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Commander Cochrane Smith #3
Dauntless
Autumn, 1917.
Britain is just about surviving the war of the U-boats but there are mutinies in France, a revolution in Russia and stalemate on the Western Front. The Allies must get the upper hand and in London plans are hatched to renew the pressure in the Middle East.
Commander David Cochrane Smith finds himself on a formidable assignment in the Mediterranean. He is wily, experienced and tough but his mission is dangerous and his force is small. With this ramshackle squadron he must elude the U-boats and sink a heavily armed enemy cruiser whose captain is as able and daring as Smith himself. The action is fierce on land and on sea — and the odds are uneven. But this is an assignment designed to test Smith to the utmost and he is determined to succeed ...
Can he trust his own men?
And can his men trust him?
Britain is just about surviving the war of the U-boats but there are mutinies in France, a revolution in Russia and stalemate on the Western Front. The Allies must get the upper hand and in London plans are hatched to renew the pressure in the Middle East.
Commander David Cochrane Smith finds himself on a formidable assignment in the Mediterranean. He is wily, experienced and tough but his mission is dangerous and his force is small. With this ramshackle squadron he must elude the U-boats and sink a heavily armed enemy cruiser whose captain is as able and daring as Smith himself. The action is fierce on land and on sea — and the odds are uneven. But this is an assignment designed to test Smith to the utmost and he is determined to succeed ...
Can he trust his own men?
And can his men trust him?
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1981
286 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
About the author
Alan Evans
20 books15 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Alan Evans was born in 1930 in Sunderland. He is an enthralling writer of First and Second World War adventure thrillers, mainly based on naval battles. Carefully researched, and with his own experience of active service, he skilfully evokes the tension and terror of war. Many of the figures and events are based on real-life models. His best-known character is Commander David Cochrane Smith, a maverick First World War sea captain. The protagonist of six of Evans' novels, he has to battle against the highly sceptical Admiralty as well as seemingly impossible odds in order to triumph. Evans' style is pacey and gripping, and in addition to his popular books for adults, he counts three adventure novels for children amongst his credits.
Alan Evans was born in 1930 in Sunderland. He is an enthralling writer of First and Second World War adventure thrillers, mainly based on naval battles. Carefully researched, and with his own experience of active service, he skilfully evokes the tension and terror of war. Many of the figures and events are based on real-life models. His best-known character is Commander David Cochrane Smith, a maverick First World War sea captain. The protagonist of six of Evans' novels, he has to battle against the highly sceptical Admiralty as well as seemingly impossible odds in order to triumph. Evans' style is pacey and gripping, and in addition to his popular books for adults, he counts three adventure novels for children amongst his credits.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 12, 2015
Slow start; great middle and end. Very "Reeman-esque".
February 28, 2019
A really enjoyable read, the book was pretty much all action with Commander Smith having to deal with multiple threats. There is also some interesting personal information and a ‘cursed aeroplane’.
My only slight criticisms are the book again ends with many loose ends and I’m really not sure why the author keeps including yet another independent woman, as they always just seem to disappear at the end of the book.
My only slight criticisms are the book again ends with many loose ends and I’m really not sure why the author keeps including yet another independent woman, as they always just seem to disappear at the end of the book.
March 4, 2021
Enjoyable, but repetitive with the first two books
Let me say first of all that I enjoyed the book and will probably read more by this author. However, it has become clear that the main character Smith in both air, land, and sea. The addition of the sea planes made for an interesting departure. But we know that every book in the series will end with a fight to the finish at sea. I am hoping other books in the series will have a little more variation
Let me say first of all that I enjoyed the book and will probably read more by this author. However, it has become clear that the main character Smith in both air, land, and sea. The addition of the sea planes made for an interesting departure. But we know that every book in the series will end with a fight to the finish at sea. I am hoping other books in the series will have a little more variation
February 27, 2024
Another great story in this series. Set in the middle east, off the coast of modern day Israel and Lebanon, Smith used naval gunfire and Shorts Floatplane recon bombers to harry Turkish Army bring men and supplies to the Front line at the edge of the Sinai desert.
