Just Finished Reading: The Last English King by Julian Rathbone (1997) [388pp] 

Europe, 1070. Walt the Wanderer is making his way, slowly and painfully, across Europe to the Holy land to seek atonement. The guilt he is carrying is almost crushing him, the guilt of failure, the guilt of shame and the guilt of survival. When he at last looks across the waves at Constantinople he hears a voice he can understand in a sea of foreigners. Unable to pay the ferryman his new companion Quint offers to pay for both of them. Having nothing to offer in return Walt initially declines until Quint says that he can pay his way by telling the story of his life. After a longer than expected pause Walt agrees and tells a tale of growing up in service to a powerful lord, of learning to fight in single combat and in the shield wall, of becoming an elite Companion and of travelling to Ireland, Wales and to France where he met Duke William, the Bastard. He tells his tale of political manoeuvrers, of broken oaths and of love both found and lost and he tells of battles won and battles lost along with his right hand and of fallen heroes including the last English king - Harold Godwinson. 

I've been looking forward to reading this for some time. As someone who is more than a little obsessed with 1066 'and all that' (actually the title of Part VII of the novel, which made me laugh out loud!) I'm always up for reading anything on the subject be it fiction or non-fiction. Unfortunately, so far, the novelisations around the period have been less than impressive – not so for this very good rendition. Although told mostly in 'flashback' I thought it was an excellent way at looking at the events running up to Hastings and the immediate aftermath of the calamity. Not only is Walt in effect paying for his supper he is also using his narrative to come to terms with what happened (to him, Harold and England) and as a method for dealing with his survivor's guilt plus an unhealthy dose of PTSD. The fact that he is often telling his tale with an audience – up to 5-6 people at some points – with his audience asking questions or countering his narrative with THEIR understanding of the facts – allows for a much more rounded look things. 

I think I was most impressed by the way that the author mixes what we DO know of the events with some very plausible explanations for the mysteries that historians still argue and publish books about – notable the much-discussed oath that Harold was purported to have made to support Duke William's claim to the English throne. The thing that gave me MUCH pause for reflection (and a need to read up far more on the period) were the relationships between some of the main players notably Edward the Confessor. I did have my 'suspicions' in the area of his sexual preferences, but the author really ran with them. What actual credence they have will need some more research on my part! Speaking of sex... there is some scattered throughout the novel and it is moderately explicit at times, although its easily skippable. I think the thing that surprised me more than anything was who was having sex with who and how most of it was at least tolerated or regarded as barely noteworthy. Anglo-Saxon sexual mores are something I know VERY little about so I'll see if I can find out more in my reading. 

Overall, I thought this was at least very good with long moments of excellence. I certainly couldn't fault any of the historical fact (or at least what I know of it) and not a single thing broke me out of the narrative. Harold was obviously the hero throughout and William was portrayed as borderline psychotic which he may very well have been taking into account his early life and his actions post-Hastings and especially after the Northern rebellions. Edward played an interesting role rather different from my expectations (sexual preferences aside) which actually explained quite a bit. The battles of Stamford Bridge and especially Hastings were very well done and dramatic – including the in/famous arrow which did briefly raise an eyebrow to be honest, but I forgave him quickly. Loved it and I'm looking forward to more from this author. HIGHLY recommended especially if you have any interest in Anglo-Saxon England or (more especially) the pivotal Battle of Hastings.

Just Finished Reading: Paths of Glory by Humphrey Cobb (FP: 1935) [201pp] 

The Western Front, France. It was a mistake, just not the one they suspected. After only 5 hours at the rest area, the 181st Company were on the way back to the front line – although a different section than before. Even the officers didn’t quite know why they were marching back so soon after being relieved. After weeks of exhausting combat, they certainly needed, and deserved, their rest but the veterans were cynical enough to shrug their shoulders, grumble and keep moving. On arrival at their new trench the Colonel finally received his orders. In two days, they would assault and take the German position known locally as ‘The Pimple’ and hold it until relived. This would be the third attempt and would not fail, indeed the General’s reputation and hoped for promotion depended on it. The attack, as everyone suspected, failed in spectacular fashion and with significant French casualties. Not satisfied with the effort, or lack of according to the General, a court martial was called and four of the attackers would be put on trial for cowardice in the face of the enemy – a capital offence. With the weight of the General Staff ranged against them is there any hope or will they all be shot at dawn? 

I’d seen the 1957 movie adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas a few times so was looking forward to reading this. I was not disappointed. Although the movie is somewhat different the main core of the story remains the same – with the attack, the longer court scenes and the ending making it across media largely intact. The biggest change I think was the inflation of the role of Colonel Dax (the regiments commander) from a fairly peripheral role in the book to a central one in the movie as befits the star of the film. Being a quite short book, it doesn’t have any time to pad the plot and this spareness intensifies the tension as the unit involved come to terms with the objective they’re about to attack (from the perspective of a great deal of experience) and their incredulity at standing trial accused of a cowardice they did not commit. Each section leader was given the task of choosing one of their men to stand trial, knowing exactly what the outcome would be, and their choices of how to do so was fascinating – especially that of the devoutly Catholic Major. We also get to know the men on trial and how each reacts to their predicament. Again, sparse text results in excellent characterisation. 

I was honestly hooked on this story from the off. Despite being dropped straight into things – mid march from the Front before being called back – there is no need to settle into things, and you fall right into the action. I’m guessing that this is because, at least looking back on the events over 100 years ago, we have enough cultural touchstones so little explanation is required. On publication, less than 20 years after the event, many of the readers could draw on personal experience to fill out any background. Despite being written by an American who served with the Canadians on the Western Front this brilliant novel has a very French feel to it and actually reminded me of Under Fire by Henri Barbusse. Although not exactly an anti-war novel per se, this narrative hits HARD. Don’t expect to come away from this untouched emotionally but do expect to find yourself in the days and weeks after finishing it pausing for thought. Quite excellent and therefore definitely recommended. 

Just Finished Reading: Spartacus by Lewis Grassic Gibbon (FP: 1933) [237pp] 

Italy, 73BC. As soon as Kleon heard the news he knew exactly what to do. Taking a knife, he went into his master’s bedroom and calmly slit his throat. Leaving the house and the city he made his way south meeting up with other runaway slaves who were all searching for one man – Spartacus. Even if it was a dream, it was a dream worth having. They were free. For how long no one knew. It would only be a matter of time before the masters came to reclaim their property or, more likely, to kill them all and to destroy for ever the very idea that mere slaves could revolt without paying the ultimate price. Spartacus the man was almost a myth already – the gladiator who had stood against Rome itself. But he was far from alone. The slaves who gathered around him were far from the rabble portrayed across Italy. Many had fought in the arena and many more were both prepared and able to train to fight. It wasn’t long before the slave army had become the Free Legions and had won their first battle against a hastily put together Roman force. Now with more confidence, more weapons and more recruits they needed to decide what to do next. Would it be crossing the border into freedom or an attack on Rome itself? Only Spartacus could decide. 

