by Erskine Childers
This is between a three- and four-star book for me. I’m bumping it up to four stars because much of what I struggled with is a simple matter of style. The Riddle of the Sands was written more than a hundred years ago, so the writing is more complex, and the dialogue denser, than today’s spy novels.H...
As for the other two, the girl when I saw her next, in her short boating skirt and tam-o'-shanter, was a miracle of coolness and pluck. But for her I should never have got him away. And ah! how good it was to be out in the wholesome rain again, hurrying to the harbour with my two charges, hurrying t...
WHY IT'S ON MY TO-READ LIST: Considered the first modern spy novel, mentioned in contrast with Maugham's Ashenden stories (favorites of mine). Childer's spies are super heroes, brilliantly outwitting diabolical enemies, as opposed to Maugham's protagonist who is charming but fallible, detached but i...
Considered to be the first of the modern spy/espionage thriller genre, this book set prior to World War I, was purported to have given the British Admiralty a wake-up call about the vulnerability of England should the Germans wage a surprise attack and to take action to prevent that from happening. ...
I have officially OD'd on sailing jargon.Read the review on PGP
Was originally published in 1903 and considered the cornerstone of the espionage genre. Lots and lots of naval terms, many of which I did not understand. But I did learn what kedging is. Simon Vance did a great job at reading this one. Learned some quirks about gentlemanly yachting, the North Sea, a...
I am finally done with Erskine Childer’s The Riddle of the Sands, A Record of Secret Service, or as I call it, Two Men in a Boat, Not to Mention the Espionage, and I think it easy to detect in my statement that I found reading the book something of a chore. It’s not completely the fault of the book ...
workaday mp3Some lovely language but overall, a bit of a chore.
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