My critique remains that Smith does too much and gets involved in too many different actions. As another review suggested, it sorts with the Naval Action in the Napoleonic War (see the HMS Surprise series or the real life adventures of Cochrane) but not really in this setting. Too much action, too much Captain Smith.
If you don't take them very seriously, they're a great read, just not very realistic.
My critique remains that Smith does too much and gets involved in too many different actions. As another review suggested, it sorts with the Naval Action in the Napoleonic War (see the HMS Surprise series or the real life adventures of Cochrane) but not really in this setting. Too much action, too much Captain Smith.
If you don't take them very seriously, they're a great read, just not very realistic.
July 5, 2020
Good read, and solid story, that said, I thought I had it figured out around chapter 9, but it did not finish the way I thought. The author always seems to end one chapter short. It would have been good to read what happened when they returned to port. There are always unanswered elements to his stories.
May 29, 2019
Good thriller with lots of action to keep you reading and turning pages.
Good thriller with lots of action to keep you reading and turning pages. Would like to read more by this auther
Good thriller with lots of action to keep you reading and turning pages. Would like to read more by this auther
June 30, 2020
Good read. Interesting story about WWI, especially the Turkish theatre. The main character was a larger than life figure in this story, doing everything from being the captain of a ship, to flying in an airplane, to being in a calvary charge, to having a love affair, just a one man band.
January 4, 2023
A Jolly Good Adventure!
Nothing done by half measures - go hard or go home!
I’ve lost interest in other naval series because the stories are lazy and slow. This series is secure in its place in my library.
Nothing done by half measures - go hard or go home!
I’ve lost interest in other naval series because the stories are lazy and slow. This series is secure in its place in my library.
May 23, 2023
A war story with a hero, who is doing a super-hero role.
He should have been court-martialled for disobeying orders, putting his ship at risk by doing jobs that members of his crew were better qualified to do.
Not to my taste, I can take it in the 1800s when Dudley pope set his Ramage, but during the first World War, it doesn't really work.
He should have been court-martialled for disobeying orders, putting his ship at risk by doing jobs that members of his crew were better qualified to do.
Not to my taste, I can take it in the 1800s when Dudley pope set his Ramage, but during the first World War, it doesn't really work.
October 22, 2023
Well of course they were gonna win, of course he was gonna go against the grain, and so on. A rattle of a read if you leave your critical facilities at the door and some of the practical and seamanship also.
June 24, 2024
Really great book...
I haven't read much of the history of WW I in the Mediterranean, so this was a great opportunity to get introduced to the Palestine campaign. It was a very exciting book. Very action packed. I will read the next in the series.
I haven't read much of the history of WW I in the Mediterranean, so this was a great opportunity to get introduced to the Palestine campaign. It was a very exciting book. Very action packed. I will read the next in the series.
November 22, 2017
I really enjoyed this book!
April 4, 2019
Good story and characterisations. Looks to be a good series.
June 24, 2020
Brilliant series. Working my way through it all.
February 3, 2021
Good book
Packed again with a ton of action! I can’t imagine how much research goes into one of these books. When someone dies, you feel it. Look forward to reading more!
Packed again with a ton of action! I can’t imagine how much research goes into one of these books. When someone dies, you feel it. Look forward to reading more!
May 1, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyable. Exciting action. I highly recommend this one !
June 4, 2021
Great story, well written action scenes, but felt it needed a bit of tidying up at the end: too many questions left unanswered.
July 22, 2022
Another great thriller
Another book hard to put down. Finished it at 4am. Smith does it all again in this action packed story.
Another book hard to put down. Finished it at 4am. Smith does it all again in this action packed story.
September 10, 2022
Enjoyable novel of naval history.
September 28, 2015
Pretty good WWI naval action, against the Turks and of course Germans, has some good action on the ground and the hunt for the German cruiser.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews