Nicholas john turney monsarrat, son of a distinguished surgeon, was born in liverpool in 1910. Darting back and forth across the icy north atlantic, compass rose played a deadly catandmouse game with packs of german uboats lying in wait beneath the ocean waves. I actually read monsarrat s memoir three corvettes in the 90s, but i dont remember anything about it. It has 150 men because that is a manageable number of people to tell a story about. Mar 18, 2020 nicholas monsarrat, popular english novelist whose bestknown work, the cruel sea, vividly captured life aboard a small ship in wartime. The cruel sea kindle edition by nicholas monsarrat. The cruel sea is a classic novel of world war ii from the british perspective. Aug 06, 2009 buy the cruel sea penguin world war ii collection by monsarrat, nicholas isbn.
Published in 1951, the cruel sea by nicholas monsarrat chronicles the battle of the atlantic from the perspective of the crew of a royal navy corvette given the unglamorous duty of escorting. Net archive search books by rating android app menu search books by rating android app bookfrom. The hateful struggle, to be effective, demanded one hundred percent from many millions of individual people. A powerful novel of the north atlantic in world war ii, this is the story of the british ships compass rose and saltash and of their desperate catandmouse game with nazi uboats. First published to great acclaim in 1951, the cruel sea remains a classic novel of endurance and daring. A powerful novel of the north atlantic in world war ii, this is the story of the british ships compass rose and saltash and of their desperate catandmouse game with nazi u. This is the story the long and true story of one ocean, two ships, and about a hundred and fifty men. Ericson has a corvette, the compass rose, which is torpedoed in icelandic waters, only 11 of its 90man complement surviving.
I first read nicholas monsarrat s the cruel sea as a young u. The first edition of the novel was published in june 15th 1951, and was written by nicholas monsarrat. The cruel sea by nicholas monsarrat, 9780141042831, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The cruel sea audiobook nicholas monsarrat audible. It follows the lives of a group of royal navy sailors fighting the battle of the atlantic during the second world war. I dont read much historical fiction, but i occasionally make exceptions since this book relates very closely to naval history and is semiautobiographical. Nicholas monsarrat was born in liverpool in 1910, and was educated at trinity college, cambridge. The original edition in unclipped dustwrapper by nicholas monsarrat and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Dec 22, 2019 i dont read much historical fiction, but i occasionally make exceptions since this book relates very closely to naval history and is semiautobiographical.
The cruel sea was made into a classic film starring jack hawkins. It is drawn on the actual service in the royal navy of the author. Nicholas monsarrat s most popular book is the cruel sea. Buy the cruel sea penguin world war ii collection by monsarrat, nicholas isbn. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. His lifelong love of sailing made him a capable naval officer, and he served with distinction on a series of small warships. Monsarrat took a bachelors degree in law at trinity college, cambridge, and then spent two years in a solicitors office. Lying crosswise atop a shelf of ls, ms and ns was a lone paperback, a cardinal giant edition of the cruel sea by nicholas monsarrat. Nicholas monsarrat was the skipper of an escort, a smaller version of a destroyer. Cruel sea edition 1 by nicholas monsarrat 2901580800463. It rings so true because the author had been there and done thathaving served in the three corvettes described in the book.
The cruel sea novel, a 1951 war novel by nicholas monsarrat the cruel sea 1953 film, a 1953 war film made of the above book, starring jack hawkins the cruel sea 1972 film, a 1972 kuwaiti film and the first kuwaiti film to be produced the cruel sea band, an australian indie rock band formed in the 1980s the cruel sea song. The cruel sea ebook by nicholas monsarrat rakuten kobo. Pdf the cruel sea book by nicholas monsarrat free download. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are. The novel, based on the authors experience of serving in corvettes and frigates in the north atlantic in. Click to read more about the cruel sea by nicholas monsarrat. One of the classic naval adventure stories of world war ii, monsarrats novel. I had forgotten just how great this novel is in its depiction of war in the atlantic ocean in the early days of world war ii, albeit from the standpoint of the british. Buy the cruel sea by nicholas monsarrat online at alibris. Nicholas monsarrat has 46 books on goodreads with 15890 ratings. Nicholas monsarrat nicholas john turney monsarrat, son of a distinguished surgeon, was born in liverpool in 1910. First published to great acclaim in 1951, the cruel sea remains a classic novel of. Read the cruel sea by nicholas monsarrat available from rakuten kobo. The novel, based on the authors experience of serving in corvettes.
Sea novels, nicholas monsarrat, oceans, ships, world war ii. The only heroines are the ships and the only villain the cruel sea itself. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 520 pages and is available in paperback format. Nicholas monsarrat, in full nicholas john turney monsarrat, born march 22, 1910, liverpool, eng. One of the biggest bestsellers in the immediate aftermath of the second world war was nicholas monsarrats 1951 novel the cruel sea. Monsarrats the cruel sea is an outstanding novel of corvettes escorting convoys in the atlantic during war ii, and is perhaps the finest book written about the war at sea. He served in world war ii, first as a member of an ambulance brigade and then as a member of the royal naval volunteer reserve. It centers on life on a corvette, a small ship used by the british much as destroyer. The cruel sea by nicholas monsarrat abebooks passion for books. First published to great accalim in 1951, the cruel sea remains a. He was 69 years old and lived on the mediterranean island of gozo, off malta. The cruel sea is perhaps the finest novel written out of world war ii. The cruel sea is a 1951 novel by nicholas monsarrat. Net login register for bookmarks and favorites menu login.
