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Man of Arms: The Life and Legend of Sir Basil Zaharoff
Sinister, mysterious, credited with vast influence and great wealth... who was this man who evoked such fierce passions that he was branded the 'Merchant of Death', a man who had risen from obscure origins in Asia Minor to control a worldwide empire? His trade was arms, anything that fired, floated, submerged and - later - flew. His life spanned the muzzle-loading musket and the prototype Spitfire.
376 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 16, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 8, 2017
I cannot recommend or get enthusiastic about Anthony Allfrey’s Man of Arms: The Life and Legend of Sir Basil Zaharoff. Sir Basil Zaharoff was often referred to as a man of mystery, the stereotypical evil arms merchant and a classic grey eminence. By the end of Man of Arms, he is this guy who made a lot of money. In fairness to Allfrey, the author works hard to hew to events, times and places that can be documented. He admits that large portions are blanks and calls his conjectures, guesses just as an honest writer should.
I had run into Sir Basil first the Lanny Budd Books by Upton Sinclair. Zaharoff appears in much of the writing about British “Ace of Spy’s” Sidney Reilly. Reilly existed so these are nominally biography, but again Reilly was a spy. How much of this is history and how much conjecture? The result of these indirect references was that I had thought I knew some certainties about. Man of Arms make it clear that my certainties are wrong, probably. In fact there is no mention of Reilly being a noticeable person in Zaharoff’s life.
Alfrey cannot decide if Sir Basil is a bad person who got better, deserved to use his title as a British Knight or if his riches were deserved or a matter of shady arms selling. If the author and presumably chief researcher on the person under discussion is not clear, as he reader I am more uncertain.
Evidently Sir Basil made the connection between America’ Electric Boat to his Spanish submarine builders at just the right time to keep Electric Boat in money until it could become the main American builder of submarines. This is a relatively explicit example from the book that helps to explain how Basil could live a lavish lifestyle. Other relationships are less clear. He made a lot of money helping Vickers to sell weapons. He delivered enough business that Vickers had him on a percentage, even after WW I when this money was tight. What contracts he was responsible for are mostly not enumerated. Allfrey spends a lot of time detailing a failed effort to swing Turkey to the Allied side in WW I and links this with the award of Knighthood to Sir Basil. Except that this effort failed. Why is failed negotiations worthy of a knighthood?
In other words, this is not a book that make things clear. Much of this is because Zaharoff did not want things clear. His early life seems to be one of con a artist and bigamist. Exactly how much cleaner is his later life? He could be very open handed to friends, even unto making annual cash payments to them for decades. He would found things like an aviation school, make lavish donations to charities and own banks rather than break banks at Monte Carlo.
Allfrey tries hard to track down the rumors and to defend against the post WWI attacks against Zaharoff. But we never get enough clarity to have a sense of who this man was
I had run into Sir Basil first the Lanny Budd Books by Upton Sinclair. Zaharoff appears in much of the writing about British “Ace of Spy’s” Sidney Reilly. Reilly existed so these are nominally biography, but again Reilly was a spy. How much of this is history and how much conjecture? The result of these indirect references was that I had thought I knew some certainties about. Man of Arms make it clear that my certainties are wrong, probably. In fact there is no mention of Reilly being a noticeable person in Zaharoff’s life.
Alfrey cannot decide if Sir Basil is a bad person who got better, deserved to use his title as a British Knight or if his riches were deserved or a matter of shady arms selling. If the author and presumably chief researcher on the person under discussion is not clear, as he reader I am more uncertain.
Evidently Sir Basil made the connection between America’ Electric Boat to his Spanish submarine builders at just the right time to keep Electric Boat in money until it could become the main American builder of submarines. This is a relatively explicit example from the book that helps to explain how Basil could live a lavish lifestyle. Other relationships are less clear. He made a lot of money helping Vickers to sell weapons. He delivered enough business that Vickers had him on a percentage, even after WW I when this money was tight. What contracts he was responsible for are mostly not enumerated. Allfrey spends a lot of time detailing a failed effort to swing Turkey to the Allied side in WW I and links this with the award of Knighthood to Sir Basil. Except that this effort failed. Why is failed negotiations worthy of a knighthood?
In other words, this is not a book that make things clear. Much of this is because Zaharoff did not want things clear. His early life seems to be one of con a artist and bigamist. Exactly how much cleaner is his later life? He could be very open handed to friends, even unto making annual cash payments to them for decades. He would found things like an aviation school, make lavish donations to charities and own banks rather than break banks at Monte Carlo.
Allfrey tries hard to track down the rumors and to defend against the post WWI attacks against Zaharoff. But we never get enough clarity to have a sense of who this man was
July 8, 2016
This is a well-researched and well-written book about Sir Basil Zaharoff, a shadowy figure who exerted great influence as an international arms dealer from the 1880s to his death over fifty years later. While his major participation in an industry tainted by bribery and corruption inevitably made him a highly controversial figure, especially given the backlash against private arms dealings following the destruction of the First World War, the author brings out the more positive side of his personality, in particular his generosity and philanthropy. He also writes with flair about Sir Basil's colourful private life and succeeds in lifting the veil on this charming, complex and rather sinister man.
June 29, 2016
This is the fascinating story of Zaharoff, a complex and interesting arms dealer, known as the Merchant of Death. Allfrey is a terrific writer, who really brings both the period and the characters to life.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews