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The Angry Hills
A writer moves to Greece just as the Nazis invade, and he soon becomes a pawn in a dangerous game of espionage After the death of his wife, Mike Morrison arrives in Greece simply to receive an inheritance and come to grips with his grief. But it's a bad time to nurse his sorrow--it's the beginning of World War II, and the German army storms the country before Morrison can leave. He's soon caught in a complicated cat-and-mouse game with Gestapo officers, British spies, and the Greek resistance movement. At the mercy of strangers, Morrison has to learn who to trust--and who to love. Leon Uris's fast-paced second novel draws from the diaries of an uncle who served in Greece during World War II. It was made into a film in 1959 starring Robert Mitchum. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Leon Uris including rare photos from the author's estate.
245 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
355 people are currently reading
944 people want to read
About the author
Leon Uris
87 books1,626 followersLeon Marcus Uris (August 3, 1924 - June 21, 2003) was an American novelist, known for his historical fiction and the deep research that went into his novels. His two bestselling books were Exodus, published in 1958, and Trinity, in 1976.
Leon Uris was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Jewish-American parents Wolf William and Anna (Blumberg) Uris. His father, a Polish-born immigrant, was a paperhanger, then a storekeeper. William spent a year in Palestine after World War I before entering the United States. He derived his surname from Yerushalmi, meaning "man of Jerusalem." (His brother Aron, Leon Uris' uncle, took the name Yerushalmi) "He was basically a failure," Uris later said of his father. "He went from failure to failure."
Uris attended schools in Norfolk, Virginia and Baltimore, but never graduated from high school, after having failed English three times. At age seventeen, while in his senior year of high school, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and Uris enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served in the South Pacific as a radioman (in combat) at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and New Zealand from 1942 through 1945. While recuperating from malaria in San Francisco, he met Betty Beck, a Marine sergeant; they married in 1945.
Coming out of the service, he worked for a newspaper, writing in his spare time. In 1950, Esquire magazine bought an article, and he began to devote himself to writing more seriously. Drawing on his experiences in Guadalcanal and Tarawa he produced the best-selling, Battle Cry, a novel depicting the toughness and courage of U.S. Marines in the Pacific. He then went to Warner Brothers in Hollywood helping to write the movie, which was extremely popular with the public, if not the critics. Later he went on to write The Angry Hills, a novel set in war-time Greece.
According to one source, in the early 1950's he was hired by an American public relations firm to go to Israel and "soak up the atmosphere and create a novel about it". That novel would be Exodus, which came out in 1958 and became his best known work. Others say that Uris, motivated by an intense interest in Israel, financed his own research for the novel by selling the film rights in advance to MGM and writing articles about the Sinai campaign. It is said that the book involved two years of research, and involved thousands of interviews. Exodus illustrated the history of Palestine from the late 19th century through the founding of the state of Israel in 1948. It was a worldwide best-seller, translated into a dozen languages, and was made into a feature film in 1960, starring Paul Newman, directed by Otto Preminger, as well as into a short-lived Broadway musical (12 previews, 19 performances) in 1971. Uris' novel Topaz was adapted for the screen and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Uris' subsequent works included: Mila 18, a story of the Warsaw ghetto uprising; Armageddon: A Novel of Berlin, which reveals the detailed work by British and American intelligence services in planning for the occupation and pacification of post WWII Germany; Trinity, an epic novel about Ireland's struggle for independence; QB VII, a novel about the role of a Polish doctor in a German concentration camp ; and The Haj, with insights into the history of the Middle East and the secret machinations of foreigners which have led to today's turmoil.
He also wrote the screenplays for Battle Cry and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Uris was married three times: to Betty Beck, with whom he had three children, from 1945 through their divorce in 1968; Margery Edwards in 1969, who died a year later, and Jill Peabody in 1970, with whom he had two children, and divorced in 1989.
Leon Uris died of renal failure at his Long Island home on Shelter Island, aged 78.
