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Operation Salam: László Almásy's Most Daring Mission in the Desert War
Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 5, 2015
This thoroughly researched book is a must for any Sahara enthusiast.
Using every available source, including MI5 files and secret intercepted messages deciphered by Allied code breakers, the authors have pieced together the most accurate play-by-play account of one of WWII's least known but most daring adventures.
Most people know of Hungarian explorer Laszlo Almasy from the highly fictionalized and rather imaginative account of his exploits in the Hollywood film The English Patient. He's been portrayed as everything from a brilliant scientist-explorer to a devious Nazi spy. But I think the reality is much closer to what the authors of this book have uncovered: "He belonged to a rapidly disappearing breed, the romantic gentleman-adventurer, driven by a deep passion for the desert and the unknown."
Operation Salam deals with what must be Almasy's most daring expedition: a mission to drop off two German spies on the shores of the Nile, thousands of miles behind enemy lines. He set out from Italian-held Libya, evading Allied patrols near Kufra, and snuck into Egypt through a gap in the Gilf Kebir that he had discovered several years before. Along the way he snapped photos of the desert, and paused to show his companions the prehistoric paintings he'd discovered at the Cave of the Swimmers (subject of the modern English Patient movie). He crossed thousands of miles of the most arid stretch of the Sahara undetected, self-supported, carrying all his own rations, petrol and water. And his skill brought him safely to the Nile and back — right through the back yard of the British Long Range Desert Group.
It's a gripping tale filled with excitement, danger and the wonder of the desert. And the authors have also included helpful geographical sidebars on places like the Gilf Kebir and the Great Sand Sea, and extensive historical sidebars detailing little-known feats of the desert war, like the Kufra Convoys.
This is a meticulously researched book, put together by men with extensive desert experience. And they didn't just track down every last possible document from the archives, either. They also retracted the actual route of the journey, and the incredible collection of historic photos in the book are supplemented with modern colour prints taken in those very same remote regions.
This is the definitive account of Laszlo Almasy's Operation Salam. And it is a fitting tribute to a brilliant desert traveler.
Using every available source, including MI5 files and secret intercepted messages deciphered by Allied code breakers, the authors have pieced together the most accurate play-by-play account of one of WWII's least known but most daring adventures.
Most people know of Hungarian explorer Laszlo Almasy from the highly fictionalized and rather imaginative account of his exploits in the Hollywood film The English Patient. He's been portrayed as everything from a brilliant scientist-explorer to a devious Nazi spy. But I think the reality is much closer to what the authors of this book have uncovered: "He belonged to a rapidly disappearing breed, the romantic gentleman-adventurer, driven by a deep passion for the desert and the unknown."
Operation Salam deals with what must be Almasy's most daring expedition: a mission to drop off two German spies on the shores of the Nile, thousands of miles behind enemy lines. He set out from Italian-held Libya, evading Allied patrols near Kufra, and snuck into Egypt through a gap in the Gilf Kebir that he had discovered several years before. Along the way he snapped photos of the desert, and paused to show his companions the prehistoric paintings he'd discovered at the Cave of the Swimmers (subject of the modern English Patient movie). He crossed thousands of miles of the most arid stretch of the Sahara undetected, self-supported, carrying all his own rations, petrol and water. And his skill brought him safely to the Nile and back — right through the back yard of the British Long Range Desert Group.
It's a gripping tale filled with excitement, danger and the wonder of the desert. And the authors have also included helpful geographical sidebars on places like the Gilf Kebir and the Great Sand Sea, and extensive historical sidebars detailing little-known feats of the desert war, like the Kufra Convoys.
This is a meticulously researched book, put together by men with extensive desert experience. And they didn't just track down every last possible document from the archives, either. They also retracted the actual route of the journey, and the incredible collection of historic photos in the book are supplemented with modern colour prints taken in those very same remote regions.
This is the definitive account of Laszlo Almasy's Operation Salam. And it is a fitting tribute to a brilliant desert traveler.
March 20, 2019
This book covers operation SALAM during WWII in North Africa. The sheer amount of original sources and research are exemplary. It also contains a huge number of original photographs taken by the members of the operation. This book is a very good example that real life can be much more entertaining than any fiction. It worth every singe cent!
I recommend reading the following book after you finish operation SALAM since it is mentioned several times and contains some additional bits and pieces: ISBN 9780759616080
I recommend reading the following book after you finish operation SALAM since it is mentioned several times and contains some additional bits and pieces: ISBN 9780759616080
October 13, 2019
Very interesting and extremely well researched and documented book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews