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Atlantic Fury
During the war, Iain Ross had been disgraced, and then drowned at sea -- or so his family believed. But a curious mission takes his brother Donald to the Hebrides to meet a Major Braddock, and he finds the man who was once his brother living a new life in a dead man's name. Braddock is running the evacuation of the army base on the remote, gale-swept island of Laerg. Winter is closing in, and he has his own reasons for wanting the army -- and Donald Ross -- off Laerg as quickly as possible, even in the face of a furious storm building out in the Atlantic.
250 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1962
46 people are currently reading
207 people want to read
About the author
Hammond Innes
105 books107 followersRalph Hammond Innes was an English novelist who wrote over 30 novels, as well as children's and travel books.He was awarded a C.B.E. (Commander, Order of the British Empire) in 1978. The World Mystery Convention honoured Innes with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bouchercon XXIV awards in Omaha, Nebraska, Oct, 1993.
Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at the Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the Financial Times (at the time called the Financial News). The Doppelganger, his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including Wreckers Must Breathe (1940), The Trojan Horse (1941) and Attack Alarm (1941); the last of which was based on his experiences as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of Britain at RAF Kenley. After being discharged in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes.
His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in Air Bridge (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.
Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence, with six months of travel and research followed by six months of writing. Many of his works featured events at sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial. He became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was Delta Connection (1996).
Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involved being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.
Four of his early novels were made into films: Snowbound (1948)from The Lonely Skier (1947), Hell Below Zero (1954) from The White South (1949), Campbell's Kingdom (1957), and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). His 1973 novel Golden Soak was adapted into a six-part television series in 1979.
Innes was born in Horsham, Sussex, and educated at the Cranbrook School in Kent. He left in 1931 to work as a journalist, initially with the Financial Times (at the time called the Financial News). The Doppelganger, his first novel, was published in 1937. In WWII he served in the Royal Artillery, eventually rising to the rank of Major. During the war, a number of his books were published, including Wreckers Must Breathe (1940), The Trojan Horse (1941) and Attack Alarm (1941); the last of which was based on his experiences as an anti-aircraft gunner during the Battle of Britain at RAF Kenley. After being discharged in 1946, he worked full-time as a writer, achieving a number of early successes.
His novels are notable for a fine attention to accurate detail in descriptions of places, such as in Air Bridge (1951), set partially at RAF Gatow, RAF Membury after its closure and RAF Wunstorf during the Berlin Airlift.
Innes went on to produce books in a regular sequence, with six months of travel and research followed by six months of writing. Many of his works featured events at sea. His output decreased in the 1960s, but was still substantial. He became interested in ecological themes. He continued writing until just before his death. His last novel was Delta Connection (1996).
Unusually for the thriller genre, Innes' protagonists were often not "heroes" in the typical sense, but ordinary men suddenly thrust into extreme situations by circumstance. Often, this involved being placed in a hostile environment (the Arctic, the open sea, deserts), or unwittingly becoming involved in a larger conflict or conspiracy. The protagonist generally is forced to rely on his own wits and making best use of limited resources, rather than the weapons and gadgetry commonly used by thriller writers.
Four of his early novels were made into films: Snowbound (1948)from The Lonely Skier (1947), Hell Below Zero (1954) from The White South (1949), Campbell's Kingdom (1957), and The Wreck of the Mary Deare (1959). His 1973 novel Golden Soak was adapted into a six-part television series in 1979.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
March 28, 2015
In real life I would make a terrible sailor. I would be seasick on a calm day on a ship moored securely to a dock. But that knowledge doesn't keep me from loving stories about the sea.
It has been many years since the last time I read Atlantic Fury, and I had forgotten what a tension filled, gut-wrenching, nerve-wracking story it is. We meet Doug Ross as he attempts to explain everything that happened on Laerg Island, an Army radar tracking station, but also his Grandfather's former home. Doug has never been there, the island has been off limits for years to anyone other than Army personnel. But he has always wanted to visit, to paint the island, to see for himself the places in the stories he remembers hearing at his Grandfather's knee.
I dare not say too much: Doug is telling us his story but also trying to figure out the whys of it as he goes. There are hints about bad decisions on the part of the Army, and more hints about the mysterious past of a man by the name of Braddock, who has been placed in command of the proposed late-in-the season evacuation of Laerg. Who is he and why does he so desperately want to get to Laerg?
