Monsarrat at Sea

by Nicholas Monsarrat

Book Overview

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068803103X
• ISBN13: 9780688031039
• Release Date: January 1976
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.

Customer Reviews

One of the finest nautical histories of World War II

You can see the roots of "The Cruel Sea" in this book where Monsarrat recounts his experiences in the British convoys, crewing and later in charge of corvettes, a modestly-sized warship that is nimble, yet so tender it will heel over on wet grass. The best part are the signals exchanged from ship to ship, often witty, at times poignant. Other signals recounted may be apocryphal, but such a good story. A German warplane was circling the convoy outside of gun range, and a destroyer radioed, "You are making me dizzy. Go round the other way." "With pleasure," replied the aircraft, which promptly reversed and circled the other way. Another small warship was riding the waves of the North Sea when word came over the wireless to "Commence hostilities against Japan forthwith." The captain turned to his number one and ordered, "Commence hostilities against Japan forthwith." Number One saluted and said, "aye, aye, sir!" Meanwhile one little ship kept bucking the waves, thousands of miles from Japan and any possibility of carrying out such an order, watching for U-boats and mines. This is an anthology of three books, with the first of the trio being the best. You do need to have an understanding of the British approach to life and the British Navy in order to understand all of the remarks and asides. This book is well worth the search to find it. I've had this copy some fifteen years, and reread it periodically with great pleasure.