As a fan of Spartacus himself (mostly because of the badly aged Kirk Douglas film to be honest) and having read a few history books about the fabled slave revolt I jumped at this fictionalisation of the events back in the Roman Republic. Finding out its age and classic status (completely unknown to me) made me want to read it all the more. I was not disappointed. Despite being slightly slow at times and, at least at times, feeling slightly oddly written – I did wonder if the author was going for a mix of ‘modern’ and classical style – this was both a fun and fascinating read.  

Told from several perspectives (mostly from the Free Legions sub-commanders as well as Spartacus himself and the Roman generals who opposed him) this gave a rounded – if fictional – interpretation of events. Interesting for such an old novel there was a ‘meta’ moment were some of the characters wondered how the revolt would be seen in the future and how much of reality would survive the inevitable mythologisation that was already happening! I found that musing, between battles, quite fascinating and mused on it quite a bit. Although there were a handful of battles described – very well I thought – there was much more going on. We saw various nationalities discussing their gods and other beliefs, and we saw friendships form and relationships develop. All of the main characters were well drawn and believable which certainly helped with immersion into the story. Being the time and event in question there are more than a few moments of violent death which might disturb some readers. Whilst not particularly graphic the narrative doesn’t pull every punch so be prepared for more than a little blood and people being nailed to trees. Recommended for any fans of the classical world or of the slave revolt itself. 

Just Finished Reading: Keane’s Company by Iain Gale (FP: 2013) [341pp] 

Portugal, 1808. Lieutenant James Keane knew it was a bad idea. Duelling had been banned in the British army and yet here he was. Not that he had much choice as it was a matter of honour. Being accused of cheating wasn’t something that an officer and a gentleman could simply ignore. Naturally he never intended to kill his opponent. He knew now that his conduct would result in more than a reprimand and a fine. It would mean a court-martial and being cashiered from the Army. To leave in disgrace after over a decade of service. When they came for him, he went quietly, expecting the worse. What he didn’t expect was being brought up before the new Commander-in-Chief himself. Recently arrived from England, Arthur Wellesley clearly had other troubles than one careless Lieutenant. But he also clearly required talent if he was to expel the French forces from Portugal. Keane couldn’t have been more surprised when he was promoted to Captain. There was, of course, a price to be paid. Keane was to form a company of men with a variety of talents and to operate primarily behind enemy lines. He was to scout ahead of the army and, where possible, disrupt enemy intentions wherever and however he could. Periodically he would report back to Wellesley himself but, until then, he and his men would be on their own, living off the land, working with partisans, and generally raising Hell. Fortunately, his men, rescued from prison, firing squad and flogging were already practiced hellraisers. Life as an exploring officer was going to be anything but dull. 

Already being a dedicated fan of Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe novels, I just HAD to pick this up when I came across it. I was not disappointed. Not only was Keane a fun creation the whole idea behind the novel was one I had been thinking about for some time. One of my favourite characters in the Sharpe universe was Major Hogan the ‘exploring officer’ doing secret work behind the lines. I’ve been hoping for a while now that Cornwell would produce such a book, but that’s not going to happen. Although this wasn’t EXACTLY what I wanted it was a pretty close fit. The blurb on the back of the book describes Keane’s company as ‘a 19th century Dirty Dozen’ which I completely agree with. The idea works really well in the context of the Peninsular War. Such ‘Special Forces’ groups were force multipliers and Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) was strapped for troops and strapped for cash, so it made sense to think outside the box and create something like this. I have no idea if such a thing did happen IRL as, sadly, most of my ‘knowledge’ of the Napoleonic Wars comes almost exclusively from Sharpe novels. I mean to address this at some point! 

Needless to say, I really enjoyed this. Keane is an interesting character with room for development (there are three more books in the series to date) and there’s plenty of war/action for him and his men to be involved in. There are some very nice set-pieces – befitting a small fighting group - throughout the book, and I never once found myself disengaged or wanting more. I am very much looking forward to the next book, which I don’t have yet, but I do have the last book in the set so... Definitely recommended for all Napoleonic War fans and most definitely for fans of Richard Sharpe. More to come in this (short) series and from the author. 

Just Finished Reading: A Prayer for the Ship by Douglas Reeman (FP: 1958) [255pp] 

England’s South coast, early in WW2. After several months on armed trawlers, sub-lieutenant Clive Royce is transferred to HMS Royston, a motor torpedo boat mothership. Now second in command of an MTB Royce is both looking forward to action and is worried that he’ll let his squadron down if he doesn’t perform as needed. Learning the ropes, learning command and learning how to fight in the ever-changing environment of the English Channel is a steep enough challenge. What he doesn’t really need is a new commanding officer how is a stickler for the rules and who is jealous of anyone else’s success. Both making and losing friends, worrying about his aging parents and, just maybe, falling in love he has enough to think about on the cold, dark patrols.  

This is yet another of those books I picked up a while back (although WELL after its publication date!) that I’ve been meaning to get around to. Small craft combat in the English Channel isn’t something that gets much attention – in fiction or non-fiction – so I thought it’d be interesting if nothing else. It was, unfortunately, a book of two halves. The main narrative was typical enough: young (but not entirely green) officer recruit learning the ropes, worried about fitting in and being up to the task – especially as he’s never seen combat before. Also, we have the trope of an overbearing officer who can (if annoyed) inhibit if not destroy his military career. Most of that was decently handled. As often with these books the combat side of things is well done, and this was no exception. There wasn’t a HUGE amount of combat sequences – as in real life its mostly waiting for things to happen – but once the shells and the torpedoes where flying the pace picked up and it was all rather well done. 

As often the case though, the more personal aspects of the plot were rather less competently handled – but that might have been more the times it was written in rather than any shortcomings by the author. The hospital scenes with Royce’s parents as he recovered from a very close shave were OK, but it was the love story in the second half of the book that REALLY slowed the narrative down and honestly read like something an inexperienced (but romantically inclined) teenage might produce. I cringed more than once as that particular plot thread SLOWLY progressed. 

Overall, this was generally reasonable although I would have preferred more action and less mooning over a pretty face. I don’t think I have any more from this author in various stacks and am not really looking to buy any more, but I’m sure that I have others to fill the gap.   