It was good to get back to this book which i can remember sitting on my fathers book shelf and having seen the old movie many years ago. It has two ships because one was sunk and had to be replaced. Gaining a law degree from cambridge he decided that the solicitors career for which he was being trained did not suit him. This is nicholas monsarrat s final masterpiece, an epic tale of the sea and seafaring from the sixteenth century to near the end of the twentieth. Darting back and forth across the icy north atlantic, compass rose played a deadly cat and mouse game with packs of german uboats lying in wait beneath the ocean waves. The highly acclaimed cruel sea is one of the alltime great naval and war thrillers. He wrote the cruel sea and many other naval dramas, but controversy followed with the story of esther costello about tv evangelism and fundraising. The cruel sea by nicholas monsarrat book cover, description, publication history.
Nicholas monsarrat, the british amateur sailor turned author who wrote the best. A powerful novel of the north atlantic in world wat ii, this is the story of the british ships compass rose and saltash and of their desparate catandmouse game with nazi uboats. And so it is, this engrossing, enormous record of the years 1939 and on into 1945, of atlantic convoy duty aboard the corvette, compass rose, and later, on the a frigate. The story is about convoy escorts, first aboard the corvette h. Having spent virtually all of world war ii as an officer on escort ships, monsarrat draws upon his experience to show what life and death were like for the men engaged in that dangerous and arduous enterprise. Discover book depositorys huge selection of nicholas monsarrat books online. Listen to cruel sea audiobook by nicholas monsarrat. The story follows the men of both ships from 1939 to the end of the war. Author spotlight nicholas monsarrat by leslie weddell.
The cruel sea follows the compass rose through the entire life of her service that service ends when shes torpedoed halfway through the book, something monsarrat again tells the reader up front in a before the curtain note that begins the novel, and the narrative is at its most effective during the early years of the war, when. Established as a sort after writer who was also highly regarded by critics, monsarrats career eventually concluded with his epic the master mariner, a novel on. The cruel sea paperback march 14 2000 by nicholas monsarrat author 4. It is the story of two ships, maybe 200 men, german submarines and the constant relentless ocean. Monsarrat s the cruel sea is an outstanding novel of corvettes escorting convoys in the atlantic during war ii, and is perhaps the finest book written about the war at sea. Based on the authors own vivid experiences, the cruel sea is the nailbiting story of the crew of hms compass rose, a corvette assigned to protect convoys in world war two. It centers on life on a corvette, a small ship used by the british much as destroyer escorts were used by the americans, mostly for defense of convoys, but occasionally for offensive work against uboats. Free download or read online the cruel sea pdf epub book. Monsarrat, nicholas the cruel sea free epub, mobi, pdf ebooks download, ebook torrents download. Told from the point of view of mathew lawe, a young devon sailor who is cursed after a spectacular act.
A powerful novel of the north atlantic in world war ii, this is the story of the british ships compass rose and saltash and of their desparate catandmouse game. He knew the brutal truth of how it was and this comes across in detail that is sometimes laborious and over written, but if you want a taste of how it was, this is the book for you. Librarything is a cataloging and social networking site for booklovers. I read this book many, many years ago, probably while memories of the. It is a story of convoy duty in the battle of the atlantic. A powerful novel of the north atlantic in world war ii, this is the story of the british. Along with the surprisingly cheerful naval officer i guess he doesnt know anybody on that burning ship in the background, the cover was marked. After the war he became a director of the uk information service, first in johannesburg, then in ottawa. Books by nicholas monsarrat author of the cruel sea.
The highly acclaimed cruel sea is one of the all time great naval and war thrillers. It follows the lives of a group of royal navy sailors fighting the battle of the atlantic during the second. It covers not just the details of the battle, but deals with the people who fought it their domestic triumphs, tragedies, worries and ambitions. Isbn 1580800467 paperback, 520 pages the book is a fiction.
It contains seven chapters, each describing a year during the war. Aug 09, 1979 nicholas monsarrat, the british amateur sailor turned author who wrote the best. Lieutenant commander nicholas john turney monsarrat frsl rnvr 22 march 1910 8 august 1979 was a british novelist known today for his sea stories, particularly the cruel sea 1951 and three corvettes 194245, but perhaps best known internationally for his novels, the tribe that lost its head and its sequel, richer than all his tribe. A powerful novel of the north atlantic in world wat ii, this is the story of the british ships compass rose and saltash and of their desparate catandmouse game. Ericson, with a new job, a new ship, and a new crew, is also faced with a new kind of war as an. From library journal one of the classic naval adventure stories of world war ii, monsarrat s novel tells the tale of two british ships trying to escape destruction by wolf pack uboats hunting in the north atlantic. Nicholas monsarrats the cruel sea was listed, with a brief summary. The cruel sea by nicholas monsarrat, hardcover abebooks. Nicholas monsarrat, 69, the author of the cruel sea, a widely acclaimed novel of world war ii, and of several other books, died of cancer wednesday in the king edward vii. Lieutenant commander nicholas john turney monsarrat rnvr 22 march 1910 8 august 1979 was a british novelist known today for his sea stories, particularly the cruel sea 1951 and three corvettes 194245, but perhaps best known internationally for his novels, the tribe that lost its head and its sequel, richer than all his tribe. First published to great accalim in 1951, the cruel sea remains a classic novel of endurance and daring. Cruel sea, the by monsarrat, nicholas naval warfare. Yes, sir, lockhart answered, as the natural spokesman.
The cruel sea by nicholas monsarrat fantastic fiction. Monsarrat, nicholas the cruel sea free ebooks download. Buy a cheap copy of the cruel sea book by nicholas monsarrat. It is a long story because it deals with a long and brutal battle, the worst of any war. The cruel sea nicholas monsarrat read online free books. The cruel sea by nicholas monsarrat, first edition abebooks. The cruel sea by monsarrat, nicholas and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Above all, it is a true story because that is the only kind worth telling.
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