Described by Ken Follett as "the first modern thriller", The Riddle of the Sands is the best-known sailing narrative and a true classic. It was recently ranked 37th in The Observer's list of the 100 Greatest Novels of the past 300 years. Winston Churchill even credited it for the Admiralty's decision to build naval bases in Scapa Flow, Invergordon and Rosyth. Following in the adventurous tradition of H Rider Haggard, and being a clear influence on the espionage tales of John Buchan, Ian Fleming and John le Carre, The ...
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Described by Ken Follett as "the first modern thriller", The Riddle of the Sands is the best-known sailing narrative and a true classic. It was recently ranked 37th in The Observer's list of the 100 Greatest Novels of the past 300 years. Winston Churchill even credited it for the Admiralty's decision to build naval bases in Scapa Flow, Invergordon and Rosyth. Following in the adventurous tradition of H Rider Haggard, and being a clear influence on the espionage tales of John Buchan, Ian Fleming and John le Carre, The Riddle of the Sands tells the story of two young men on a sailing trip to the islands off the Dutch coast who discover a secret German naval base, and an enemy armada preparing to invade England. With its prescient plotline and patriotic call for the nation to prepare against its foreign foes, The Riddle of the Sands has remained enduringly popular ever since it was first published in 1903. This new edition includes detailed maps of the Dutch coastline and evocative black and white photographs of some of the places Carruthers and Davies visit. This is an enduring classic, loved by sailors and non-sailors alike, and its new illustrative material will be welcomed by readers following the storyline.
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THIS IS A GREAT READ. TOO BAD CHILDERS DID NOT WRITE MORE. I ALSO HAVE THE VIDEO--GOOD MOVIE. ACCURATE. GOOD EXAMPLE OF ONE-ON-ONE AND SUSPENSEFUL STORY.
Tompy
Mar 31, 2011
A good story
This was billed as the first of the spy stories, and it lived up to that quite well. Also if you like sea stories you would enjoy it just for that. The characters were well developed, and the plot quite suspenseful.
simor
Oct 1, 2009
I was first introduced to Riddle of the Sands as a young girl; over the years I have taken it from the library every so often to reread and finally decided I should own a copy. Anyone who enjoys suspenseful adventure/spy stories free of modern, super-hero flash will love this jewel. (Having some sailing experience does help.)