Just Finished Reading: The Sea Witch by Stephen Coonts (FP: 2012) [253pp] 

This was a collection of three short novellas by an author I used to read a lot of pre-Blog. The first story was the titled ‘Sea Witch’ (1999) which revolved around an American ‘jinx’ fighter-bomber pilot early in the Pacific War being assigned to be co-pilot in a PBY Catalina (one of my all-time favourite aircraft) after the original and well-respected co-pilot had been killed. There followed the usual trying to fit in trope and it was obvious from the start that the ‘jinx’ would end up saving the day. This he did – but not in the way I’d expected. An above average story overall. 

Next up was ‘The 17th Day’ (2003) which told the tale of an American pilot in the Royal Flying Corps on the Western Front. The pilot's pre-occupation was, as you might expect, survival especially as it's his 17th day in service which is the average life-expectancy of a fighter pilot in that theatre. The question is: will he make it through the day. Despite being a well-constructed story, it didn’t have a lot of tension (can you really imagine the main character dying part way through and the officers in his squadron shrugging their shoulders and saying “Well, them’s the odds.....”. The flying scenes were well handled although, depending on how my memory is, I did think he stole a real incident for his fictional lead to add a bit of addition danger/threat. Still, it was reasonably entertaining. 

By FAR the worst story was the last - ‘Al-Jihad’ (2001). This was a frankly ridiculous story of a retired marine sniper being hired to assist a navy brat whose parents had been killed by Libyan terrorists by blowing up the airline they’d been travelling on. The plot, if you can call it that, was incredibly muddled and barely made sense. Even I could see ten other (and better) ways of eliminating the targets and that’s without getting into the area of extra-judicial killing. The conclusion was a nonsensical cherry-on-top and honestly made me laugh out loud at the stupidity of it all. I can only imagine that the author’s publisher asked him for a quick terrorist related story, and he passed on the task to his teenage son, then made a minimal effort of ‘clean it up’ and put his stamp on it. Terrible. 

This had been (as so often is the case) sitting in a pile of books for YEARS and I decided to finally ‘get around’ to it now. I might have tossed it if the story order had been reversed but that didn’t happen. Reasonable overall but not recommended even for the hard-core thriller reader. I’m SURE that there’s MUCH better stuff out there! 

Just Finished Reading: The Killing Ground by Elleston Trevor (FP: 1956) [266pp] 

5th June 1944. Even as the landing craft waited for the bombardment to start some aboard still thought that the invasion was about to be called off. The sea was still rough from the recent passing storm and the sound of vomiting from the tank crews (to say nothing of the smell) was everywhere. Then, at the appointed time, all hell was let loose on the Atlantic Wall. The order was given as the landing crafts engines fired up – Man your tanks!  

Arriving on the beach not long after the ‘funnies’ had done their work of mine clearing and much else besides, the tank troop was immediately called to assist the infantry in suppression of accurate fire coming from the surviving machine-gun emplacements. Battle had begun and the Mk IV and Mk V Cromwell’s would be in the thick of things until the beach was secure and they could begin to move inland to their day's objectives.  

Yet again, this book has been on my shelves for DECADES unread. After reading another of his novels recently – based around and RAF station during the Battle of Britain (the author was a Flight Engineer during the war) – I thought it was high time to see how he managed armoured warfare. The answer: very well indeed. One of the things that I noticed immediately (as with his RAF novel) was the realism of the dialogue. Having spoken to a number of serving military over the years the conversations, both in combat and in the more peaceful pauses just sounded REAL which added to the immersion I felt reading this often-gripping book. As I’ve said on multiple occasions I do like good characterisation and people who you can relate to and root for in a novel. There’s nothing worse, I feel, than a book, even a well-written book, where you either don’t care about the characters or even actively dislike them. That was not the case here. There is, naturally, a downside to this. Especially in a war novel there’s going to be cases of death and injury to characters you like. Random death is definitely a thing! So, my advice is not to get TOO attached to anyone in this book. There's certainly quite the range of characters here: some are barely holding it together after years of fighting, some are just doing a job and doing it well, others are determined to disappear on the next home leave and never look back and some will find that combat will be the making of them once they move beyond the influence of their father... 

Taking place between the D-Day landings themselves and the Battle of the Falaise pocket, this is an excellent insight, albeit fictionalised, into armoured combat of the period. In many senses being behind a few inches of armour whilst being shot at is the place to be – except that as a valuable and dangerous asset on the field that tank is going to be a significant target to take out and the Axis have the fabled Flak-88 that can one-shot you! It's difficult to imagine the tension (and the smell to be honest!) inside that armoured hide. Definitely recommended for anyone interested in WW2 military fiction if you can source a copy. 

Just Finished Reading: Desert Raiders by Lucien Soulban (FP: 2007) [245pp] 

The distress signal was strong. Strong enough to kill the receiving psyker and incapacitate three others. An Imperial Guard unit had been eliminated, and naval units were dispatched to find out who, where and how. Two battered Tallarn regiments, barely recovered from previous battles, had been dropped on the barren desert planet – previously unknown and presently unregistered – to investigate. Within hours of their arrival the orbital fleet was directed to another emergency and assured the Imperial Guard units that further supplies would be dropped in 90 days. After months of base building, patrolling and growing tension between factions with a long and troubled history contact with the fleet and Sector command had not been established. For now at least they were on their own. With supplies running low and infighting becoming a real possibility, a sudden arrival from space manages to concentrate minds. It would certainly explain why they had been abandoned and why their supply drop was so overdue. Two hundred kilometres away in the deep desert a ship had arrived that drove fear into the hearts of the most experienced warriors amongst them. They were about to face the horror of the galaxy, the relentless force with only one aim, one mission, one drive – to feed. The Tyranids had arrived... 

This is my second Warhammer 40K novel. As much as I enjoyed my first experience with the novel side of things (I’ve been playing the PC game versions for years) I enjoyed this even more. It did start rather slowly with lots of good character building, world building and the expected sprinkling of 40K lore but I forgave all of that once the action started. The Tryranids are a truly terrifying species – imagine the xenomorph from Aliens except there are THOUSANDS of them and some of them are HUGE, some can fly or burrow through solid rock and some of them carry guns firing living hungry bullets – so the carnage was sometimes quite breathtaking. The second half of the novel, except for short breaks and breathing spaces, was almost constant combat so if you’re put off by that kind of Sci-Fi based fighting this is definitely not the book for you! If, however, you’re a fan of Combat SF then this will definitely tick ALL of your boxes. 