We know the human factor is going to be critical here. And then there is the weather. Even today predictions about the weather are not always accurate. Imagine being on a tiny island out in the Atlantic over 50 years ago, relying on the scraps of weather information the official sources provide. But they don't tell you anything about the huge, furious, perfect storm that weather officer Morgan is certain is going to appear
right in the middle of your evacuation. Who do you listen to? And what do you do when the situation goes from bad to beyond the worst you could have ever imagined?
I had to remind myself more than once to breathe. Relax....inhale....exhale....okay, go back to the story. That is how caught up I became, right to the very end.
It has been many years since the last time I read Atlantic Fury, and I had forgotten what a tension filled, gut-wrenching, nerve-wracking story it is. We meet Doug Ross as he attempts to explain everything that happened on Laerg Island, an Army radar tracking station, but also his Grandfather's former home. Doug has never been there, the island has been off limits for years to anyone other than Army personnel. But he has always wanted to visit, to paint the island, to see for himself the places in the stories he remembers hearing at his Grandfather's knee.
I dare not say too much: Doug is telling us his story but also trying to figure out the whys of it as he goes. There are hints about bad decisions on the part of the Army, and more hints about the mysterious past of a man by the name of Braddock, who has been placed in command of the proposed late-in-the season evacuation of Laerg. Who is he and why does he so desperately want to get to Laerg?
We know the human factor is going to be critical here. And then there is the weather. Even today predictions about the weather are not always accurate. Imagine being on a tiny island out in the Atlantic over 50 years ago, relying on the scraps of weather information the official sources provide. But they don't tell you anything about the huge, furious, perfect storm that weather officer Morgan is certain is going to appear
right in the middle of your evacuation. Who do you listen to? And what do you do when the situation goes from bad to beyond the worst you could have ever imagined?
I had to remind myself more than once to breathe. Relax....inhale....exhale....okay, go back to the story. That is how caught up I became, right to the very end.
December 14, 2019
On occasions, Atlantic Fury rises to the level of literature, going above and beyond mere adventure fiction. I think I can see why. Innes seems inspired by Conrad, here. As with many other adventure novelists, Innes has burrowed into the roots of the genre and into Lord Jim. This isn't the first time he's done so, nor will it be the last. I think Conrad's Jim constantly loomed over him as a point of inspiration. The protagonist/narrator, Donald Ross, explaining and at times participating in the story, like Conrad's Marlow. The morally and spiritually exhausted brother of Donald, Iain Ross, seeking out a new life, a new chance, and the desire to leave the world behind, like Jim, and the court martial. It's Conrad's storyline. And it works. Marvelous fiction.
Comparatively speaking, Atlantic Fury matches up well against Innes' most popular and perhaps greatest work, The Wreck of the Mary Deare. His description of the storm and rescue attempt in Atlantic Fury almost equals the thrills and suspense of the chase across the Minkies in Mary Deare. There is also a serious psychological study going on. Of two people, the two brothers, with Donald often serving as the analyst for his big brother, Iain.
This is another work that illustrates Innes at the height of his power as a novelist. His greatest work came during the Fifties and Sixties, with some lapping over into the Seventies. The intimate world of men clashing against each other alongside a backdrop of savage nature plays time and again. And it never becomes tiresome.
Comparatively speaking, Atlantic Fury matches up well against Innes' most popular and perhaps greatest work, The Wreck of the Mary Deare. His description of the storm and rescue attempt in Atlantic Fury almost equals the thrills and suspense of the chase across the Minkies in Mary Deare. There is also a serious psychological study going on. Of two people, the two brothers, with Donald often serving as the analyst for his big brother, Iain.
This is another work that illustrates Innes at the height of his power as a novelist. His greatest work came during the Fifties and Sixties, with some lapping over into the Seventies. The intimate world of men clashing against each other alongside a backdrop of savage nature plays time and again. And it never becomes tiresome.
October 8, 2014
This is not one of Hammond Innes's very best adventure stories, although it is still a good, action packed read. The setting, situation and weather are well described (especially the weather), but the plot has a few too many convenient coincidences. I still enjoyed reading it again.
