Now in paperback; and following her extraordinary; bestselling; and much-acclaimed accounts of the most guarded secrets of the Second World War; here is a rollicking true story of spies; politicians; journalists; and intrigue in the highest circles of Washington during the tumultuous days of World War II.When Roald Dahl; a dashing young wounded RAF pilot; took up his post at the British Embassy in 1942; his assignment was to use his good looks; wit; and considerable charm to gain access to the most powerful figures in American political life. Better than any spy fiction; The Irregulars is a fascinating; lively account of deceit; double dealing; and moral ambiguity—all in the name of victory. Richly detailed and carefully researched; Conant’s masterful narrative is based on never-before-seen wartime letters; diaries; and interviews.
#527542 in Books Barry Strauss 2005-07-05 2005-07-05Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x .80 x 6.12l; .83 #File Name: 0743244516294 pagesThe Battle of Salamis The Naval Encounter that Saved Greece and Western Civilization
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A crisp historical page turnerBy Michael BoyajianA crisp historical page turner about the battle that saved Western civilization with an outnumbered and disparate Greek navy trapping and crashing down on the super power Persians as the Persian king watched on helpless from shore. After reading this book your heart will skip a beat when you visit Greece and fly over the narrow passage of water battle site between the Island of Salamis and the Greek mainland and you will also understand why the entrance way to the top of the Acropolis faces out to Salamis.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Easy; entertaining read; but also very well researchedBy W. BaxterThis book is a good example of how excellent a narrative history can be. It reads like a novel. You not only get the large scale history of the battle and the geopolitics of the time; but also the "small" history; meaning how various classes of people lived. It is easy to follow the details of the military action and there are many concise maps to help the reader locate where things occur at various stages of the story.The author uses both ancient sources and archaeological evidence. Throughout he presents multiple points of view. He carefully looks at the probable motivations of each of the ancient writers. I especially appreciate the respect he gives Herodotus. Much of the Histories was dismissed out of hand by academics for a long time; but archaeological discoveries continue to verify what Herodotus said that he observed. The author points outs the shortcomings of the Histories; but this book shows one just how good Herodotus was at his craft.That brings me to the only surprise in The Battle of Salamis had for me. I've read most of the ancient sources; some in the original; and am familiar with much of the archaeology. I remember sweating blood one weekend at university over Herodotus's story of the hairy ants; reading it in the original Greek; wondering whether there were hallucinations involved. Herodotus dismisses the story as improbable; but there appears to be a possible explanation for the how the story arose. This on explanation alone is makes reading this book more than worth the time.My only nit is that Strauss doesn't give citations for the directs quotes in the text and there are no endnotes. However; the book is so readable; I really can't complain too much. There is an extensive bibliography at the end with notes as to the content of each source; along with comments on various translations.The Kindle edition is very cleanly laid out and well edited. None of the stray n-dashes; word separations; extra spaces; or missing spaces so common in some Kindle books.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. A Sailor"s TaleBy CustomerLike most schools boys; I had heard of the Greek triumph over the Persians; focused mainly on Thermopylae and the 300 Spartans that died there saving the Greeks. And; oh yes; there was a naval battle. In the Battle of Salamis; Barry Strauss completes the story with an exciting story of them men and women and boats and weapons with which the Greeks and Persians went after them.What drew me into the book was the detail with which Strauss gives us in describing the ships and the men who sailed them. I found myself looking up pictures of a trireme so I could envision what these navies looked like. Strauss details how the three decks of rowers were tied to their seats; how the marines stayed seated when they launched their spears or let loose their arrows. And he gives us brutal detail on how the boats rammed and speared each other in the narrow straits off Salamis.But ultimately it was the force of two men; Xerxes and Themistocles; who led their respective forces that determined the outcome of the historic battle between Greece and Persia. Strauss gives each his due; and fairly illustrates their strengths and weaknesses. A good sailor's tale well tols.