I actually wasn’t expecting all that much from this novel sequence. I suppose that I assumed that they’d just be disposable fun (for an existing 40K fan) but I’ve been surprised by how creditable the writing is over and above the action and the lore. The characterisation here was particularly good with respectable nuance and believable backstories and motivations. Some of it was clearly taken from the existing split in Islam but it still worked. Although there’s ZERO chance that I’ll get around to reading even a reasonable percentage of the books in this series produced so far, I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from this grim dark universe. Recommended for fans of 40K and of combat SF in general. 

Just Finished Reading: Fifteen Hours by Mitchel Scanlon (FP: 2005) [254pp] 

They knew it was a possibility, but the call-up papers still came as a shock. The Emperor needed two new regiments and 17-year-old Arvin Larn would be joining one of them. His parents knew, even if he survived his service, that they would never see him again. After four months of basic training Arvin and the other 2,000 men were told where they were needed most. A Planetary Defence Force had revolted, and it was their job to restore order. But only days into the journey their ship was diverted on the orders of Sector Command. A typo by a tired clerk had redirected Arvin’s company of 200 men to quite a different world. Dropped into a battle between Imperial Guard units and alien Orks Arvin’s transport is shot out of the sky and crash-lands in No-Mans Land. Escaping by luck more than judgement he is assigned to join a combat fire team defending a crumbling trench. After recovering from the shock of being alone, far from home and on the wrong planet Arvin grows increasingly annoyed that his team mates only refer to him as ‘new fish’. But his complaints fall on deaf ears. No one is going to bother learning his name until he proves himself and shows them that he can beat the odds – the odds that say his life expectancy on the front line is 15 hours. If he can beat that time, they’ll start using his given name and might even give him some of the spare equipment they have to hand. Knowing the Orks as his team does, it's going to be quite the challenge! 

I’ve been playing Warhammer 40K for a LONG time (on the PC rather than the traditional tabletop game) but this is my first book in the set/series - 316 books and counting. With most games I’ve not overly interested in the background story or lore and 40K is no exception. Obviously, you’re going to pick up something whilst playing and I picked up quite a bit more from some of my gaming buddies who are MUCH more interested in lore than I am. The rest of my knowledge comes from watching various long & short YouTube videos. Although not exactly lore-free (how could it be?) this slim volume was pretty lore-lite so can easily be read by anyone even those completely unfamiliar with the 40K universe. It actually read like a WW1/Vietnam cross and, although the Orks were not exactly irrelevant, they could have been replaced by almost any other enemy without impacting on the story. Most of the focus was on Arvin himself but there were digressions with other characters such as an artillery officer and the sector commander which both rounded out the story and added some lore-lite background. Overall, I really enjoyed it. The novel was reasonably fast paced, full of interesting fleshed out characters (wonderfully cynical after 10 years of fighting over a patch of mud) and some pretty good action/battle scenes. I’m looking forward to spending more time in this grim-dark universe soon. 

Just Finished Reading: Squadron Airborne by Elleston Trevor (FP: 1955) [238pp] 

Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old pilot officer Peter Stuyckes (pronounced Stewks) wasn’t aware of it yet, but his first day with the squadron was going to be one hell of a day. On arrival the Squadron Leader looked him up and down and told him to get his gear. They were going to ‘stooge’ around for a while to see what’s what. Stuyckes, understandably nervous, failed to impress all that much by trying to land back at the airfield without lowering his undercarriage. Forgiving, but less than impressed, the Squadron Leader calmly explained just how expensive and in great demand the Spitfire was and that he should kindly remember to lower his wheels next time. Almost before the embarrassment had faded a loud voice over the Tannoy called out **SCRAMBLE!**. Told to stand off to watch and learn, Stuyckes did the only thing he could. Picking an enemy bomber he attacked...  

This is my second experience with the Imperial War Museum Wartime Classics series. As before the author drew on his own wartime experience as an aircraft engineer with the RAF during the Battle of Britain. The novel was split between action in the skies over Kent with some very creditable battle scenes and life on the ground with the crews responsible for fixing, arming and fuelling the main defence against Luftwaffe attack and the long-awaited for invasion. The whole novel takes place over a few weeks – a month at most I think – where the pilots are called upon to scramble more and more often each day and the ground crews work all the harder to keep all twelve aircraft in tip-top fighting condition which, as the days roll on, becomes steadily more difficult. 

A few things stuck out in particular. The most surprising, which thinking about it shouldn't have surprised me, was that one of the engineer ground crew was a woman. I was aware of the number of women posted to RAF stations in various roles but I don’t think I’d come across female flight engineers before. I’ve certainly seen pics of female engineers in other roles – building tanks, building aircraft (in factories), fixing trains – but not in a front line almost combat role. Of course, later on, women did ‘man’ anti-aircraft guns across Britain but it did seem odd in this context. 

I did think, at least initially, that the RAF pilots portrayed here were just *too* good and seemed to be responsible for a higher number of enemy downed aircraft than seemed reasonable. As the novel progressed however the strain and the British casualties began to show. There were clear cases of PTSD across the squadron with several characters voicing the opinion that they did not expect to survive the battle. Of course, quite a few didn’t so I’d recommend not getting TOO attached to anyone in the novel. An interesting read in many ways and I’m looking forward to moving on to the next few books dealing with the ‘Blitz’ from the civilian PoV. Recommended.   

Just Finished Reading: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (FP: 1990) [254pp] 

Vietnam, 1968. He was a coward, pure and simple. Even with the Canadian border in sight he just couldn’t do it. He couldn’t leave. It would shame his family, shame his high school, shame his church, his town. There was only one thing he could do – accept the draft letter and report as ordered. He was going to Vietnam. As a basic grunt, humping through the jungles and paddy fields as part of Alpha company, he saw friends die from a sniper's bullet, a random mortar round fired into a field stinking of human shit, a booby-trapped artillery shell, from infection, from a self-inflicted wound. He watched as air support destroyed entire villages and helicopters picked up the dead and dying. He stopped being amazed by the fact that no matter the amount of ordnance they used, the bullets expended, the rockets fired or the grenades thrown, there was always more, more than you could count, more than you could imagine, more than you could carry.  

