The Darkening Sea

By Richard Woodman

Book Overview

From the clash of mighty battleships at Jutland in 1916 to the cold splendor of the present-day Arctic, The Darkening Sea is a modern seafaring epic that traces the fortunes of the Martin family throughout nearly seventy years of British maritime history.

James and John Martin see varied action from service on battle-cruisers in the North Sea during the Great War to cargo-passenger ships on the exploited coast of 1930s China; from the war of corvette vs. U-boats in the North Atlantic to the long slog of Pacific Fleet protection in a WWII destroyer. Along the way, they find love, disillusion, and fulfillment. The women in their lives--sisters, wives, and lovers--also have their own ambitions in an ever-changing world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1493051377
• ISBN13: 9781493051373
• Release Date: May 2020
• Publisher: McBooks Press
• Length: 412 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.8" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

The Sea As Life; Life As The Sea

Woodman is not a romantic writer. For him life is as the sea: unforgiving, treacherous, beautiful, deadly, and unconquerable. Woodman's novels are characterized by central figures who never rise to heroic status. They are average men, fallen men, flawed men who don't always have all the answers and sometimes act in questionable ways. His main characters are tough ships embarked on "Darkening Seas" but their journey is by no means assured. People die. People die without all the loose ends being tied up. Life is messy, relationships are messy, careers hinge on the petty attitudes of superiors who have an ax to grind. For all that, Woodman is still probably one of the best historical writers around. If you want a taste of how an average Brit Naval officer experienced and understood a world at war then this book will transport you in time in a marvelous manner. If you are looking for a nice, cozy little story where the good guys win and nobody you like gets hurt - this ain't for you. I have read all the Drinkwater novels and this is my first Woodman story outside that line. I find that the basic theme is the same and consistent with the above. Good book - well worth reading - just don't expect a bunch of warm and fuzzies.

Dark and Complex

The Darkening Sea reads as if it were written in the 1920's or '30s. Woodman really makes the reader feel the transition between the Victorian and modern ages. The characters are very multidimensional and complex. The main character in particular is very well done - you understand and feel for him even if he is hard to like.The book has a much more 'literary' feel than Woodman's Drinkwater series. It's more Hemmingway than Patrick O'Brian.The nautical aspects as well as the historical/geographic settings are very well done.A thoroughly enjoyable deep summer read. If you have been frustrated (as I have) by not being able to obtain some of the Drinkwater books (I have to read them in order of course!), the Darkening Sea will be a thoughtful diversion - a taste of Woodman's 'haute cusine' as it were. Highly recommended!