The Siren's Song A Story from the Greek War of Independence

The Song of the Sirens lured unsuspecting seafarers to their doom. During the Greek fight for Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821, Greece lured unsuspecting adventurers to fight for her and her freedom. This novella relates the story of Henry Ballas, one such adventurer. An idealist and like many of the volunteers, when he set out he expected to find a land of Gods and Heroes. Instead he finds Greece divided by poverty, corruption and ignorance following four hundred years of suffering and oppression. After his arrival at Navarino following the revenge on the Turkish population, he is befriended first by Yelda, of mixed Greek/Turk blood and then Miltiades, a klepht. They set out for Tripolitsa which is under siege. Here, Henry's relatives still live and the European army of volunteers can be found. They reach Tripolitsa after several revealing adventures. Chaos reigns. Greeks trade with the besieged Turks. The army is a shambles. Soon the town walls will be breached and Henry must witness another massacre.