed was a fictional threat in the form of a neo-Nazi plot. It dated back to what we all thought were the dying days of the Nazis in Berlin, in 1945.
However, the conspiracy that had endured for over half a century had a trigger point. It seems that humanity may have reached that impasse.
Putin appears to have convinced the Russian people through misinformation that it is the Ukrainians who are the neo-Nazis. But the world knows different.
The brave Ukrainians have opened all of our eyes.
I believe that the Russian people are decent and that when they fully understand what has been done in their name, then there will be a terrible reckoning for Putin.
Read
See Glass
now for an eye-opening look at what perils now face us all.
February 21, 2022
Hardcover large print thriller now available on Amazon

Large print
hardcover
books are now available as print on demand on the mega site, Amazon.
Following requests from potential readers and a large and more mature readership. Ido Graf has now published See Glass as a large-print hardcover.
Whether your site is failing or impaired or you just like the ease of reading a big font fiction novel then consider buying See Glass by Ido Graf. You can immerse yourself in a world of political intrigue, spies and death.
Buy the large-print
hardcover
, See Glass, now on Amazon.
January 23, 2022
Lowa Alpine and Hiking boots

Lowa hiking and alpine boots are the market leader in Germany, Austria and in Switzerland.
Next year Lowa celebrates their centenary. Lowa have been producing top-notch products since their inception in 1923. They have produced ski boots, hiking boots, alpine boots, shoes and military boots. The founder Lorenz Wagner rose to prominence in Jetzendorf in Bavaria when he became mayor. However he was removed from the post because his loyalty to the
Third Reich
was questioned.
After
WW2
the company continued its rise to prominence. The first American to conquer Everest, Jim Whittaker, did so in Lowa mountaineering boots.
My favourite brand, Lowa, produces the
Renegade GTX
which is a superb boot made of the highest quality materials. As with all premium products look after them.
Lowa
produce Water Stop Pro to prevent water penetration and Active Cream to feed and protect the leather.
Lowa boots are not just for authors but are also the perfect boot for the heroes in the
Ido Graf
political and espionage
thrillers
.
January 5, 2022
Ido Graf interviewed by the prestigious book blog Feed My Reads

The popular and prestigious book blog,
Feed My Read
s
, was created by the enigmatic, talented and insightful 'Fraser'.
He saw a need and he created his fascinating blog, Facebook site and Twitter page to connect readers, writers, editors, publishers and bloggers. A great idea and a great set of tools for anyone within the book world.
Read the in-depth interview of fiction writer
Ido Graf
now.
Buy the Internationally successful novel, 'See Glass', now on
Amazon
- available in e-book, large print, audiobook and soon to be published in hardback.
October 20, 2021
See Glass political thriller an International Amazon Charts bestseller

See Glass is in the top 100 for two categories on the Amazon Charts best seller categories in
India
. This fiction political thriller is also top in the
USA
at number 3 in the bestseller Chart. It has also reached the top 50 on Amazon
Canada
.
See the
See Glass
video on YouTube. Buy See Glass now.
October 6, 2021
Bestseller audiobooks on Amazon

The
best audiobooks
by David Baldacci, Lee Child, Bill Clinton, James Patterson, Nelson DeMille and Ido Graf is a great list to check out your new audio book listens.
Of the best sellers in Amazon audiobooks, twenty-four were written by David Baldacci and twelve by Lee Child. So thirty-six of the top fifty audiobooks are by two authors. Unsurprising in a way, as they are both top thriller and crime writers.
Another entrant is Bill Clinton and James Patterson's,
The President is Missing
. Expected, given who they both are - it's also a great read or even a great listen! Other entrants in the list are Mark Greaney, Scott Pratt, Clive Cussler, Stuart Woods, Michael Ledwidge, Tim Tigner, Daniel Silva and of course Nelson DeMille.
Nelson DeMille's Plum Island is there as I would expect. It is one of my favourite novels and was my first introduction to the wonderfully clever novels of DeMille. It is listed 34 but personally I think i should be much higher up the bestseller list.
Audiobooks
are undergoing enormous growth in the USA and in countries such as the UK and India. They offer great convenience when people are commuting, exercising or working at home. People can make the mundane, such as hoovering, bearable with fiction novels to keep the mind active.
Buy the best audiobooks on amazon fro top authors such as Lee Child,
Nelson DeMille,
David Baldacci and
Ido Graf
.
Photo by
Robert Anasch
on
Unsplash
Photo by
israel palacio
on Unsplash