Stephen Talty is the award-winning author of Agent Garbo, Empire of Blue Water, and other bestselling works of narrative nonfiction. His books have been made into two films, the Oscar-winning Captain Phillips and Only the Brave. He is also the author of two psychological thrillers, including the New York Times bestseller Black Irish, set in his hometown of Buffalo. He has written for The New York Times Magazine, GQ, and many other publications. Talty now lives outside New York City with his family.
“An eloquent and vivid portrait that includes a view through the
telescopes of rear-echelon commanders, the rifle sights of
front-line skirmishers, and the clouded spectacles of field
surgeons laboring in candlelit abattoirs . . . the finest kind of
popular history.”—William Rosen, author of Justinian’s Flea: The
First Great Plague and the End of the Roman Empire
Praise for Empire of Blue Water
“A swashbuckling adventure . . . [the] characters leap to
life.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Reeking of authentic blood and thunder, and as richly detailed as
a work of fiction . . . dramatically evokes the rough and tumble
age when pirates owned the seas. A thrilling and fascinating
adventure.”—Caroline Alexander, author of The Endurance
“Stephan Talty’s vigorous history of seventeenth-century pirates of
the Caribbean will sate even fickle Jack Sparrow fans. A pleasure
to read from bow to stern.”—Entertainment Weekly
“Serves up swashbuckling history at its briny, blood-soaked best,
with enough violence and passion to keep the pages flying by.”—Tom
Reiss, author of The Orientalist
“Talty’s delicious new book succeeds where other volumes of history
fail. . . . A ripping yarn, worthy of its gaudy subject.”—Dallas
Morning News
When Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812, typhus ravaged his army, killing hundreds of thousands and ensuring his defeat, according to this breathless combination of military and medical history. After summarizing the havoc this disease wreaked on earlier armies and sketching Napoleon's career, the book describes his invasion of Russia with more than 600,000 men. Almost immediately typhus struck. Infected lice excrete the microbe in their feces, and victims acquire the disease by scratching the itchy bite. Talty (Mulatto America) describes the effects in graphic detail: severe headache, high fever, delirium, generalized pain and a spotty rash. Death may take weeks, and fatalities approached 100% among Napoleon's increasingly debilitated, filthy, half-starved soldiers. Talty makes a good case that it was typhus, not "General Winter," that crushed Napoleon. Readers should look elsewhere for authoritative histories of Napoleon's wars and of infectious diseases, but Talty delivers a breezy, popular account of a gruesome campaign, emphasizing the equally gruesome epidemic that accompanied it. 12 maps. (June) Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
"An eloquent and vivid portrait that includes a view through the
telescopes of rear-echelon commanders, the rifle sights of
front-line skirmishers, and the clouded spectacles of field
surgeons laboring in candlelit abattoirs . . . the finest kind of
popular history."-William Rosen, author of Justinian's Flea:
The First Great Plague and the End of the Roman Empire
Praise for Empire of Blue Water
"A swashbuckling adventure . . . [the] characters leap to
life."-The New York Times Book Review
"Reeking of authentic blood and thunder, and as richly detailed as
a work of fiction . . . dramatically evokes the rough and tumble
age when pirates owned the seas. A thrilling and fascinating
adventure."-Caroline Alexander, author of The Endurance
"Stephan Talty's vigorous history of seventeenth-century pirates of
the Caribbean will sate even fickle Jack Sparrow fans. A pleasure
to read from bow to stern."-Entertainment Weekly
"Serves up swashbuckling history at its briny, blood-soaked best,
with enough violence and passion to keep the pages flying
by."-Tom Reiss, author of The Orientalist
"Talty's delicious new book succeeds where other volumes of history
fail. . . . A ripping yarn, worthy of its gaudy
subject."-Dallas Morning
News
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