In the bleakest years of the Second World War when it appeared that nothing could slow the advance of the German army, Hitler set his sights on the Mediterranean island of Crete, the ideal staging ground for domination of the Middle East. But German command had not counted on the strength of the Cretan resistance or the eccentric band of British intelligence officers who would stand in their way, conducting audacious sabotage operations in the very shadow of the Nazi occupation force.
The Ariadne Objective tells the remarkable story of the secret war on Crete from the perspective of these amateur soldiers who found themselves serving because, as one of them put it, they had made 'the obsolete choice of Greek at school'. John Pendlebury, a swashbuckling archaeologist with a glass eye and a swordstick; Xan Fielding, a writer who would later produce the English translations of books like Bridge on the River Kwai and Planet of the Apes; Sandy Rendel, a future Times reporter, who prided himself on a disguise that left him looking more ragged and fierce than the Cretans he fought alongside; and Patrick Leigh Fermor, the future travel-writing luminary who, as a teenager in the early 1930s, walked across Europe, a continent already beginning to feel the effects of Hitler's rise to power.
Having infiltrated occupied Crete, these British gentleman spies teamed with Cretan partisans to carry out a cunning plan to disrupt Nazi manoeuvres, culminating in a daring, high-risk plot to abduct the island's German commander. In this thrilling and little known episode of Second World War history, Wes Davis paints a brilliant portrait of some extraordinary characters and tells a story of triumph against all the odds.
"An exciting, fast-moving and crisply written adventure story. Highly recommended" (The Literary Review)
"Wes Davis's fast-paced tale of wartime sabotage reads more like an Ian Fleming thriller than a mere retelling of events" (Wall Street Journal)
"What really sets the book apart from the host of look-alikes is Davis's dedication to fleshing out the eccentricity of the main players. It is surely a good thing that we no longer associate war with adventure; if it were always as appealing as Davis has made it here, we would grow to love it too much" (Daily Beast)
Les informations fournies dans la section « A propos du livre » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.
Frais de port :
EUR 9,43
De Royaume-Uni vers Etats-Unis
Frais de port :
EUR 9,61
De Royaume-Uni vers Etats-Unis
Vendeur : WeBuyBooks, Rossendale, LANCS, Royaume-Uni
Etat : USED_GOOD. Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. Ex library copy with usual stamps & stickers. N° de réf. du vendeur wbs2598033454
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Better World Books Ltd, Dunfermline, Royaume-Uni
Etat : USED_GOOD. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. N° de réf. du vendeur 11396666-6
Quantité disponible : 2 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Better World Books Ltd, Dunfermline, Royaume-Uni
Etat : USED_VERYGOOD. Ships from the UK. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. N° de réf. du vendeur 6862908-6
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Ystwyth Books, Aberystwyth, Royaume-Uni
Hardcover. Etat : NEW. New copy. N° de réf. du vendeur 037176
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Broad Street Book Centre, Hereford, Royaume-Uni
Hardcover. Etat : USED_ASNEW. Etat de la jaquette : As New. 1st Edition. First edition (UK). First printing. 352pp. b/w plates. As new. OVERSEAS ORDERS MAY INCUR EXTRA SHIPPING. N° de réf. du vendeur 111566
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : The Book Exchange, Macclesfield, Royaume-Uni
Hardcover. Etat : NEW. Etat de la jaquette : New. 1st Edition. 9780593072806. A mint, unread Hardcover, in a mint Dust Jacket. No marks, creases or inscriptions, not price clipped. 352 pages, notes, biblio, index, illustrated with maps and b/w photographs. The story of the World War II spies, Patrick Leigh Fermor and John Pendlebury, who fought to save Crete and block Hitler's march to the East. The remarkable story of the secret war on Crete from the perspective of these amateur soldiers, scholars, archaeologists, and writers, who found themselves serving as spies in Crete. Contents new, unread. Book. N° de réf. du vendeur 032653
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Barclay Books, York, WA, Australie
Hardback. Etat : UNSPECIFIED. In the bleakest years of the Second World War when it appeared that nothing could slow the advance of the German army, Hitler set his sights on the Mediterranean island of Crete, the ideal staging ground for domination of the Middle East. But German command had not counted on the strength of the Cretan resistance or the eccentric band of British intelligence officers who would stand in their way, conducting audacious sabotage operations in the very shadow of the Nazi occupation force. The Ariadne Objective tells the remarkable story of the secret war on Crete from the perspective of these amateur soldiers who found themselves serving because, as one of them put it, they had made 'the obsolete choice of Greek at school'.John Pendlebury, a swashbuckling archaeologist with a glass eye and a swordstick; Xan Fielding, a writer who would later produce the English translations of books like Bridge on the River Kwai and Planet of the Apes; Sandy Rendel, a future Times reporter, who prided himself on a disguise that left him looking more ragged and fierce than the Cretans he fought alongside; and Patrick Leigh Fermor, the future travel-writing luminary who, as a teenager in the early 1930s, walked across Europe, a continent already beginning to feel the effects of Hitler's rise to power. Having infiltrated occupied Crete, these British gentleman spies teamed with Cretan partisans to carry out a cunning plan to disrupt Nazi manoeuvres, culminating in a daring, high-risk plot to abduct the island's German commander. In this thrilling and little known episode of Second World War history, Wes Davis paints a brilliant portrait of some extraordinary characters and tells a story of triumph against all the odds. 2014, First edition, first printing. A fine, unmarked and unread copy in a fine, unclipped d/w. N° de réf. du vendeur 24418685
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : MHO - Collectors' Books, Fittleworth, Pulborough, Royaume-Uni
Hardcover. Etat : USED_NEARFINE. Etat de la jaquette : Near Fine. 1st Edition. 1st UK Edition, 1st Impression, appears unread, not price clipped (£20.00), no owner's name or other inscription, page ends tanned ( text unaffected), D/j spine faded but has no tears, nicks, creases or marks and is protected by a clear removable sleeve Max Hastings' Sunday Times review of 18th May 2014 laid-in. N° de réf. du vendeur 049646
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Revaluation Books, Exeter, Royaume-Uni
Hardcover. Etat : NEW. 352 pages. 9.45x6.38x1.30 inches. In Stock. N° de réf. du vendeur zk0593072804
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)