I’d heard of this author and some of his Vietnam novels – including this one – long before reading this. As a serving soldier in the infantry in that conflict he has, since his rotation back to the world, been writing about it ever since partially, he suspects, in order to remain sane. I was expecting this to be a novel so was a bit surprised that it turned out to be, sort of, a series of short stories or vignettes drawing on his personal experiences. There’s even an interesting discussion about the ‘reality’ of war stories and the question of whether you can actually tell the truth to those who haven’t experienced the surreal war experience first-hand. I’m sure that many of us have seen Vietnam war movies that seem more fantastical than real (compared to, say WW2 movies) - for example Apocalypse Now! - and its these, the author maintains, that get closest to the truth of things. The more believable, the more understandable, the story the less likely it is to have actually happened – and that’s before we get into the psychology of combat stress and false memories. Fascinating stuff. 

I think my favourite story was ‘Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong’. This was a story related to him by the Companies medic who was, briefly, working at an evacuation station deep in the jungle. It was an easy posting only interrupted by occasional helicopters carrying wounded who needed urgent medical attention prior to flying them to a full hospital. Inevitably the grunts were bored and wondered if it was possible to ‘sneak in’ a few local women. Some wise-guy suggested that the fly their girlfriends from back home instead – so one of them did just that. But things didn’t turn out quite as expected. After a few weeks 17-year-old Mary Anne Bell started asking questions – how things worked, what it was like out outside the wire, that sort of thing. So, equally bored, the grunts showed her how to field strip a M-16, set up a claymore anti-personal mine and how to shoot. Then, one day she simply disappeared – for 3 days no one saw her. When she did come back it was with a bunch of Green Berets who had taken her on patrol. Not only did she like it, she was good at it... I did laugh at that... 

This was a rather strange read at times, as you might imagine with all things Vietnam related. But it was also a very good read. Generally, the stories were of a high quality – I think the worst one was ‘only’ reasonable – and gave a lot of insight into the Vietnam ‘experience’. It wasn’t always pleasant, as you should expect from the time and place, but it was always a page turner. Definitely recommended and more to come from this author and this region/war. 

Just Finished Reading: The Red Eagles by David Downing (FP: 2014) [232pp] 

Europe 1945. With the European war swiftly coming to an end Premier Joseph Stalin is looking to the future and he doesn’t like what he sees. It has become obvious that the USA will, with the inevitable defeat of the Axis Powers both in Europe and Asia, become the world’s dominant power for years if not decades to come. What is worse, if such a thing can be imagined, is that they will for most of that time be the world's only nuclear power. Knowing about the bomb's existence before the American President told him was a delicious moment but that fleeting moment didn’t count for much with a radioactive Sword of Damocles very publicly dangling over the head of the Soviet Union. Their own programme was advancing at pace. People, even scientists, work wonders when their families are threatened. But there was one element that even death threats cannot conjure out of thin air – enough Uranium 235 to build enough bombs to counter the Capitalist threat. If they couldn’t make enough fast enough there was only one real alternative – they would have to steal it from the Americans. Easily said but certainly possible – except for one thing, the Americans would both know it had been taken and how many bombs could be made from it. A deception plan would be needed, and a third party needed to be blamed. If there was time for the Germans to act before the Third Reich collapsed. 

This was, to say the least, an intriguing work of fiction! I’ve been watching a long running series of YouTube History videos on the end of the European war, so I had lots of background information sloshing around my brain cells which helped fill in some of the background details. The plot was very clever, and I really liked the inevitable problems that arose – no plan surviving contact with the enemy (AKA reality) - as well as to how they were believably handled. As always (broken record time!) good characterisation was key to my enjoyment and here we had that in spades with the Russians, Germans and Americans all being well drawn and, mostly, likable. The only character we were supposed to dislike – and I did – ended up satisfactorily dead which was good. The romance elements actually made sense (normally I skip over those bits) and I didn’t have a single eye-rolling moment which is a pleasant change. Pacing was good and despite being rather short gripped enough to feel longer – in a good way. I actually don’t think I can fault this in a single way, and I consequently enjoyed it a great deal. More from this author to come. A solid above average read. Recommended.  

Just Finished Reading: Storm Force to Narvik by Alexander Fullerton (FP: 1979) [268pp] 

April 1940. Denmark has fallen to the Germans in a matter of hours. It's almost certain that Norway will be the next target, but still the British government under Nevil Chamberlain vacillates on what to do. With the Altmark incident still fresh in everyone's mind (more soon!), Britain is reluctant to abuse Norway’s stated neutrality but finally a decision is made – to mine Norway’s territorial waters to force the German navy into waters where the Royal navy can engage them. Meanwhile, Nick Everard commander of the destroyer HMS Intent is fighting for his life against a German heavy cruiser. With a ship badly battered and in need of urgent repairs he makes for what he hopes is safe harbour in the fjords. Further up the coast his son is serving aboard another destroyer HMS Hoste which has been ordered, along with a flotilla of other destroyers, to stop the German landings at the vital port of Narvik. Unaware of the German disposition they are about to encounter a large force of destroyers that are larger, more heavily armed and much newer. The risks are high indeed, but the consequences of failure could determine the outcome of the war. The Phony War is most definitely over, and the dying is about to start... 

The Norwegian campaign is one of those stages of the war that is all too often forgotten or sidelined, overshadowed as it was by the subsequent invasion of France and the ultimate retreat to Dunkirk. I suppose one of the reasons for this memory loss was the rather ignominious and shambolic way the fight was prosecuted from London. With troops embarking, disembarking and then reembarking transport ships before arriving in Norway with inadequate or missing equipment the actual ground fighting wasn’t going to go well. The Royal navy also lost a number of ships – including an aircraft carrier! - because of poor planning and contradictory orders. However, the attack on Narvik was something else. Without giving too much of the plot of this excellent WW2 naval thriller away, the navy more than made up for any apparent deficiency in equipment with dash, aggression and ultimate belief in their undoubted abilities. Told from 3 points of view (one of which purely to show the larger picture in conversations in the Admiralty with a prospective high-ranking appointment), including onboard HMS Intent and HMS Hoste (neither of which actually existed) this was a thrill to read, especially after reading about the real engagement some time ago. The author had served in WW2 on several ships so understood not only how they fought but also about how the officers and crew lived. The dialogue therefore is both realistic, salty and often very funny. It definitely added an extra dimension to the book for me and enhanced the pleasure of the read. It also got you invested in the characters a bit more so made the action sequences all the more nerve-wracking! The battles/encounters were VERY well done, again super realistic and exciting. Being the kind of novel it is, you might expect the heroes to be bullet proof but that’s not always the case. There were a few well-crafted heart-in-mouth moments that made me wonder! Although I’ve been reading this sequence completely out of order, I don’t think that’s made too much difference. Definitely recommended for all naval warfare buffs – if you can source a copy. 

