No Banners, No Bugles

By: Edward Ellsberg

Narrated by: Stephen McLaughlin

Length: 15 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

The unheralded story of how salvage helped the Allies win back North Africa. By the time America joined World War II, Edward Ellsberg had already earned his place as one of the world’s great marine salvage engineers, and his best-selling accounts of raising doomed submarines and histories of classic diving operations had made him a literary star. With America’s entry into the war, Ellsberg returned to active duty with no easy assignment: clearing the vital port at Massawa, Eritrea, with no men, no equipment, and no budget.

No Banners, No Bugles picks up with Ellsberg stationed at Oran, Algeria, an important Mediterranean harbor as the Allies prepare for Operation Torch, the fight to reclaim North Africa from the Axis powers. Following his success at Massawa, Ellsberg must sort out the disorganized mess left by the Vichy French and find a way to open the port, though his flagging health proves to be a dangerous obstacle. As General Eisenhower’s chief of salvage in the Mediterranean, Ellsberg needs to clear harbors all across North Africa. No Banners, No Bugles is the riveting story of how Ellsberg the miracle worker tackled his greatest mission yet.

©1949 Edward Ellsberg and Lucy Buck Ellsberg (P)2014 Audible Inc.

A little acknowledged part of the war

Good story. However the narrator has the speed and conveys emotion with speech like I imagine the cartoon character Droopy would. I also think from listening to Ellsberg's books, in the forties or fifties we lost every thesaurus to the war effort. If we didn't he should have "turned to" on one. War is hell. Hell on using variable phrases and words.

LITTLE KNOWN BUT IMPORTANT WW II HISTORY

This book is about the work of U.S. and British naval salvage crews in WW II. It is a historical reminiscence of the important and dangerous work done by naval salvagers and divers in the North African front. It is written by Admiral Edward Ellsberg who was in charge of salvage operations in French North Africa. Narration was good and had the right amount of emotion and expression.

ARGUABLY HIS BEST

IF FOCUS ON THE THRILL OF SUCCESS AND THE AGONY OF FAILURE IS WHAT YOU PREFER, BEGIN ELLSBERG WITH "ON THE BOTTOM". IF YOU WOULD PREFER A BROADER PERPECTIVE ON WAR AND PEACE AND ON HUMANITY AT IT'S BEST AND WORSE, BEGIN WITH THIS BOOK.STILL PLENTY OF SALVAGE YORE.

Great story, horrible narration.

I really enjoyed the story of the previous two books I've listened to from Edward Ellsberg and enjoyed the narrators with both those books. This book I enjoyed the story but can't stand the narrator. He sounds like a Monotoned Forrest Gump who smoked to much weed before recording the book.

A classic - things you never knew about D-Day

A great read with fantastic technical descriptions. I have read it several times and get something new from it each time. If you like history this book is a must read.

Admiral Edward Ellsburg is a great man.

Admiral Edward Ellsburg is one of the greatest men of WWII. He was a US Naval salvage officer. In fact, he wrote the book on US Navy salvage. There would have been no D-day invasion if not for his team of salvage experts floating the surf breaking Gooseberries and Mulberrys for placement off the coast of Normandy. He often did the impossible with little or no staff much less any allied assistance- plus he writes great books, both non-fiction and a few historical novels. Ellsburg had the thankless job of clearing the scuttled ships from Italian ports in Eritrea, scuttled French ships in North Africa and ensuring the Allied troops could safely assault the Normandy beaches on D-day without the landing craft getting swamped in the surf.