Leon Uris's papers can be found at the Ransom Center, University of Texas in Austin. The collection includes all of Uris's novels, with the exception of The Haj and Mitla Pass, as well as manus
Leon Uris was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Jewish-American parents Wolf William and Anna (Blumberg) Uris. His father, a Polish-born immigrant, was a paperhanger, then a storekeeper. William spent a year in Palestine after World War I before entering the United States. He derived his surname from Yerushalmi, meaning "man of Jerusalem." (His brother Aron, Leon Uris' uncle, took the name Yerushalmi) "He was basically a failure," Uris later said of his father. "He went from failure to failure."
Uris attended schools in Norfolk, Virginia and Baltimore, but never graduated from high school, after having failed English three times. At age seventeen, while in his senior year of high school, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and Uris enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He served in the South Pacific as a radioman (in combat) at Guadalcanal, Tarawa, and New Zealand from 1942 through 1945. While recuperating from malaria in San Francisco, he met Betty Beck, a Marine sergeant; they married in 1945.
Coming out of the service, he worked for a newspaper, writing in his spare time. In 1950, Esquire magazine bought an article, and he began to devote himself to writing more seriously. Drawing on his experiences in Guadalcanal and Tarawa he produced the best-selling, Battle Cry, a novel depicting the toughness and courage of U.S. Marines in the Pacific. He then went to Warner Brothers in Hollywood helping to write the movie, which was extremely popular with the public, if not the critics. Later he went on to write The Angry Hills, a novel set in war-time Greece.
According to one source, in the early 1950's he was hired by an American public relations firm to go to Israel and "soak up the atmosphere and create a novel about it". That novel would be Exodus, which came out in 1958 and became his best known work. Others say that Uris, motivated by an intense interest in Israel, financed his own research for the novel by selling the film rights in advance to MGM and writing articles about the Sinai campaign. It is said that the book involved two years of research, and involved thousands of interviews. Exodus illustrated the history of Palestine from the late 19th century through the founding of the state of Israel in 1948. It was a worldwide best-seller, translated into a dozen languages, and was made into a feature film in 1960, starring Paul Newman, directed by Otto Preminger, as well as into a short-lived Broadway musical (12 previews, 19 performances) in 1971. Uris' novel Topaz was adapted for the screen and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Uris' subsequent works included: Mila 18, a story of the Warsaw ghetto uprising; Armageddon: A Novel of Berlin, which reveals the detailed work by British and American intelligence services in planning for the occupation and pacification of post WWII Germany; Trinity, an epic novel about Ireland's struggle for independence; QB VII, a novel about the role of a Polish doctor in a German concentration camp ; and The Haj, with insights into the history of the Middle East and the secret machinations of foreigners which have led to today's turmoil.
He also wrote the screenplays for Battle Cry and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
Uris was married three times: to Betty Beck, with whom he had three children, from 1945 through their divorce in 1968; Margery Edwards in 1969, who died a year later, and Jill Peabody in 1970, with whom he had two children, and divorced in 1989.
Leon Uris died of renal failure at his Long Island home on Shelter Island, aged 78.
Leon Uris's papers can be found at the Ransom Center, University of Texas in Austin. The collection includes all of Uris's novels, with the exception of The Haj and Mitla Pass, as well as manus
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
April 27, 2018
Si no me equívoco, ésta es la segunda novela del autor y se nota. La historia en sí es buena pero le falta chispa; algo.
December 23, 2018
What a wonderful thrilling war read about how of an American author Mike Morrison is drawn into the struggle against Greece's cruel Nazi occupiers. He founds his own inner courage and after battles in the hills of Greece and hos witness of Nazi brutality as he sees entire villages put to the flame and sword by the Nazis, the finds the loyalty of a brave peasant girl who he soon parts with , he later is swept way to Athens he later falls in love with a troubled Greek beauty Lisa Kyriakides , who is in terrible danger and is desperate to save her two little sons. Lots of thrilling action, espionage and intrigue, and heros pitted against evil Nazis and their vile collaborators. and what I like best in a novel. an attractive female among the leading characters, who has flaws but is still likeable. Leon Uris was a genius in his field ans this is a cracker of a novel, the prefect holiday read!
