The Bitter Sea
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Review
Praise for ‘The Guardsmen’:
‘Excellent…a historical classic brilliantly executed and an irresistible read.’ Guardian
‘Through skilful stitching of threads from personal and official papers, Ball has woven a superb panoramic tapestry of 20th-century Conservative politics…Compelling.’ Sunday Times
‘A magnificent achievement…Superb scholarship, profound insight and written in a style both incisive and flowing, this is a book for every taste. I cannot recommend it too highly.’
Spectator
Review
Praise for 'The Guardsmen': 'Excellent ... a historical classic brilliantly executed and an irresistible read.' Guardian 'Through skilful stitching of threads from personal and official papers, Ball has woven a superb panoramic tapestry of 20th-century Conservative politics!Compelling.' Sunday Times 'A magnificent achievement ... Superb scholarship, profound insight and written in a style both incisive and flowing, this is a book for every taste. I cannot recommend it too highly.' Spectator
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
An astonishing and refreshing insight into the real politic of the Mediterranean theatre. Shows human beings behaving like human beings not the two dimensional (war) comic book heroes I was brought up on. So good I've now bought and distributed three other copies to friends all of whom have been similarly impressed. I know it's a cliché, but I really 'can't 'recommend this highly enough'. Get it. Read it.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
An excellent history of the Mediterranean naval war which restores balance by giving appropriate weight to the courage and effectiveness of Italian naval forces. The political back biting and manipulation amongst the higher levels of the British naval forces was new to me and fascinating as was the extent of strong Nazi sympathy amongst the French naval establishment. The setting of the sun on British naval power was well described and I finished the book with an enhanced respect for the Royal Navy.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"The Bitter Sea" tells the story of the struggle for control of the Mediterranean Sea and its shores in de 1930s and 1940s. Although the Second World War plays a major role, Simon Ball gives in my opinion, an overview of the attempts and struggles of all parties involved to define the Mediterranean geographically and geo-strategically in order to organize it militarily and politically. The military campaigns of the Second World War function as the glue in a story with secret services, propaganda departments, guerilla leaders, politicians, diplomats and generals taking centre stage.
"The Bitter Sea" is a fascinating but difficult read. With an enormous scope, "The Bitter Sea" tells many stories: French - English tensions in the Middle East, the Greek civil war, sabotage actions in the Balkans, Italian special forces, the relationship between Hitler and Mussolini, London Home Office and English Headquarters in Cairo, Arab nationalism and Berlin, the decline of colonialism, American containment of Communism, Zionism and ultimately the rise of the United States as the dominant regional power and the Middle East as oil supplier. In addition, the fluid loyalties of many parties involved, driven by low motives and compensating (military) incompetence with politics, further adds to the complexity.
This book is well researched, and Ball has used numerous less known sources. In addition, the writer seems to revel in discrediting carefully constructed myths and generally accepted perceptions of events and persons. "The Bitter Sea" therefore assumes the reader has (a wide) knowledge of the history of the Mediterranean and the Second World War, making it not suitable for a novice looking for an introduction of the topic.
"The Bitter Sea" is a fascinating but difficult read. With an enormous scope, "The Bitter Sea" tells many stories: French - English tensions in the Middle East, the Greek civil war, sabotage actions in the Balkans, Italian special forces, the relationship between Hitler and Mussolini, London Home Office and English Headquarters in Cairo, Arab nationalism and Berlin, the decline of colonialism, American containment of Communism, Zionism and ultimately the rise of the United States as the dominant regional power and the Middle East as oil supplier. In addition, the fluid loyalties of many parties involved, driven by low motives and compensating (military) incompetence with politics, further adds to the complexity.
This book is well researched, and Ball has used numerous less known sources. In addition, the writer seems to revel in discrediting carefully constructed myths and generally accepted perceptions of events and persons. "The Bitter Sea" therefore assumes the reader has (a wide) knowledge of the history of the Mediterranean and the Second World War, making it not suitable for a novice looking for an introduction of the topic.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Personalities, politics and strategies, rather than battles
I was taken in by the subtitle of the paperback, "the brutal World War II fight for the Mediterranean" but did not find what I expected: this is a book about the various key... Read more
Published 24 days ago by H. Beentje
Terrific, but demanding
Firstly, I must agree for the most part with the first reviewer who concluded it was 'not an easy read' and therefore one for the novices. Read more
Published 6 months ago by C.W.W
Fine book
I'd been looking for a while for a book covering the second world war in the Med. Unfortunately the first one I found was Vincent O'Hara's Struggle for the Middle Sea. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Frank
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