It is set on and in the waters around St. Kilda, here called Learg, as an army signal station is being evacuated. A series of delayed decisions, bad luck and the weather quite suddenly turning nasty, really nasty, cause this to be a disaster.
There is also a story involving a relationship between two men and some mystery about something that happened twenty years earlier. It is the setting and the weather which dominate, however, and those are described very well. This is a sea story, even though most of it takes place on land.
It is set on and in the waters around St. Kilda, here called Learg, as an army signal station is being evacuated. A series of delayed decisions, bad luck and the weather quite suddenly turning nasty, really nasty, cause this to be a disaster.
There is also a story involving a relationship between two men and some mystery about something that happened twenty years earlier. It is the setting and the weather which dominate, however, and those are described very well. This is a sea story, even though most of it takes place on land.
May 31, 2022
I enjoyed this book immensely. Old-fashioned rip-roaring adventure, with a high body count, lots of men in exceptionally trying physical and emotional circumstances, a close look at the terror of the sea and the inhuman beauty of far-northern land.
June 14, 2020
Solid 5 stars to me.
The author was born in England in 1913 and this book was published in 1962. The setting is primarily in the Outer Hebrides west of Scotland in October in the early 1960s. There is reference to a ship sinking in 1944 and this book takes place about 20 years later.
The weather in the north Atlantic during the winter fall and winter months can be extremely brutal and change drastically very quickly. The author was familiar with the area of the setting and of the fierce fury of the Atlantic and the effect on access to the more remote islands of the Hebrides. The plot surrounds a decision by the British army to defund, remove, and evacuate a radar tracking station that was being used for tracking guided missiles during testing to verify accuracy. The dismantling was to take place starting in October and was thus on an impossible schedule.
The descriptions of the events, the weather conditions, the islands, and the sea and winds are masterfully vivid, creating mental pictures that can come alive in mind of the reader. The story is an adventure with a twist of mystery that unfolds to retain interest. The characters are well developed and consistent. It is told in first person as Donald Ross, a painter and former sailor, is approached by a man who "thinks" he has a secret to reveal about Donald's brother who was listed as missing and presumed dead from a shipwreck that occurred in 1944. The island on which the radar base is located, to which Donald has never been, is the one on which his grandfather had lived and of which his grandfather's stories during Donald's childhood remained vivid in his memory and had created a desire within Donald to visit. With this evacuation, it was possible for Donald to go as an artist to capture some of it on canvas. It was also an opportunity to find out the truth about his brother.
I would highly recommend this book.
The author was born in England in 1913 and this book was published in 1962. The setting is primarily in the Outer Hebrides west of Scotland in October in the early 1960s. There is reference to a ship sinking in 1944 and this book takes place about 20 years later.
The weather in the north Atlantic during the winter fall and winter months can be extremely brutal and change drastically very quickly. The author was familiar with the area of the setting and of the fierce fury of the Atlantic and the effect on access to the more remote islands of the Hebrides. The plot surrounds a decision by the British army to defund, remove, and evacuate a radar tracking station that was being used for tracking guided missiles during testing to verify accuracy. The dismantling was to take place starting in October and was thus on an impossible schedule.
The descriptions of the events, the weather conditions, the islands, and the sea and winds are masterfully vivid, creating mental pictures that can come alive in mind of the reader. The story is an adventure with a twist of mystery that unfolds to retain interest. The characters are well developed and consistent. It is told in first person as Donald Ross, a painter and former sailor, is approached by a man who "thinks" he has a secret to reveal about Donald's brother who was listed as missing and presumed dead from a shipwreck that occurred in 1944. The island on which the radar base is located, to which Donald has never been, is the one on which his grandfather had lived and of which his grandfather's stories during Donald's childhood remained vivid in his memory and had created a desire within Donald to visit. With this evacuation, it was possible for Donald to go as an artist to capture some of it on canvas. It was also an opportunity to find out the truth about his brother.
I would highly recommend this book.
July 7, 2011
"Write what you know about" is one of the unwritten rules for aspiring writers. Hammond Innes was already an established author in 1950 when this book was published, still it is clear here that he knows what he is talking about: military life and sailing. I was reminded both of Joseph Conrad's Typhoon and of Alistair macLean northern based thrillers (Bear Island).
