From Pearl Harbor to panzers rolling through Paris to the Siege of Leningrad and the Battle of Midway, war seethed across the planet as the flames of destruction rose higher and hotter.
And then, suddenly, the real enemy came.
The invaders seemed unstoppable, their technology far beyond human reach. And never before had men been more divided. For Jew to unite with Nazi, American with Japanese, and Russian with German was unthinkable.
But the alternative was even worse.
As the fate of the world hung in the balance, slowly, painfully, humankind took up the shocking challenge . . .

The master of alternative history asks the question, 'What if the Second World War had started in 1938?'. Turtledove weaves fact, fiction and speculation into a war story where Hitler could win and the world could be entirely different from the one we know.

Menedemos, the young dashing sea captain, and his helper, the scholarly Sostratos, are sea-traders from the Greek island of Rhodes. Fearless sailors, they will travel any distance to make a profit or to search for rich treasures. *** While they trade in fineries such as wine and silk (and even, to the chagrin of many, peacocks), they live in dangerous times with pirates, thieves and barbarians. As if avoiding death by the hands of these miscreants isn't enough (particularly the barbarians from an obscure town called Rome), they are also caught between the political intrigues of Alexander's...

A Magazine of Science Fiction and Fantasy *** ISSUE 6: January 2014 *** Edited by Mike Resnick *** Stories by: Harry Turtledove, Gio Clairval, Eric Flint, Marina J. Lostetter, C. L. Moore, Tina Gower, Jean-Claude Dunyach, Kij Johnson, Brian Trent, Nancy Kress. *** Serialization: Voodoo Planet by Andre Norton. *** Columns by: Barry Malzberg, Gregory Benford. *** Book Reviews: Paul Cook. ***

Menedemos, the young dashing sea captain, and his helper (and cousin), the scholarly Sostratos, are back in a new adventure. xxx Soon after their successful return to Rhodes the two cousins find that Greece is a dangerous place after the death of Alexander. Various factions fight and vie for power and the neutrality of Rhodes itself is threatened as opposing forces maneuver for advantage in the eastern Mediterranean. xxx But Menedemos and Sostratos are determined not to let circumstances stand in the way of a profitable venture...especially since they are now in possession of a rare skull...

"Owls to Athens demonstrates Turteltaub's excellent research skills ... an entertaining and intelligent story"-SF Site

"Scholar and bestselling author Turteltaub], encapsulates his vision of the ancient world through the eyes of these two engaging merchants."-Historical Novel Society

After some long and perilous journeys, Menedemos and Sostratos finally head back to Athens just in time for the Dionysia, a bacchanalian festival of plays and celebrations.

Like earlier installments in the series, Owls to Athens has the cousins going through various adventures, trade negotiations and...