A secret radio broadcast warns that Hitler’s newest and most powerful battleship the Attila, is moving in the for the kill under the cover of fog and snowstorms. Its target, the liners Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, now doing duty as troop ships crossing the North Atlantic.Cameron commanding the destroyer Glenshiel must outwit an unseen enemy … positioning himself between the battleship and its prey in a split-second game of hide, seek and destroy. But with the British fleet out at sea and communication lines down, it becomes harder and harder to distinguish between friend and foe.On the Glenshiel itself seeds of discord are sown by tensions amongst the men and distressing news of events at home. A resentful actor, a navyman recently betrayed by his wife’s affair and a power hungry officer are but a few of the characters ensnared in this tragic nightmare at sea. Cameron weighs up the lives of his men and his duty to the Royal Navy. Will they make the ultimate sacrifice?This book was previously published as Cameron's Chase. PRAISE FOR PHILIP ‘McCutchan’s tightest, most inviting plot.’ Kirkus Reviews ‘A first rate adventure series.’ Publishers WeeklyABOUT THE AUTHORPhilip McCutchan (1920-1996) grew up in the naval atmosphere of Portsmouth Dockyard and developed a lifetime's interest in the sea. Military history was an early interest resulting in several fiction books, from amongst his large output, about the British Army and its campaigns, especially in the last 150 years.
Philip McCutchan (1920-1996) grew up in the naval atmosphere of Portsmouth Dockyard and developed a lifetime's interest in the sea. Military history was an early interest resulting in several fiction books, from amongst his large output, about the British Army and its campaigns, especially in the last 150 years.
Hunted is a fictional story set in World War 2, pitting the hero of the story and his tiny destroyer against the might of the German navy in the form of its brand new battleship which is threatening to disrupt the convoys that form the lifeline of the allied powers.
I came across this book not knowing that it was the 11th in the series, but at no stage did I feel like I was missing out on anything for not having read the previous books. Cameron is your stereotypical action hero standing at the wheel of his ship as it fights against impossible odds, etc etc etc.
If you look at the setup of this book, it is fairly easy to see that the author drew from historical references - the big bad battleship is obviously a reference to the Tirpitz, and its companions are analogs for the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Although the tale itself is more akin to the story of the hunt for the Bismark, which was my initial impression until the author references the sinking of that vessel part way through the novel.
As with a lot of military thrillers, particularly those set during World War 2 it seems, obvious liberties are taken with logic, military protocol, and general practicalities. But let's face it, that's not the sort of thing you are looking for when you read a book like Hunted.
This is a short read, and if dashing tales of derringdo on rinky dink destroyers is your sort of thing, then this might be worth a look.
After reading the prior eleven Cameron stories I am finally getting the feel of the British language. What I miss is knowledge of the area. A map for each story would be great.
I like the Donald Cameron series all are good in their own right and collectively make for a good series. Good characters well researched, and always loosely based on real eve ts Give the series a try, you'll e joy the books.
Excellent naval war fiction. This entire series makes for thrilling reading for anyone interested in naval action from World War Two. I can thoroughly recommend this and the other books in the series. 5 stars, from me.
Lieutenant Commander Donald Cameron continues to do what is needed to help the Royal Navy in it fight against the Nazi menace during the second world war.
I enjoy naval fiction, and will no doubt read others in the series. The Atilla mirrors the hunt for Bismarck. From all I know of that, the German naval strategy seemed like a recipe for disaster. Well researched.
“Hunted” (aka “Cameron’s Chase”) eBook was published in 2016 (March, though the paper edition was originally published in 1986) and was written by Phillip McCutchan (https://www.historicnavalfiction.com/...). Mr. McCutchan wrote 45 novels about the Navy. This is the 11th of 14 novels in his “Donald Cameron RNVR” series.
I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. This World War II era Thriller novel is set aboard the destroyer Glenshiel, where the primary character Donald Cameron is the Captain.
Norwegian resistance notifies the Allies that the German battleship Attila has set sail accompanied by two heavy cruisers. Because of the timing, the Allies believe that the German battle group is after a supply convoy from North America and/or the troop laden Canard ships Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth. All are in route to the UK across the North Atlantic.
The available British fleet is mobilized and sent out to find the Germans. Fog and snow come at a perfect time for the Germans as it keeps their ships hidden from reconnaissance aircraft. Destroyers, including the Glenshiel, are dispatched in a search pattern to find the Germans.
The Glenshiel finds the Attila. In a brief one-sided encounter with the far superior German vessels, the Glenshiel is damaged. With its radio and radar antennas shot away, Cameron and the Glenshiel continue to carefully probe after the Germans.
The story also deals with personnel aboard the Glenshiel. Not all of the sailors are happy being aboard the vessel. The thoughts of several characters, on both the Allied and German sides, are given.
I enjoyed the 6.5 hours I spent reading this 176 page novel. This is the second of the “Donald Cameron RNVR” novels I have read, and I enjoyed this one just as much as the first. It does read well as a stand alone novel. I think they give a good depiction of serving abord a small military vessel in World War II. I give this novel a 4.5 (rounded up to a 5) out of 5.
A fictional tale, that yes, but a really great read. Very neatly tied up. Aldridge loses his mother, unbeknownst to him, and in the end joins her in another place, Clutch gets his reward, and a great many decent men also join their ancestors. A thoroughly enjoyable tale.