The books starts in a dry enumeration of facts, a report of the catastrophic events at a military outpost on the remotest island in the Outer Hebrides. Gradually the human interest story breahtes life into the pages and soon the majestic and pitiless force of the ocean will drive the narrative beyond the control of the human actors. The best pages in the book describe this struggle for survival in the face of hurricane force winds, arctic temperatures and sheer volcanic cliff faces. When steel girders break like matchsticks heroism will be translated not in blazing guns or spectacular explosions but in dogged endurance and self-sacrifice.
The books starts in a dry enumeration of facts, a report of the catastrophic events at a military outpost on the remotest island in the Outer Hebrides. Gradually the human interest story breahtes life into the pages and soon the majestic and pitiless force of the ocean will drive the narrative beyond the control of the human actors. The best pages in the book describe this struggle for survival in the face of hurricane force winds, arctic temperatures and sheer volcanic cliff faces. When steel girders break like matchsticks heroism will be translated not in blazing guns or spectacular explosions but in dogged endurance and self-sacrifice.
August 17, 2019
Excellent sea adventure, well informed on the challenges and politics of deep sea oil drilling.
May 26, 2021
Reliable adventure
Hammond Innes never fails to deliver a good story, strong characters and spectacular settings. A good book for an escape.
Hammond Innes never fails to deliver a good story, strong characters and spectacular settings. A good book for an escape.
September 9, 2023
Hammond Innes immerses the reader in a battle between the sheer weight of the Atlantic and the human struggle to survive. Of course he relies on his in depth knowledge of sailing, weather systems and a way of life in remote Scottish islands to bring on a fascinating journey. But it is his style of writing which demonstrates what it takes to survive in this type of geography.. This story is typical of his subtle way of sharing a fractured relationship that is intertwined with the fury of the Atlantic storms of the outer he rides. A mixture of extreme weather and a bond between two brothers that was once lost and rekindled but without the happy ever after ending that is expected. Life is hard and tough and not always as it seems in his novels.
February 3, 2020
This novel is about the evacuation of personnel from an island far north of England in the Hebrides, where a missile observation station was placed. There are complications from the weather and a battle of wills between officers both of whom feel they are in charge of the operation.
One is a skilled engineer and brilliant mind with little practical experience, and the other a war veteran with skill in command and experience with logistics. Complicating matters is that one may be an imposter, having taken on the identity of an officer during WW2 after a shipwreck.
There's a lot of information about sea travel, military logistics, and north Atlantic weather, and some of it left me a bit confused trying to understand exactly what was being said. Some maps would have probably helped. The secondary story about two brothers and identities was not as effective as probably intended and while it was an okay book I didn't enjoy it as much has others by Innes.
One is a skilled engineer and brilliant mind with little practical experience, and the other a war veteran with skill in command and experience with logistics. Complicating matters is that one may be an imposter, having taken on the identity of an officer during WW2 after a shipwreck.
There's a lot of information about sea travel, military logistics, and north Atlantic weather, and some of it left me a bit confused trying to understand exactly what was being said. Some maps would have probably helped. The secondary story about two brothers and identities was not as effective as probably intended and while it was an okay book I didn't enjoy it as much has others by Innes.
October 1, 2020
I feel as if I have visited that remote island in the Scottish Hebrides. I can see it and smell it. Also, Hammond Innes has put the fear of the Atlantic into me in the same way Jaws put the fear of sharks in. Warm waters only and crystal clear and not a whole lot of those, really, even though I used to love swimming. I'll stick to land, thank you very much! GREAT book! :>
November 4, 2025
St Kilda is a remote Western Isle some 60 miles west of the Outer Hebrides. Abandoned 95 years ago by the natives who had subsided on seabirds and their eggs as the population became unsustainable, the island remains wave-lashed, hauntingly beautiful and the home of some unique wildlife including a field mouse and a wren that the author describes. Hammond Innes lightly fictionalises the wind-blasted crag as Laerg. There’s a mystery there and it involves the brother of artist Donald Ross. Misanthropic Iain was supposedly drowned while returning from WWII duty in North Africa, but, years later, a Canadian appears at Donald’s London garret suggesting that not only is Iain very much alive but that he has a stolen the identity of a man in line to inherit a fortune.