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Just Finished Reading: Dauntless by Alan Evans (FP: 1980) [272pp] 

The Eastern Mediterranean, Autumn 1917. The British planned advance into Palestine is only days away. Commander Cochrane Smith is detailed to support the advance using his new cruiser HMS Dauntless and her supporting seaplane carrier in any way possible, spotting for artillery fall, bombarding the enemy positions and preventing any seaward complications. The sudden arrival of a freighter changes all of that. Abord is a battalion in disgrace, accused of killing their commanding officer in cold blood and refusing to give up the killer. Senior command sees a solution to both problems. The battalion will be landed ashore and create a diversion which the approaching German reinforcements just cannot ignore. The fact that the allied battalion would have its backs to the sea is a bonus. With much to prove and nothing to lose they would fight to the last man. But Smith has other ideas rather than throwing away an abused group of men for spite. With an ammunition dump to be destroyed and an enemy heavy cruiser on the loose, Smith has his work cut out for him. 

Whilst not quite as good as his previous two novels (both of which I enjoyed a great deal) this was still a solid piece of WW1 naval action. It was good to see Smith in a new ship for a change, rather than the often-decrepit obsolete vessels he’s been lumbered with in the past. It was also nice to see some naval aviation, in the guise of a converted seaplane carrier, although the side story about one of the aircraft being ‘cursed’ did annoy me a bit! Being the author’s particular ‘thing’ Smith and Dauntless were again outgunned by the larger German cruiser so had to show his skill in fighting a larger gunned opponent. There was, of course, a love interest who was quite cute and not excessively annoying. We also found out more about Smith’s mysterious past which I liked. The author had been dropping hints for the last few books, so it was good clearing that up (at least somewhat). I was less than convinced with the cut-price cardboard cut-out ‘Lawrence’ who briefly appeared but at least he wasn’t central to the plot! 

The only real eye-rolling moments were when Smith, who was in overall COMMAND, insisted in not only going ashore with the troops (rather than, say, sending his XO if he NEEDED someone on the ground) but in being part of the attack. There’s just no way someone that important should, or could, be that ‘hands-on’ in this regard. I actually thought it might be a ‘fault’ on the author's part. I wondered if it was a case of an inability (or reluctance) to change the PoV from Smith to anyone else – so if there’s a required ground attack Smith needed to be there to ‘oversee’ things, rather than putting someone else in the limelight for a few pages. Although such exploits didn’t ruin things for me, it did make be a little exasperated at times! Overall, this was a good solid read and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It was a decent story with reasonable characterisation and very good combat pieces. Recommended for all WW1 and naval fiction fans in you can source a copy.  

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Just Finished Reading: Sword of Bone by Anthony Rhodes (FP: 1942) [226pp] 

September 1939. Shortly after war is declared, recently called up Lieutenant Anthony Rhodes finds himself in France as part of an advance Engineering unit of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). His job is to secure local accommodation and supplies for the rest of the Battalion following behind. Their ultimate job is to secure the left flank of the French forces and to begin enhancing the weakest part of the Maginot Line. For the next 8 months of the ‘Phoney War’ Rhodes and his unit organise supplies of sand, gravel and cement and build ‘cookie cutter’ pill boxes on the French side of the Belgian frontier. Week after week and then month after month little changes. News, when it does filter through, is vague and untroubling. No one seems to know exactly what the enemy are doing. Whatever it is, they’re not doing it anywhere near Belgium. The men thought that they’d be sitting in a trench about now, protected by barbed wire but even that simple expectation failed to materialise. News of the fighting in Norway seemed to change little and still they waited. Only when the German army crossed the Belgian border did they move forward – to the cheers of the locals who saw the BEF as saviours. Days later, as the BEF withdrew to their starting positions such cheering was notably absent. Almost before they had settled in an order arrived to pull back further and then further still. The enemy, it seemed, was behind them. Another day another order to pull back, this time to a new location – the nearest available port for evacuation: Dunkirk. 

I came across this set of books – the Imperial War Museum Wartime Classics – some months ago and was immediately intrigued. So much so that I bought all 13 without first reading a single one. Well, this is my first and I was not disappointed. Spread across the war I decided to read them in historical order, starting with the loss of France and the evacuation at Dunkirk then moving onto other aspects before finishing with D-Day and beyond. It should be quite an interesting adventure. 

This novel was, as you might have guessed from the main characters name, a barely fictionalised account of the authors experiences in France during the so-called Phoney War and the first weeks of the real one. I have long wondered over why the French and the BEF lost the Battle of France so quickly – of which more later. Here was an account, written very soon after the actual events, which points out at least some of the reasons for British failure. Despite the BEF being heavily mechanised (much more so that their German equivalents) it seemed that the soldiers at the sharp end expected a repeat of WW1. They were not expecting to move very much and were certainly not expecting to move anywhere quickly! Communication tended to be very bad with few radios and many rumours. It seemed that the Army learnt what was going on from BBC broadcasts! From the (lightly fictionalised) experience of the author things seemed either laughingly naïve or hopelessly confused. Not only did the footsloggers have little idea what was going on or why they went were they went their higher ups had no idea either. They just responded to things and followed orders. Naturally the scenes on the Dunkirk beaches were viewed through the images of the 2017 Christopher Nolan movie and they seemed to match up almost seamlessly. 

Being at the very beginning of things it was interesting to see the variety of officers thrown together from very different backgrounds. There were, of course, the upper-class officer elite who tended to be either completely out of touch or really decent chaps depending on the luck of the draw. I liked the fact that the unit's doctor was a gynaecologist in civilian life – just like the army to send him to a frontline combat unit! Interesting also was the fact that one of the team was a pretty hardline Communist. I guess that in 1939-40 there were a few of them about. The author was generally very positive to the French he encountered throughout his stay and there were a number of interesting little cameos by businessmen, priests, local politicians and ordinary civilians as they began to realise that the war was here and that it was not going at all well. Although, as you might imagine, not a lot ‘happened’ in this book – certainly not very much actual combat – this was still a fascinating insight into the fighting man in France during those chaotic early months of the war. I have a number of non-fiction books on this period – both modern and contemporary accounts – and I look forward to seeing how this fictionalised account stacks up against them. Definitely recommended to anyone interested in the event. Much more to come from this series (a novel of The Battle of Britain is next in the stack) and from the early years of the war. 

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Just Finished Reading: Passage to Mutiny by Alexander Kent (FP: 1976) [319pp] 

Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, October 1789. Richard Bolitho, captain of His Majesties frigate Tempest is glad to finally arrive despite bearing disturbing news. Another of His Majesties ships, Bounty, has mutinied and could be in the area under her pirate crew. But as one of the only two Royal Navy vessels in that part of the Pacific Tempest and her captain have other tasks to perform. One of them is both a delight and a frustration – to escort a new island administrator and his wife to his post and provide security whilst there. Bolitho could care less about the new posting and administrator Raymond clearly returned the favour. His wife, Viola, was however another matter. Meeting again after years apart, Viola and Richard renew their love for each other much to the sympathy and worry of Tempest’s crew. Despite (some) friendly islanders, the Pacific is far from a friendly place – with storms, disease, aggressive natives, pirates and now news from France of Revolution it is not the time for a shipborne romance.  

This is actually the NINTH book in the authors Bolitho series – unknown to me – but that seemed to make little difference to the story. The author slipped in a few references to previous actions and events without overloading the pacing, so I never felt like I was missing anything substantial. I actually pick up this and three or four more from the series years ago from a random book buying trip. As they were originally published around 50 years ago they’re quite difficult to acquire in anything but Kindle format. But that’s OK. It’s not like I’m short of books to read – even ones with much wood and sail involved. This was actually a very easy novel to get into. There wasn’t a HUGE amount to learn about life in the Age of Sail after reading various novels based in the period. Some types of sail and other bits of the ship were mentioned from time to time, but I tended to pick these up through a process of literary osmosis. They certainly didn’t interrupt what was going on in the story. Being the time it was set and the nature of such things I found out very quickly not to get attached to anyone, even those you rightly suspect are main characters. It’s the kind of book where no one is ‘safe’ which makes each splinter and each sniffle a cause for concern, never mind flying cannon and musket balls. 

Overall, I can say this was a very creditable read. Maybe not in the Patrick O’Brian league, but then again who is? Definitely entertaining though – definitely. There are an impressive 30 books in the Bolitho series but I’m not aiming to read ALL of them – considering the difficulty in finding them – but I’ll pick up any I do find. Bolitho is an interesting and complex character, and I liked the interplay with his fellow officers and crew. Recommended for all sail and gunpowder fans and well worth the effort of searching them out. 

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Just Finished Reading: V2 by Robert Harris (FP: 2020) [370pp] 

England, November 1944. It was almost over. With the Normandy landings and the Allied move into France everyone could see that the end of the terrible war was coming to an end. But then, almost like a bad dream, it wasn’t. Hitler had been promising for some time that new, secret weapons were being built and that the Allies would suffer once they were released. Some saw it as simply impotent propaganda but some knew the truth. Such weapons did indeed exist. The RAF had been photographing their development for months and the British government had been developing methods of defence. When the first of the so-called ‘vengeance’ weapons, which the public dubbed the “doodlebug” because of its characteristic noise, was finally used Londoners used to the Blitz gritted their teeth and decided they could bare it a bit longer. When the defences started to be increasingly effective against the new menace another sigh of relief echoed through the long-suffering population. It was all over now, surely. But in occupied Holland a new threat lurked – the second ‘vengeance’ weapon, the V2. This was a very different beast to the doodlebug. Once launched from mobile sites it was impossible to intercept and what made it worse was that there was no warning, none. Only after the explosion of impact would people know what had just hit them – if they survived. With the new terror weapon making the population increasingly jittery there was only two ways the British could stop them: overrun the launch sites and put them forever out of range or catch them on the ground and destroy them. But with the advance into Holland stalled after the failure of Operation Market Garden this was going to take some time. But if they could catch the launchers before that could move, that would be quite something. The suggestion was made that as the missiles flew in a ballistic path the arc could, at least theoretically, be calculated. Radar would pick up the launch and track the flight for a few seconds and, minutes later, the impact would be known. If the curve could be calculated in SIX minutes the point of origin could be determined and an air strike launched. The hunt was on and the clock was ticking... 

As a determined fan of the author as well as someone who has had a long fascination with both V weapons (they were both amongst the plethora of models I built as a child), I’d been looking forward to this book for a while. I was not disappointed. Told mostly from the viewpoint of WAAF officer Kay Caton-Walsh who started off as a photo-interpreter before picking up her slide rule to calculate ballistic curves, and Rudi Graf who grew up longing to build rockets capable of reaching space before working on the V2 project with his friend Verner Von Braun, this was both a fascinating look at both sides of the rocket equation. I found it particularly interesting that the author looked at the justification (and self-justification) for the rocket project from the German side, especially when they not only had to square using it as a weapon but also the use of slave labour to enable it being built in the first place. The moral pretzel turning, especially from Von Braun, was something to behold. Interestingly, I later read a book on the photo recon side of things (review on Monday) and noting was mentioned about calculating flight paths. I know the Operation Big Ben was based around attacking launch sites but, as yet, don’t know too much detail about it. So, more research to come! Apart from some very minor wobbles (mostly on the relationship side of things) I enjoyed this very much indeed. It felt much shorter than it actually was and totally absorbed me into the narrative. Definitely recommended for anyone interested in an often-overlooked aspect of WW2 and for anyone interested in a cracking good read. 

Just Finished Reading: Eleven Eleven by Paul Dowswell (FP: 2012) [202pp] 

France, The Western Front, November 11th, 1918. The main attack was scheduled for 10:00hrs. The Canadians would advance with the British in support. But first the flank had to be secured. A small platoon would be sent into the woods looking for artillery observers and possible snipers. When the Lieutenant asked for volunteers, Will Franklin was the first to step forward. The rest of the platoon knew the Seargent was his older brother and Will didn’t want them to think that relationship meant he could sit this one out. On the other side of no-man's land, young Axel Meyer had just arrived at the front. At 16 he felt out of place, tired and afraid although he tried his best not to show it. Being surrounded by older more experienced men helped at least a bit. But he knew his duty and he was determined not to let down his family or his town by any act of insubordination or cowardice. At a nearby airfield, 19-year-old American Eddie Hertz wondered why it was so quiet that morning. He’d heard about the Canadian attack and couldn’t understand why his squadron wasn’t getting ready to support them. Then he heard. It was over. The war was done, at least for now. An Armistice, they called it. At 11:00 hours that very day all sides would stop fighting whilst negotiations took place. This was bad news for Eddie. He was one kill short of being an Ace. That’d sure please his mother and impress the girls back home. So, he dressed, told his ground crew to get his plane ready and went for breakfast. He didn’t have long to get that kill. Minutes after Will and his scouting party left their trenches the news arrived – stand down, the war was over. They had to be called back, they were going into a dangerous situation without knowing what was about to happen. Worse still it was possible that any German’s in the wood were also unaware that the fighting was over. A runner was sent.... 