May 1, 2012
I found The Angry Hills at a used book sale last Saturday. I've been a fan of Leon Uris for quite a long time, but only for two of his books: Exodus and Mila 18. Both of those books are intense, sprawling epics, mostly painted with sorrow, but shot through here and there with sunlight. I read The Haj once, but disliked it intensely for reasons I can't remember. Anyway, The Angry Hills sounded interesting due to its subject: Greece during the early portion of the Nazi occupation in the 40s. That part of WWII has always been somewhat opaque to me, mostly due to the fact that I haven't sought out any books specifically on the subject, as well as the confusing tides that played through Greece during those years: nationalists, the communists playing both sides, the collaborators, the Italians, the Germans, the British, etc.
I found The Angry Hills somewhat disappointing. It almost felt like a different writer in comparison to the voice in Mila 18 and Exodus. The prose reminded me of a somewhat incompetent Alistair MacLean. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy MacLean immensely, but this felt like MacLean not firing on all cylinders. However, when I discovered that the book is Uris' second novel ever, the quality suddenly made sense. If you're a Uris fan, you might want to read this one. If you aren't, then I recommend trying Mila 18 to get the proper flavor of his writing.
I found The Angry Hills somewhat disappointing. It almost felt like a different writer in comparison to the voice in Mila 18 and Exodus. The prose reminded me of a somewhat incompetent Alistair MacLean. Don't get me wrong; I enjoy MacLean immensely, but this felt like MacLean not firing on all cylinders. However, when I discovered that the book is Uris' second novel ever, the quality suddenly made sense. If you're a Uris fan, you might want to read this one. If you aren't, then I recommend trying Mila 18 to get the proper flavor of his writing.
March 26, 2020
Since reading the The Exodus, I have been addicted to Leon Uris' books. I enjoy reading his books because firstly, he's a story teller par excellence, and secondly we are actually killing two birds with one stone - we enjoy his storytelling on an event very close to what actually occurs in history. He's really a good story teller and books written by him certainly qualify as "non put-downdable". The Angry Hills, at 190 pages, though one of his shorter novels, is never short on thrills and excitement.
We follow the adventure of Michael Morrison who is only beginning to get his grip on being a sustainable writer. The whole book revolves around how Michael coped with the intrigues between the Nazi who had just occupied Greece and the British who were forced to surrender during the early years of the first world war. The two sides and the Greek resistance fighters were all trying to get hold of information held by Michael that was critical to the outcome of the war on either side. Read it, and enjoy it. There is enough thrill, excitement, adventure, romance and heart-rending moments to make it worth the read.
We follow the adventure of Michael Morrison who is only beginning to get his grip on being a sustainable writer. The whole book revolves around how Michael coped with the intrigues between the Nazi who had just occupied Greece and the British who were forced to surrender during the early years of the first world war. The two sides and the Greek resistance fighters were all trying to get hold of information held by Michael that was critical to the outcome of the war on either side. Read it, and enjoy it. There is enough thrill, excitement, adventure, romance and heart-rending moments to make it worth the read.
August 26, 2021
Sorry Leon, not my favorite of your books. The story follows Mike Morrison who is an American who goes to Greece on a simple errand. He then accidentally gets entangled into British espionage and had to evade capture from German Nazis. And then a lot of bad things happen to him. And a nice Greek peasant girl comes to his rescue. But just when Mike realizes that he has no future with the Greek peasant girl, another lovely woman comes into the picture.
There was just a lot that didn't seem plausible. The ending was good, but it had been such a slog that the excitement might just have been because the book finally ended.
I like the idea of learning about Greece during World War II as that is not a country where a lot has been written about it. And that part is nice - learning a bit about the Greek countryside and their resistance to Germany.
The nice thing about it is that it is very short and I finished it rather quickly.
There was just a lot that didn't seem plausible. The ending was good, but it had been such a slog that the excitement might just have been because the book finally ended.
I like the idea of learning about Greece during World War II as that is not a country where a lot has been written about it. And that part is nice - learning a bit about the Greek countryside and their resistance to Germany.
The nice thing about it is that it is very short and I finished it rather quickly.
February 1, 2025
It has been a long time since I have read a book by Leon Uris and it was like seeing an old friend again.
Mike Morrison is in Greece to claim his deceased wife's inheritance. The night before he is to leave his lawyer asks Mike to delivery a letter for him in London. But everything goes horribly wrong and Mike is on the run from the Nazis not knowing who is friend or foe.
This book has everything, intrigue, deception and romance that make Uris' books memorable,
Mike Morrison is in Greece to claim his deceased wife's inheritance. The night before he is to leave his lawyer asks Mike to delivery a letter for him in London. But everything goes horribly wrong and Mike is on the run from the Nazis not knowing who is friend or foe.
This book has everything, intrigue, deception and romance that make Uris' books memorable,
June 24, 2018
Not the best from Uris
I usually love Leon Uris. But not this time. I never cared deeply for any of the characters and at times the dialogue seemed unnatural. I was hoping to learn more about the German occupation of Greece. I was disappointed. The ending was predictable. It was one if his earlier books and I know he gets much better - just four years later with Exodus.
I usually love Leon Uris. But not this time. I never cared deeply for any of the characters and at times the dialogue seemed unnatural. I was hoping to learn more about the German occupation of Greece. I was disappointed. The ending was predictable. It was one if his earlier books and I know he gets much better - just four years later with Exodus.
October 26, 2021
This was one of the author's earlier books, but his style of writing was superb. The story happened in German occupied Greece during the Second World War. The story was fiction, but the setting was real. An ordinary man, Michael Morrison, from California went to Greece to settle some personal affairs. Suddenly he was swept up into espionage and counter spy operations for which he had no training. There was a love interest, but nothing overt was set to paper by pen.
All Uris books are good reading. This one lacked some sophistication, but I am not complaining.
Thank you, Mr. Uris, for a good read.
All Uris books are good reading. This one lacked some sophistication, but I am not complaining.
Thank you, Mr. Uris, for a good read.
February 6, 2017
Michael Morrison is an aspiring American author. He and his wife Ellie have always wanted go to Greece. When one of Ellie’s uncle dies and leaves her a sizeable financial bequeath, they thought their prayers had been answered. Ellie died unexpectantly, leaving Mike a widower with two small children. With the war heating up in Europe, Mike leaves his children with his parents and travels from his home in San Francisco to Athens.
While visiting a barrister, representing Ellie’s uncle’s estate, he is asked to carry a letter with him back to London. Figuring that it is just a small favor, he accepts. This is the start of a cat and mouse game, with his life and the safety of hundreds (if not thousands) of people. Seventeen names are written on a list that will become known as the Steriou List. These seventeen names are well connected British agents in the Nazi/Greek transitional government.
The reader is given a front row seat at the collapse of the British Expeditionary Force as the German and Italian divisions sweep in from the north. This is certainly no time or place for an American tourist to be. Witness the charity, bravery, and self-sacrifice of Greek patriots as they risk everything for the asking.
Like other best-selling novels by this author, the reader is blessed with heart-wrenching stories that never made the headlines and are now all but forgotten, except for the few survivors and their decedents. This is a great work for a man that richly deserved the accolades he was given as a writer.
While visiting a barrister, representing Ellie’s uncle’s estate, he is asked to carry a letter with him back to London. Figuring that it is just a small favor, he accepts. This is the start of a cat and mouse game, with his life and the safety of hundreds (if not thousands) of people. Seventeen names are written on a list that will become known as the Steriou List. These seventeen names are well connected British agents in the Nazi/Greek transitional government.
The reader is given a front row seat at the collapse of the British Expeditionary Force as the German and Italian divisions sweep in from the north. This is certainly no time or place for an American tourist to be. Witness the charity, bravery, and self-sacrifice of Greek patriots as they risk everything for the asking.
Like other best-selling novels by this author, the reader is blessed with heart-wrenching stories that never made the headlines and are now all but forgotten, except for the few survivors and their decedents. This is a great work for a man that richly deserved the accolades he was given as a writer.
December 15, 2015
childrens games...most of these war books..is bs...we need love not war.
May 1, 2021
3.5 to 4 stars. Fast paced and impressive storytelling for such a short little book!
August 28, 2023
The Angry Hills
I am a great fan of Leon Uris’ writing. Trinity was the first of his novels I read and he wrote it about 20 yrs or so into his publishing career. The Angry Hills was an early book of his, the second I think. It was moderately entertaining, but did not carry the depth of his other books. It tried but also could not drag me into the tragic story of Greece the way Trinity, Redemption, QB VII, and Exodus immerse us their respective tragedies.
I am a great fan of Leon Uris’ writing. Trinity was the first of his novels I read and he wrote it about 20 yrs or so into his publishing career. The Angry Hills was an early book of his, the second I think. It was moderately entertaining, but did not carry the depth of his other books. It tried but also could not drag me into the tragic story of Greece the way Trinity, Redemption, QB VII, and Exodus immerse us their respective tragedies.
January 31, 2023
I have seen Leon Uris novels my whole life, but never read one until now. It's my loss. Judging by this book, he was a fantastic writer and tale-spinner. This 1955 novel is set in Greece during WW II. Michael Morrison, an ordinary American tourist, happens to be in Greece when the Germans invade the country. Inadvertently, he gets caught up in a life-and-death spy caper, the outcome of which will determine the Nazis' ability to subjugate the country.
This gritty novel was only 191 pages, but contained as much action, suspense, and romance as any 400-page spy novel I've ever read. I loved how Uris kept things moving. One of my pet peeves with spy novels is that they tend to get bogged down in details and become overly long. There were also unexpected plot twists and a surprise ending I didn't see coming. Finally, I was impressed with Uris's ability to weave a romantic storyline through all the nefarious goings-on. It gave the book heart.
This gritty novel was only 191 pages, but contained as much action, suspense, and romance as any 400-page spy novel I've ever read. I loved how Uris kept things moving. One of my pet peeves with spy novels is that they tend to get bogged down in details and become overly long. There were also unexpected plot twists and a surprise ending I didn't see coming. Finally, I was impressed with Uris's ability to weave a romantic storyline through all the nefarious goings-on. It gave the book heart.
August 29, 2024
Classic Leon Uris. Great story telling using historical narrative. The book has several twists and turns including the dramatic ending.
September 10, 2018
This is a story of an American writer turned reluctant spy during Germany's invasion of Greece during WWII. It is also the first book by Leon Uris that I've read.
The writing was well done - well paced, good character development (mostly) and tension throughout. The Greek/British Underground was busy pulling a fast one on the German invaders, even as the author was giving the reader misdirection. :)
One thing that annoyed me - a typical pet peeve - is that there is a love story where by the 5th day after meeting, they use pet names (honey, darling) and by the 9th, they've professed their love. Maybe I'm just not a believer in love at first sight....
I would rate this a 3.5 due to the good storytelling and the tension throughout.
The writing was well done - well paced, good character development (mostly) and tension throughout. The Greek/British Underground was busy pulling a fast one on the German invaders, even as the author was giving the reader misdirection. :)
One thing that annoyed me - a typical pet peeve - is that there is a love story where by the 5th day after meeting, they use pet names (honey, darling) and by the 9th, they've professed their love. Maybe I'm just not a believer in love at first sight....