The routine evacuation of a redundant Army missile tracking station on Laerg goes (predictably) horribly wrong and Iain, under his assumed identity, is scapegoated for the disaster but why is he so keen to return to Laerg, the place his grandfather had been compelled to leave thirty years before. Donald, who is an experienced seaman, is determined to discover if it is indeed his brother (odd plot-wise if it weren’t) and, if so, whether their historic antagonism can be resolved. To find out he travels to the Western Isles, ostensibly to paint on Laerg.
Be prepared for technical lessons in extreme North Atlantic weather patterns (given by Innes’s habitual stock expert Welshman) and observe men in desperate circumstances making life and death decisions concerning the fate of colleagues in peril. Gripping and nerve-racking. I learned what a ‘geo’ is so the only disappointment was that we didn’t get to meet base commander Standing’s beautiful wife, who apparently modelled for his nude studies.
The routine evacuation of a redundant Army missile tracking station on Laerg goes (predictably) horribly wrong and Iain, under his assumed identity, is scapegoated for the disaster but why is he so keen to return to Laerg, the place his grandfather had been compelled to leave thirty years before. Donald, who is an experienced seaman, is determined to discover if it is indeed his brother (odd plot-wise if it weren’t) and, if so, whether their historic antagonism can be resolved. To find out he travels to the Western Isles, ostensibly to paint on Laerg.
Be prepared for technical lessons in extreme North Atlantic weather patterns (given by Innes’s habitual stock expert Welshman) and observe men in desperate circumstances making life and death decisions concerning the fate of colleagues in peril. Gripping and nerve-racking. I learned what a ‘geo’ is so the only disappointment was that we didn’t get to meet base commander Standing’s beautiful wife, who apparently modelled for his nude studies.
June 30, 2023
A confusing start, it being a bit unclear just who the protagonist is. Putting that to one side (as all becomes clear a little further in), it was a gripping tale of storms and incompetence and professional jealousies. The detailed weather reports might sound a little tedious if you try to understand them.. but there's the trick: the detail itself (though presumed accurate) is less important than the response from the various players. Important too is the dynamic between two brothers and ultimately a love (or is it an immense respect?) for each other. Action scenes? Well, I'd say the book was mostly action with a few breathers once the scene was set, with a hint of romance thrown in.
Brilliantly crafted, and a real good read.
Brilliantly crafted, and a real good read.
October 13, 2021
Like most of what I've read by Innes, it was entertaining. I don't know that I'd say suspenseful or thrilling. But it was well-done, and the action kept me pulled in. Maybe the only drawback was that this story involved storms in the Hebrides, and there was a bit too much technical jargon. I really dislike watching the weather portions of newscasts, and this was that multiplied. But it was easy to skip those parts.
September 6, 2017
Death and Survival
Struggle to survive against the sea is a matter of courage and chance. Innes weaves the story around a British army unit ordered to evacuate from a remote island of the Hebrides during a roaring storm. The characters are well drawn and the command structure of the army unit is convincing. A very exciting yarn!
Struggle to survive against the sea is a matter of courage and chance. Innes weaves the story around a British army unit ordered to evacuate from a remote island of the Hebrides during a roaring storm. The characters are well drawn and the command structure of the army unit is convincing. A very exciting yarn!
June 5, 2023
The story plays out on a remote island off the Outer Hebrides to the west of Scotland. A rescue operation is jeopardised by an approaching low from the north, indicating a formidable North Atlantic storm. Decisions have to be made on how to rescue a group of men stationed on the island. Hammond Innes is at his best when writing about ships and extreme weather, both abound in this tale.
February 2, 2025
Major Braddock is desperate to get to Laerg before the army are evacuated. What follows is a LOT of weather information. Terrible weather conditions. When you finally find out why Braddock was so desperate to get there it’s a bit like “what, really, that’s why he risked his life and others” , I just didn’t get it.
February 17, 2026
I started reading this many years ago in school. I couldn't really get into it and I don't think I finished it. So...I thought I'd give it a go again and...well it goes on a bit. OK there was a terrible storm, but did we really need so much detail about weather forecasts? I can only speak for myself and say, no...I didn't. Which is a shame really because otherwise it had its moments x
August 5, 2018
Reading this in the Corfu summer sunshine, I shivered with cold as I was immersed in his descriptions of the bad weather on the coast of Scotland - so good is his writing.
A classic thriller writer who always comes up with goods and original story lines.
Great stuff.
A classic thriller writer who always comes up with goods and original story lines.
Great stuff.
April 26, 2019
Man tries to hide his past by assuming the identity of a dead soldier. His brother finds him on a remote island in the Outer Hebrides in the North Atlantic. Story is more about the harsh environment and stormy rough seas. Ending is unclear/unresolved.
August 30, 2018
Good read. I love these older books. Hammond Innes can really take you to experiencing elements of the sea.
August 17, 2019
Highly entertaining book.
January 7, 2020
A good adventure novel. A story told from an interesting angle, that draws the reader in. I felt part of the crew as I read how the ship battled the storm.
3 stars - enjoyed it, and worth a read -
3 stars - enjoyed it, and worth a read -
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2021
Excellent sea adventure.
October 1, 2022
great read
Great book It took you to the outer reaches and told how the sea was . I really enjoyed it
Great book It took you to the outer reaches and told how the sea was . I really enjoyed it
January 14, 2023
A pageturner
A gripping story of men (yes, just men--this was 70 years ago after all) pitted against the forces of weather and the vagaries of human nature.
A gripping story of men (yes, just men--this was 70 years ago after all) pitted against the forces of weather and the vagaries of human nature.
May 21, 2025
One of the best, authors. Mom loved reading his stories. Very much a masculine style story.
September 18, 2012
Originally published on my blog here in October 2000.
Atlantic Fury reads as though it were the novelisation of a disaster movie. Laerh, a fictionalised remote Hebridean island, is used as an army base, until it becomes superfluous. Then a decision is suddenly made to evacuate the base, before winter storms cut it off, and the evacuation coincides with an extremely severe early storm, wrecking the transport boats and hampering rescue attempts.
This plot is combined with a man's search for his brother. Believed dead in the war, evidence has appeared which makes it look as though Iain Ross swapped identities with a really dead man after a shipwreck. Since the man he is now believed to be has been sent to Laerg - by an unlikely coincidence, the Ross family home before its inhabitants were moved when the base was established - to oversee the evacuation. The coincidences multiply; Laerg was also where he was washed ashore after the wreck.
The whole novel is far fetched, but there is no denying that it is an exciting thriller, particularly in the scenes at sea. The suspense doesn't hide the thin characters or the holes in the plot; it is not in the end one of Innes' best pieces of writing.
Atlantic Fury reads as though it were the novelisation of a disaster movie. Laerh, a fictionalised remote Hebridean island, is used as an army base, until it becomes superfluous. Then a decision is suddenly made to evacuate the base, before winter storms cut it off, and the evacuation coincides with an extremely severe early storm, wrecking the transport boats and hampering rescue attempts.
This plot is combined with a man's search for his brother. Believed dead in the war, evidence has appeared which makes it look as though Iain Ross swapped identities with a really dead man after a shipwreck. Since the man he is now believed to be has been sent to Laerg - by an unlikely coincidence, the Ross family home before its inhabitants were moved when the base was established - to oversee the evacuation. The coincidences multiply; Laerg was also where he was washed ashore after the wreck.
The whole novel is far fetched, but there is no denying that it is an exciting thriller, particularly in the scenes at sea. The suspense doesn't hide the thin characters or the holes in the plot; it is not in the end one of Innes' best pieces of writing.
July 31, 2011
I was drawn to it because it takes place in the Hebrides and I've been reading most anything I can get hold of with that location. This was a riveting book from the first page. He is a good writer. This book was written in the '60's and it's a shame that people aren't very familiar with him any more. The book unravels a mystery involving a man's brother who is impersonating an officer. It chronicles a terrible Storm on the island of Luerg and tells about the growing weather and storm in a way that reminded me of 'the perfect storm'. I'm going to read more of his books after reading this one.
novels-fondly-remembered
December 13, 2023Hammond Innes was an accomplished sailor and at his best when writing about the sea (The Wreck of the Mary Deare etc.). This 1962 novel is centred on the Scottish island group of St. Kilda (here renamed Laerg) and the events surrounding a tragic evacuation of an army base during a very heavy storm. Add to it a secret between two brothers and a low-key love story - it makes for a very compelling read. There are a few slow passages, but the description of the ships in the storm and the courage of the personnel are unforgettable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews