Epic Sea Books. The Cruel Sea. Nicholas Monsarrat

In 1939, Lieutenant-Commander George Ericson, having served in the Merchant Navy, was recruited to the Royal Navy to take command of the corvette, 'Compass Rose' for a war mission of enormous importance. His officers, also new to the Navy, were totally inexperienced in the highly dangerous, but crucial task assigned to them: escorting convoys of British merchant ships, carrying vital supplies to Britian, from Canada and the USA.

Despite their shortcomings, the 'Compass Rose' and her crew embraced the hazardous mission with courage and confidence, crossing the Atlantic many times, often in atrocious weather, avoiding the deadly German U-boats and protecting the vital supplies for their besieged homeland.

It certainly wasn't all plain sailing and Monsarrat graphically describes the disastrous bombing of many merchant ships with their tragic civilian crews blasted to the depths of the Atlantic.

After three harrowing years of bravery and service, which included the sinking of one U-boat, the 'Compass Rose' was herself torpedoed and her crew forced to abandon ship. Commander Ericson, along with his First Lieutenant, Lockart. survived, but sadly most of his crew were lost.

He took command of a new ship, 'HMS Saltash Castle', continued to escort the convoys, eventually sinking one German submarine, and forcing the surrender of others.

'The Cruel Sea' is a powerful novel, graphically portraying the 'Fire of Hell' that was the North Atlantic during World War 11. It describes vividly, the heroic exploits of Commander Ericson and his brave crew aboard the 'Compass Rose' and 'Saltash Castle', and their desperate 'cat-and-mouse' game with Nazi U-boats.

Monsarrat managed expertly to put a human face on war, bringing his crew to life; their strengths, courage and characters are portrayed in a brilliantly effective way. The book charts the entire service life of the 'Compass Rose', her struggle to overcome limited armory, her inexperienced crew and her shortcomings in the face of deadly, lurking U-boats. These limitations were eventually exposed by a powerful, well-equiped enemy, with disastrous consequences for most of her brave crew.

A gripping drama, depicting unique heights of human courage and commitment in a  'life and death' devastating war environment.

THE AUTHOR.

Nicholas Monsarrat was born in Liverpool in 1910. Son of a distinguished surgeon, he graduated in law. Not keen to pursue a legal career, he began writing in London, but through his early reviews and journalistic efforts, he barely got by.

Although against war, he joined the Royal Navy Voluntary Reserve "to help his country win the battle" Recruited to command a corvette, he proceeded to give distinguished service escorting convoys of merchant ships through the Atlantic, bringing vital supplies to Britain.

It was a highly dangerous mission for an inexperienced Commander and crew, but although exposed to daily 'life and death' perils, he completed his task, highly commended by the Royal Navy.

Following the war in 1946, he joined the British diplomatic service, becoming an information officer in Johannesburg. It was in South Africa that he wrote his masterpiece, 'The Cruel Sea'. which immediately propelled him to fame and fortune. The story was filmed in 1953, the year Monsarrat was transferred to Ottawa in Canada as a British Information Officer. There he wrote two books: 'The Story of Esther Costello' (1953 and 'The Tribe That Lost its Head' (1956).

Nicholas Monsarrat left the diplomatic service in 1959 to write full-time. In all, he published twenty-eight books, many bestsellers, including two volumes of his autobiography: 'Life is a Four Letter Word.'

He and his wife, Ann, retired to the peaceful Maltese Island of Gozo, lived in a charming house in the quaint little village of San Lawrenz, enjoying the magnificent views, and the exquisite beauty of the blue Mediterranean. It was there that he wrote his widely acclaimed novel 'The Kappillan of Malta', a vivid portrayal of Malta's sufferings and legendary resistance during World War 11.

But it was 'The Cruel Sea' that proved his literary genius, winning for him the 'Heinemann Foundation Prize for Literature' and ensuring his legacy as a giant of the sea...and the pen.

He passed away in 1979, and in deference to his wishes, he was buried at sea with full Military Honours from a ship of the Royal Navy.

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'THE CRYING SEA' , just published, is another 'Epic Sea Book'. It is inspired by a true sea tragedy that occurred off Malta in 2008. 'A fishing boat explodes in a raging inferno and sinks to the depths of the Mediterranean. So begins six days and nights of unspeakable anguish for the crew and their families; shock, horror and grief for the whole island of Malta'.

Available online at: www.bridgepublishing.net