FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DENVER, Colo. – Bestselling historical fiction author Samuel Marquis is releasing Book 4 of his World War Two Series, “Lions of the Desert: A True Story of WWII Heroes in North Africa” (Mount Sopris Publishing, February 26, 2019). The novel is the true story of the WWII 1941-1942 Desert War in North Africa and Operation Condor, a story that has captivated the minds of authors, historians, and filmmakers for three-quarters of a century. Based on detailed historical research and Marquis’s award-winning narrative style, “Lions of the Desert” is the perfect read for fans of WWII history and historical fiction.
“Marquis grabs my attention right from the beginning and never lets go.” —Gov. Roy R. Romer, 39 th Governor of Colorado
“Lions of the Desert” is the true story of the legendary WWII “War Without Hate” in the Western Desert of North Africa and Operation Condor. The story is told through the eyes of six legendary historical figures that lived through the epic events: Scottish Colonel David Stirling, leader of the Special Air Service, a brigade of eccentric desert commandos that raided Axis airfields; German Field Marshal Rommel, commander of the Africa Corps who very nearly succeeded in driving the British out of Egypt; Egyptian Hekmat Fahmy, the famous belly dancer, regarded as a Mata-Hari-like German agent in previous accounts but in fact a far more intriguing and ambiguous character in real life; Major A.W. Sansom, head of the British Field Security unit that hunted down Axis spies in Cairo; Johannes Eppler, the notorious German spy of Operation Condor whose real story is finally told; and Colonel Bonner Fellers, the famous U.S. military attaché in Cairo. Fans of “Beneath a Scarlet Sky,” “The English Patient,” and the WWII novels of Ken Follett (“The Key to Rebecca,” “Jackdaws,” “Eye of the Needle”) will enjoy this timeless tale of WWII espionage, romance, and derring-do in the North African desert—with the knowledge that this is how it all really happened.
LIONS OF THE DESERT: A TRUE STORY OF WWII HEROES IN NORTH AFRICA
Samuel Marquis | February 26, 2019 | Mount Sopris Publishing
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-943593-25-5 | Ebook ASIN: 978-1-943593-26-2
Historical Fiction
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The ninth great-grandson of legendary privateer Captain William Kidd, Samuel Marquis is the bestselling, award-winning author of a WWII Series, the Nick Lassiter-Skyler International Espionage Series, and historical pirate fiction. His novels have been #1 Denver Post bestsellers, received multiple national book awards (Kirkus and Foreword Reviews Book of the Year, American Book Fest Best Book, USA Best Book, Beverly Hills, IPPY, Next Generation Indie, Colorado Book Awards), and garnered glowing reviews from #1 bestseller James Patterson, Kirkus, and Foreword Reviews (5 Stars). Book reviewers have compared Marquis’s WWII thrillers “Bodyguard of Deception,” “Altar of Resistance,” and “Spies of the Midnight Sun” to the epic historical novels of Tom Clancy, John le Carré, Ken Follett, Herman Wouk, Daniel Silva, Len Deighton, and Alan Furst. His website is www.samuelmarquisbooks.com
TALKING POINTS
- Researching WWII history and developing a narrative recounting the real history
- Overlooked and historically misrepresented men and women in WWII history
- How the author learned about the real-life David Stirling, Erwin Rommel, and Hekmat Fahmy, the three main characters of the book, and decided to write about them
- How each of Marquis’s WWII novels cover different places and time periods in war
Praise for SAMUEL MARQUIS
#1 Denver Post Bestselling Author
Kirkus Reviews Book of the Year Winner
Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Winner
Independent Publisher Book Awards Winner
Beverly Hills Books Awards Winner
Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winner
American Book Fest-USA Best Book Award-Winning Finalist
Colorado Book Awards Award-Winning Finalist
“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
“‘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
“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
“‘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
“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)
“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
“Marquis writes quite well, but his real contribution with ‘Blackbeard: The Birth of America’ is historical….An engrossing and historically grounded yarn.” —Kirkus Reviews
“‘Cluster of Lies’ has a twisty plot that grabs hold from the beginning and never let’s go. A true page turner! I’m already looking forward to the next Joe Higheagle adventure.” —Robert Bailey, Author of “The Professor” and “Between Black and White”
“If you haven’t tried a Samuel Marquis novel yet, ‘The Fourth Pularchek’ is a good one to get introduced. The action is non-stop and gripping with no shortage of surprises. If you’re already a fan of the award-winning novelist, this one won’t disappoint.” —Dr. Wesley Britton, Bookpleasures.com (Crime & Mystery) – 5-Star Review
“Marquis is the new Follett, Silva, and Clancy rolled into one.”—Prof. J.R. Welch, Editor of “Dispatches from Fort Apache”
“With ‘Blind Thrust,’ ‘Cluster of Lies,’ and his other works, Samuel Marquis has written true breakout novels that compare favorably with—and even exceed—recent thrillers on the ‘New York Times’ Bestseller List.” —Pat LoBrutto, Former Editor for Stephen King and Eric Van Lustbader (Bourne Series)
“Samuel Marquis picks up his World War II trilogy with ‘Altar of Resistance,’ a well-researched and explosive ride through war-torn Rome with Nazis, booming battles, and intense cat-and-mouse chases….Grounded in historical fact but spiced up with thrilling imagination with the fate of the world in balance.” —Foreword Reviews
“Reminiscent of ‘The Day of the Jackal’…with a high level of authentic detail. Skyler is a convincing sniper, and also a nicely conflicted one.” —Donald Maass, Author of “Writing 21st Century Fiction” (for “The Coalition”)
“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
“Readers looking for an unapologetic historical action book should tear through this volume.”
—Kirkus Reviews (for “Bodyguard of Deception”)
“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
The WWII Series
SPIES OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN (May 2018)
Amazon #1 Bestseller – Historical Thriller
“‘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
The true story of the legendary British safecracker and spy Eddie Chapman, the British Double Cross Spy System, and courageous Norwegian female Resistance operatives Dagmar Lahlum and Annemarie Breien as they fight to defeat the Nazis. (ISBN 978-1943593231)
ALTAR OF RESISTANCE (January 2017)
Amazon Top 20 Bestseller – Historical Thriller
Award-Winning Finalist Foreword Reviews Book of the Year
Award-Winning Finalist American Book Fest Best Book Awards
Award-Winning Finalist Beverly Hills Book Awards
The gripping story of the Italian Campaign and Nazi Occupation of Rome in 1943-1944 through the eyes of the Allies, the German Occupiers, Pope Pius XII and the Vatican, and the Roman Resistance. (ISBN 978194359303)
BODYGUARD OF DECEPTION (March 2016)
Amazon Top 20 Bestseller – Historical Thriller
Winner Foreword Reviews Book of the Year
Award-Winning Finalist USA Best Book Awards
Can the American and British Allies stop a German spymaster and his U-boatcommander brother from warning Hitler’s High Command about the Allies’ greatest military secret? From a U-boat on the frigid North Sea to a brutal British interrogation center in heart of London to a remote German-POW camp and the world-famous Broadmoor Hotel overlooking the high plains and snow-dusted mountain peaks of Colorado, “Bodyguard of Deception” will keep you guessing until the final chapter. (ISBN 978-1943593125)
