The Greek triumph in the waters of Salamis in 480 BC, ten years after Marathon, was the decisive battle that shaped the image of the entire Western Civilization.

If Xerxes had won at Salamis, it is highly doubtful that the divided Greeks at that time could have united again to drive the Persians from their lands. If the Greeks had been defeated on that fateful day, then Persia, not Greece, would have dominated and influenced Europe and the West in general.

If Themistocles had not convinced Eurybiades to support his plan, the naval battle would not have taken place at the strait of Salamis but at the Isthmus, with uncertain results. Thanks to the military genius and determination of Themistocles, the Greeks decisively repelled the Asian invaders, achieved the freedom of the Greeks, democracy flourished, and Athens was glorified.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]