I would rate this a 3.5 due to the good storytelling and the tension throughout.
November 4, 2020
This was not as good a read as I was expecting. The characters are well-drawn and they and the plot maintain interest but the conclusions, particularly with reference to the main character´s romantic partners are not convincing enough, given the author´s own age, gender and race. The novel has lost something of its force down the years since it was conceived and written. The relatively short chapters enable a good fast read which is very much in its favour. Now I will heave to re-read Uris´ Exodus to see if it is as good as I remember.
September 7, 2021
more of a sketch of a story than a story. You can’t fall into it and be carried along. evading the Germans in Greece, working with the underground, trusting no one. but when he falls in lust with a village girl, and then rapidly in love with a member of the underground, none of that is believable, the characters haven’t been fleshed out enough and it is mostly just announced, not experienced as a reader. Kind of more like an outline for a novel rather than a novel.
Having said that, it was only his second novel, and he hadn’t developed his chops yet.
Having said that, it was only his second novel, and he hadn’t developed his chops yet.
July 22, 2018
Fooled me
The first chapter of this book sucked me in. I thought, "now this guy can write!" . Every chapter after that became increasingly boring and shallow. The characters have no depth. The supposed suspense just isn't there. I wanted to finish the book because Mr Uris is so famous and someone thought it was good enough to make a movie, but I just couldn't do it.
The first chapter of this book sucked me in. I thought, "now this guy can write!" . Every chapter after that became increasingly boring and shallow. The characters have no depth. The supposed suspense just isn't there. I wanted to finish the book because Mr Uris is so famous and someone thought it was good enough to make a movie, but I just couldn't do it.
October 7, 2017
WWII tale about Greece and the German occupation. Hero has a list of anti German collaborators that he has to get to the British. Leon Uris is one of my favorite authors gave this one 4 Stars my only complaint is he tried to add a little romance that just didn’t fit the story
August 25, 2020
early and amateurish
This book was an imagined story with minimal
character development. Men are heroic and women
are planar. Women attract men using telepathy
and dark eyes. Men kill Nazis.
This book was an imagined story with minimal
character development. Men are heroic and women
are planar. Women attract men using telepathy
and dark eyes. Men kill Nazis.
January 31, 2022
I used to really enjoy Leon Uris' books about 25 years or so ago, now they just seem really dated, particularly when it comes to pulling the birds. Just like old James Bond movies, women dropping their knickers all over the place for the hero. Vomit!
May 17, 2013
I thought I wanted to read an old pulp thriller. I was wrong.
August 16, 2016
It's been ages since I read anything by Uris (Mila 18). This book SUCKED. Might have been fodder for a grade B movie.
February 25, 2017
Excellent
Uris has the ability to show the reader the inside of things. Great World War Two story that captures the struggle of a nation.
Uris has the ability to show the reader the inside of things. Great World War Two story that captures the struggle of a nation.
October 3, 2017
WWII spy novel set in Greece. American novelist Is given list of undercover Greeks that he needs to get to British authorities.
November 5, 2018
A great thriller from Uris...and short unlike so many of his books. A tense, surprising ending capped it all off. Excellent!
October 19, 2021
Difficult to believe that the author of QBVII could produce something resembling a Mills and Boon novel. Very weak plot and even more difficult to believe characters
July 11, 2022
Its most redeeming feature, the plot, took a while to get going. If this was based on a true story, it is a shame the characters are so shallow. The style is also lackluster.
September 23, 2022
An interesting plot, but generally awful.
July 11, 2017
This a fast read. A good swashbuckling story of an American writer outwitting the Gestapo after the invasion of Greece by Germany during the Second World War. The characters are nothing deep. The good looking ex-football player coming to Greece to retrieve an inheritance that was left to his wife, who died tragically in a car accident. The usual brutal German Gestapo chief working with collaborators and against the Greek underground. Soon there is a beautiful Greek women in the picture, and well....you'll find out once you have read it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews