What history calls the "Battle of the Atlantic" was really a full-scale war-within-a-war; fought from the beginning of hostilities in 1939 to the moment of cease-fire in 1945. Andrew Williams focuses on the first four years of this bitter conflict; during which time German submarines sank an astounding twelve million tons of Allied shipping. The story reaches its climax in May 1943; when the introduction of new weapons and tactics turned the tide of the battle and enabled the Allies to contain and finally defeat the dreaded German "wolf packs." Interweaving scores of first-person accounts from survivors of both sides; The Battle of the Atlantic follows the exploits of the charismatic U-boat commanders who led their crews to the hunt-and often to their deaths. It goes aboard the merchantmen and escort ships that were both victim and nemesis to the "gray wolves" of the sea. And it enters the war rooms of the German; British; and American navies; where code-breakers and strategists angled for any advantage in a race that spelled doom to its loser. This dramatic chronicle sheds new light on one of the most dangerous conflicts of the Second World War.
#418637 in Books Russell Gerard 2015-12-01 2015-12-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.25 x 1.00 x 5.50l; 1.28 #File Name: 0465049915368 pagesHeirs to Forgotten Kingdoms Journeys Into the Disappearing Religions of the Middle East
Review
58 of 59 people found the following review helpful. So who are the Yazidis and why should I care?By Robert Johnston...that was a question I wondered about. We don't get much background from media who told us ISIL had slaughtered them; hounded them; and then finally corralled them up an obscure mountain called Sinjar to end them. Who are these peculiar people of such primitive; ancient and 'backwoods' roots?The 21st century veil of obscurity is raised here by Russell. Here you can discover the Yazidis and Harranians; the Mandaeans; Zoroastrian's and Bhai; Druze; the Samaritans; the Copts and Kalasha in an extraordinarily well framed witness to "Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms". Russell takes the reader into the lethal peculiarities of these accursed living lines. We can see them through Russell's expert eye as they fade from existence in the harshest ways. This is the story of ancient 'heretics'; followers of a lesser god and pagans living in the deepest tribal isolation under the unrelenting pressure of genocide in today's Islamic wars. Russell explores the ancient nuances revealed in the Islamic Sunni vs Shiite real estate grab of today. I was blind to the implications of Islamic 'justice'; finally consummated according to medieval fatwas befalling these living heretics and pagans. Here is the story of 8th century justice at last rendered on the living.What struck me most in the fascinating read is the magnitude of the catastrophe. It must be historically unique to the 21st century. How can it be that these tightly knit and ancient enclaves are being lost forever with barely a peep from the mightier powers that might preserve them? Are they just not worth it?This book pulls hard at humanitarian concepts and pulls hardest at the reader's heartstrings ... the 'Last of the Mohicans' is the feeling. It seems this story can't possibly be true but a quick search attests to veracity. What an unmitigated human disaster Russell has profiled. It sticks to me. Russell explores the planets most endangered species; these humans of a lesser god and of the bloody stain on nations that could make it otherwise. It's the story of witness that I've not seen in my lifetime.The story is incomplete in some ways. The extreme persecutions of the few remaining Jews in Muslim lands are under no less jeopardy ... 10 Jews left in Cairo? This is not a criticism of what the book covers so well. It's simply the fact that there is more to the story. The epilogue as Russell follows the remnants of these communities to exile in America and elsewhere is an uneasy story to conclude upon. Happy they are to be alive; but broken. How will the story continue?This is a 5-star; well written; must read ... for the interested. I found myself embarrassed for 21st century evolved notions of`humanity'. I was humbled.A related but more ancient telling of similar calamity caught my attention a while back. If you choose to read this book; you might also enjoy The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East; Africa; and Asia--and How It Diedp.s. The Kindle edition is well constructed and the photo's were crisp37 of 37 people found the following review helpful. Three reasons I loved this bookBy Michael WebbMost reviews of this book focus on its timeliness in the face of ISIS (let alone Modernity). This is no doubt a good reason to read it. But here are some other reasons:1. What insight into humanity's imagination!Every other page I exclaimed in delight at some marvelous story or ritual that Russell has uncovered - either in an ancient text he has found in some dusty archive; or by direct observation of its practice today. Consider the characters of Mandaean mythology. There is Krun; the flesh mountain; who according to Russell "sounds a bit like Jabba the Hutt"; the dragon Ur; who sits above an ocean of flammable oil; and; Russell's professed favorite; the demon Dinanukht; "who is half man and half book and 'sits by the waters between the worlds; reading himself.'"Or consider the Kalasha; whose rule-makers seem to have had a touch of OCD: "The right hand; the male sex; the high mountains; purity; odd numbers; and life all were affiliated with each other; to these were opposed the left hand; the female sex; the low valleys; impurity; even numbers; and death. So the men sat on the right-hand side of their houses and the women on the left. Likewise; it was men who herded the goats and women who planted crops; men who went into the mountains and women whose place was in the valleys; and women who were prone to all kinds of impurity." Russell then tells how "I was scolded for touching a village house as I passed it; since even this made it impure; and meant more juniper branches would need to be burned to restore its pristine state."2. You'll learn a lotThe author wears his learning lightly; yet it bursts through on every page. What I appreciated especially was the enormous range of his references. For example; a modern Mandaean tells Russell that "I am sure there was a time when Mandaean women could be priests; not just men." Russell not only is able to confirm the particular fact about Mandaeanism: "She was right: in the Drasa da Yehia [a Mandaean holy book]; a Jewish woman converts to Mandaeanism and becomes a priest." But he also mentions in passing: "Similarly; in ancient Babylon women could serve as priests. For that matter; women occasionally achieved secular positions of power in the ancient Middle East. The ancient Persian navy had a female admiral - Artemisia; back in the fifth century BC - and in the third century AD Palmyra had a powerful queen; Zenobia."He also gives fascinating philosophical and historical context for many of his observations. For example; while describing asceticism; he speculates about the philosophical source of the self-denial: "Society was technologically advanced... Yet cesspits had to be cleaned out by hand; diseases such as typhoid were common; and wounds might easily develop gangrene. The body's weakness and foulness were in strange contrast to the intellect's amazing achievements. Since at this time it was not generally understood that the intellect had any connection with the brain (Galen realized that it did; but Aristotle had thought the brain existed just to release heat from the body); it was easy to suppose that the mind; or soul; could survive without the messiness of the body." What a striking thought - and how simply; and gracefully; argued.3. Last chance to see?Apart from at the very end; Russell does not say much about what *he* thinks about these religions and what's happening to them: he is the dispassionate academic observer; if one with unusual skill; intrepidity; and verve. He allows his subjects to speak for themselves. But when they do; it is often with considerable passion; beauty; and insight. Consider George; a Palestinian living in a Jewish neighborhood in Detroit. "Coming here [America] was the worst decision I ever made;" he tells Russell. "I thought it would be like a salad; every ingredient taking on flavor from the other. It's more like a blender - everything ends up gray."And this is one reason these religions may not be here for much longer; to say nothing of their more violent and deliberate destruction in recent years and months. The modern world must bear a debt of gratitude to Russell for writing this book: the product of a lifetime of learning; and years of travel in the most dangerous places on earth. That his documentation of these ancient religions has yielded something of enduring beauty - and that is; dare I say it; a page-turner - is remarkable. I urge you to buy it.30 of 31 people found the following review helpful. I learned a lot from this book and have recommended it to friendsBy Ellen RobertThe subject matter of this book is inherently interesting: small; isolated groups of followers of ancient religions in the middle east. I learned a lot from this book and have recommended it to friends; with a couple of caveats. Too often it read like a travelogue of people the author had talked to and experiences he had. This subject cries out for pictures and maps. The few that were in the book were of poor quality and did not focus on important aspects of the religion or region. I found myself going on-line a lot to dig for images and more detailed general and historical descriptions of the groups described in the book. Nonetheless; I would read it again.
