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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Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Good. Book. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. Second printing. Some corner, edge wear. Pages good, lt. discoloration first few page edges. Good reading copy. Classic cover design of Maltese cross behind falcon silhouette behind sailing vessel. A classic spy story of the twentieth century first published in 1903. When Carruthers joins his friend Arthur Davies on his yacht Dulcibella, he is expecting a pleasant sailing holiday in the Baltic Sea. But the holiday turns into an adventure of a different kind. He and Davies soon find themselves sailing in the stormy waters of the North Sea, exploring the channels and hidden sandbanks around the German Frisian Islands, and looking for a secret a secret that could mean great danger for England. Erskine Childers' novel, published in 1903, was the first great modern spy story, and is still as exciting to read today as it was a hundred years ago. 287 pages.
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.)