"The Coalition has a lot of good action and suspense, an unusual female assassin, and the potential to be another The Day After Tomorrow [the runaway bestseller by Allan Folsom]."--James Patterson, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
"Spies of the Midnight Sun is not only a skillful, rapid-fire historical spy thriller, but also a fine source on one of the least-known and most heroic chapters of the Second World War."--Kirkus Reviews
"Marquis is a student of history, always creative, [and] never boring...A good comparison might be Tom Clancy."--Military.com
"A simply riveting read from beginning to end, Spies of the Midnight Sun is impressively informed and informative, and a work of solidly researched history."--Midwest Book Review
"Samuel Marquis's Spies of the Midnight Sun weaves historical truth with masterful storytelling in an action-packed and intriguing tale of covert spy operations during World War II."--Foreword Reviews
"Altar of Resistance is a gripping and densely packed thriller dramatizing the Allied Italian campaign...reminiscent of Herman Wouk's The Winds of War."--Kirkus Reviews
"Marquis is the new Follett, Silva,and Clancy rolled into one."--Prof. J.R. Welch, Editor of Dispatches from Fort Apache
"In the richness of the texture of his material, Marquis far exceeds the stance of a mere raconteur and entertainer of the masses--he, in fact, becomes a public historian."--Lois C.Henderson, Bookpleasures.com (Crime & Mystery) - 5-Star Review
"A combination of The Great Escape, Public Enemies, a genuine old-time Western, and a John Le Carré novel."--BlueInk Review (for Bodyguard of Deception, Book 1 of WWII Series)
"Marquis writes quite well, but his real contribution with Blackbeard: The Birth of America is historical....An engrossing and historically grounded yarn."--Kirkus Reviews
"Marquis grabs my attention right from the beginning and never lets go."--Gov. Roy R. Romer, 39th Governor of Colorado
"The Coalition starts with a bang, revs up its engines,and never stops until the explosive ending...Perfect for fans of James Patterson, David Baldacci, and Vince Flynn."--Foreword Reviews
"In his novels Blind Thrust and Cluster of Lies, Samuel Marquis vividly combines the excitement of the best modern techno-thrillers, an education in geology, and a clarifying reminder that the choices each of us make have a profound impact on our precious planet."--Ambassador Marc Grossman, Former U.S. Under Secretary of State
2019-05-24
This fourth volume of a World War II series focuses on the North Africa campaigns.
Marquis (Spies of the Midnight Sun, 2018, etc.) continues his streak of top-notch and extremely readable World War II novels with this story of the Africa operations that puts a biographical emphasis on a handful of figures, some famous and others lesser-known. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the commander of the Afrika Korps at the peak of its glory and then during its worst defeats, of course features prominently. But so do Scottish Lt. Col. David Stirling, who led the Special Air Service in a series of raids on Axis airfields that eventually turned the tide of the theater's conflict; Hekmat Fahmy, an Egyptian belly dancer who moonlighted as a German secret agent; British Maj. A.W. Sansom, a famed hunter of Axis spies and sympathizers whose story is told in intriguing detail; Lt. Johannes Eppler, a German spy who is expertly fleshed out here; and Col. Bonner Fellers, who was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal by President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his "uncanny ability" to predict the course of events in the Middle East. Through these players and a host of secondary figures, Marquis vividly reconstructs key events, including the oft-told tale of Operation Condor, which has been adapted for fiction and cinema but which the author approaches fresh. "With the relevant WWII records now available," he writes, "it is time the true story is told." Throughout the book, Marquis uses records and diaries in order to reconstitute dialogue, a tricky narrative move he handles with smooth skill. Likewise, he deftly evokes color and personality, whether it be his big marquee names or "the usual big-city lowlife of crooks, deserters, prostitutes, extortionists, fences, gunrunners, and hashish dealers" who populate the fringes of his story. This is a rigorous historical novel that reads like the best World War II fiction.
A sharply entertaining, in-depth tale of desert warriors.