I picked this book up cheap some years ago thinking it might be a bit of disposable fun, a few days light reading. From the blurb as well as the fact that all three of the main protagonists were under 19 years of age I assumed (although it doesn’t say so anywhere) that this was a YA novel. The jury's still out on that but it definitely wasn’t a casual ‘fluff’ piece. It was actually pretty dammed good. Without going into great detail (difficult in just over 200 pages), the author managed to deliver enough details about Will, Axel and Eddie for you to care about what happened to them and have enough happening on that final day to have real worries about whether they lived or died. As the story progressed and all three of the main protagonists became more deeply embroiled in the action there was a real sense of dread and a growing hope that all three would survive especially as we knew about the Armistice and 2 out of 3 of them didn’t. The comparatively small action sequences were very well done with, again, a real feeling of threat. Despite being, I felt, somewhat sanitised (one reason why I thought it for younger readers) there was enough mention of lice, mud, gas, bodies and countless chances of random death to make it feel real and it had an overall cinematic feel that I rather enjoyed. A very good short book which gave some nice insights into a truly horrible conflict. Recommended.       

Just Finished Reading: The Horns of the Buffalo by John Wilcox (FP: 2004) [399pp] 

South Africa, 1879. Lieutenant Simon Fonthill is a coward - at least his Colonel thinks so. After apparently fainting and being bedridden for 3 days following the announcement of his regiment leaving for active service in South Africa even Simon isn’t sure. But there’s really only one way to find out. When given the choice of either resigning his commission or shipping out to the Cape he accepts his mission to make his way into Zululand and discover King Cetswayo’s intentions. Despite being erroneously viewed as a horseman and a linguist by the powers that be back home in Horse Guards, Fonthill manages to make contact with an Irish cattleman and friend of Cetswayo. As tensions between the British and the Zulu escalate, Simon and his trusty servant 352 Jenkins are held captive in the Zulu capital. Managing to escape they jump from the frying pan into the fire and are just in time to warn the British forces camped at Isandlwana. Forced to flee once more Lieutenant Fonthill races to warn the nearby hospital station that a massive army of Zulu warriors is coming their way. But can he aid the tiny garrison there if things go badly? If he falls in battle no one will remember his name or where he fell. No one will remember the name: Rorke’s Drift. 

I’ve been meaning to start this series for a while now. The 1964 movie ‘Zulu’ (based around the battle of Rorke’s Drift) is one of my all-time favourite films so I was interested to see how the fictional literary version chimed with the fictional cinema version – closer to the truth apparently! But first the bits I liked about the novel before I get onto a few criticisms. As a well-known fan of characterisation I am pleased to report that all of the main characters, and in particular Fonthill and Jenkins, were very well drawn indeed and I’m already looking forward to their future adventures together. The ‘baddie’ Colonel Covington (Fonthill’s superior officer) is a little bit from central casting and is well designed to hate but is OK despite that. The ‘love interest’ (or in this case two love interests) are reasonably well done but largely unnecessary although I did like the roving reporter Alice Griffith and hope that she appears in future books in the series. Naturally most of the action takes place in South Africa and I thought that part of the book was well done and it gelled with what I already knew of the conflict as well as the foundations for the future Boer War. The smaller fight scenes (including a frankly hilarious one between an unarmed and rather drunk 352 Jenkins a young Zulu warrior complete with Assagai) as well as the larger battles were very well done and very dramatic despite already knowing the outcome going in. 

About the only real criticisms I had here, apart from the rather one-dimensional Covington, was the several detours into exposition. Personally, I’m a big fan of show not tell which both keeps momentum going and actually flatters a reader’s ability to ‘pick things up’ rather than mildly insults them by lecturing them on things they might already know. I would probably have given the author a pass on the briefing Fonthill received from the officers sending him into Zululand but the (at least) two other occasions could have been handled differently. I am, however, going to put this rather minor issue down to this being his first book. Apart from that very small niggle I enjoyed this book very much and am looking forward to Simon’s next adventures across the British Empire at its height. Definitely recommended for all historical action fans. 

[Side Note: This, finally, adds another country to my fictional world tour list. Hopefully at least one more addition before years end.]      

Just Finished Reading: Sixty Minutes for St George by Alexander Fullerton (FP: 1977) [308pp] 

Dover, England 1917. With his recent experiences during the Battle of Jutland, Lt Nick Everard had hoped for more.  But he supposed that being 2nd in command of a destroyer in the Dover Squadron was better than a lot of other alternatives even if it meant spending long nights fruitlessly searching for enemy U-boats or mine-laying operations. There were moments though, moments somewhere between sheer terror (only experienced after the events) and the satisfaction of a job well done. The only real problem he had was that his commanding officer, Commander Wyatt, had taken an immediate dislike to him for reasons unknown. The feeling was largely mutual. Despite an appreciation of his willingness, indeed eagerness, to get to grips with the enemy, Wyatt he suspected wasn’t particularly good at his job. When a brief encounter with four enemy destroyers almost sinks his ship, Everard is offered the temporary command of an aging, obsolete, destroyer tasked with removing an enemy fishing boat spying on Allied shipping. Impressed with his ability to think on his feet the Admiralty confirms his command and Everard joins an assault on Zeebrugge to block the canal that allowed U-boats into the English Channel. When the plan signally did NOT survive contact with the enemy, the attack resulted in the awarding of 11 Victoria Crosses in not much more than an hour. The butcher’s bill, however, can be imagined! 

This is my first novel by this author and it definitely won’t be my last (and not just because I already own at least two more of his books). Told with detailed knowledge of both the events and the technology of the time, this was a gripping narrative of WW1 combat in the English Channel/Dover Straights. Although it was obvious once this book pointed it out to me, the English Channel was a vital supply route to the troops fighting in France. If that could be disrupted or stopped, even for a few days, it could’ve had a telling effect on the fighting on the Continent – especially during the new German offensive in 1918. The activities of the Dover Patrol (which I am largely ignorant of presently) provided a vital defence against German efforts to make the Channel into their battleground. The attack on Zeebrugge on St Georges Day 1918 was an attempt to halt any move by German U-boats to attack vital convoys sent to support Allied troops and to ensure that troops based around that area could not be used as part of the new offensive in France. 

Needless to say, being a lover of Naval fiction, I enjoyed this immensely. There was a rather silly mini-subplot about Nick getting ‘involved’ with, shall we say, a local lady of ‘easy virtue’ and a weird background story about being rather attached to his young stepmother but apart from that it was a heck of a read. Looking forward to more adventures with Nick Everard and more naval adventures elsewhere too. Definitely recommended to all lovers of things seabound.