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The Modern Naval Fiction Library
H.M.S. Saracen
In Malta, 1941, most people see the HMS Saracen as an ugly, obsolete ship. But to Captain Richad Chesnaye, she brings back memories - of World War I, when they went through the Gallipoli campaign together. As the war enters a new phase, Chesnaye sees a fresh, significant role for them both.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1965
52 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Reeman
138 books174 followersAKA Alexander Kent.
Douglas Edward Reeman was a British author who has written many historical fiction books on the Royal Navy, mainly set during either World War II or the Napoleonic Wars.
Reeman joined the Royal Navy in 1940, at the age of 16, and served during World War II and the Korean War. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant. In addition to being an author, Reeman has also taught the art of navigation for yachting and served as a technical advisor for films. Douglas married author Kimberley Jordan Reeman in 1985.
Reeman's debut novel, A Prayer for the Ship was published in 1958. His pseudonym Alexander Kent was the name of a friend and naval officer who died during the Second World War. Reeman is most famous for his series of Napoleonic naval stories, whose central character is Richard Bolitho, and, later, his nephew, Adam. He also wrote a series of novels about several generations of the Blackwood family who served in the Royal Marines from the 1850s to the 1970s, and a non-fiction account of his World War II experiences, D-Day : A Personal Reminiscence (1984).
Series:
* Blackwood Family
Douglas Edward Reeman was a British author who has written many historical fiction books on the Royal Navy, mainly set during either World War II or the Napoleonic Wars.
Reeman joined the Royal Navy in 1940, at the age of 16, and served during World War II and the Korean War. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant. In addition to being an author, Reeman has also taught the art of navigation for yachting and served as a technical advisor for films. Douglas married author Kimberley Jordan Reeman in 1985.
Reeman's debut novel, A Prayer for the Ship was published in 1958. His pseudonym Alexander Kent was the name of a friend and naval officer who died during the Second World War. Reeman is most famous for his series of Napoleonic naval stories, whose central character is Richard Bolitho, and, later, his nephew, Adam. He also wrote a series of novels about several generations of the Blackwood family who served in the Royal Marines from the 1850s to the 1970s, and a non-fiction account of his World War II experiences, D-Day : A Personal Reminiscence (1984).
Series:
* Blackwood Family
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 14, 2022
This book is split in two parts. The first focuses on the ill-fated Gallipoli Campaign at the start of the First World War. In the first month following the storming of the peninsula, the Allies lost 45,000 men. The campaign continued for nine months. The last Allied troops were evacuated in January 1916. Both sides had 250,000 casualties each. 46,000 Allied troops and 65,000 Turkish troops died.
In the second part, we are in the same boat, the H.M.S. Saracen, an Erebus class monitor, but it is no longer one of the promising and new boats of the time. The young, 17-year-old, central character, a midshipman in the first part, has now become the ship’s captain. The year has shifted to 1941. Malta and the Second World War are the stage where the action unfolds. The Axis viewed Malta as being of vital importance in retaining its control of North Africa.
I prefer the first over the second part. Having read many times about the events as they played out in the Dardanelles and Gallipoli, Douglas Reeman’s book puts you right there in the midst of the battles. You see them and experience them vividly and emotionally. In addition, the stratification of the officers on board is particularly well depicted. Bullying too. Life on a military ship during the war comes alive. The first part is both exciting and heartrending. I was thoroughly drawn in.
In the second part, a majority of the characters are new. We start over again--figuring out who is who and their rank and position in relation to each other. While I cared for the miscellaneous characters in the first part, I felt little for those in the second. The second part feels as a repeat both in terms of its characters and the battles. Here, the battles become too much. They filled me with repulsion and disgust.
The second half of the book falls flat because much is a repeat and we do not come to fully understand how the central character, Richard Chesnaye, now the captain of H.M.S. Saracen, has come to be who he is. Too much of his life has passed by without our being part of it.
David Rintoul narrates the audiobook very well. He doesn’t overdramatize. This is important in a book such as this! His speech is easy to follow all the way through. Four stars for the narration.
Th book does not hold together well. It loses its grip on the reader, but don’t forget that I do like the first half a lot.
************************
*H.M.S. Saracen 3 stars
*A Prayer for the Ship TBR
*A Ship Must Die TBR
*Go In and Sink! TBR
In the second part, we are in the same boat, the H.M.S. Saracen, an Erebus class monitor, but it is no longer one of the promising and new boats of the time. The young, 17-year-old, central character, a midshipman in the first part, has now become the ship’s captain. The year has shifted to 1941. Malta and the Second World War are the stage where the action unfolds. The Axis viewed Malta as being of vital importance in retaining its control of North Africa.
I prefer the first over the second part. Having read many times about the events as they played out in the Dardanelles and Gallipoli, Douglas Reeman’s book puts you right there in the midst of the battles. You see them and experience them vividly and emotionally. In addition, the stratification of the officers on board is particularly well depicted. Bullying too. Life on a military ship during the war comes alive. The first part is both exciting and heartrending. I was thoroughly drawn in.
In the second part, a majority of the characters are new. We start over again--figuring out who is who and their rank and position in relation to each other. While I cared for the miscellaneous characters in the first part, I felt little for those in the second. The second part feels as a repeat both in terms of its characters and the battles. Here, the battles become too much. They filled me with repulsion and disgust.
The second half of the book falls flat because much is a repeat and we do not come to fully understand how the central character, Richard Chesnaye, now the captain of H.M.S. Saracen, has come to be who he is. Too much of his life has passed by without our being part of it.
David Rintoul narrates the audiobook very well. He doesn’t overdramatize. This is important in a book such as this! His speech is easy to follow all the way through. Four stars for the narration.
Th book does not hold together well. It loses its grip on the reader, but don’t forget that I do like the first half a lot.
************************
*H.M.S. Saracen 3 stars
*A Prayer for the Ship TBR
*A Ship Must Die TBR
*Go In and Sink! TBR
July 24, 2016
Its years since I read a Douglas Reeman novel and, dashing through HMS Saracen, I do wonder why. This is absolutely classic Boys Own stuff with a hero you like from page one who has enemies from a higher social status, in command of ship that nobody loves, battling against impossible odds and meeting the girl of his dreams. And, as Barry Norman famously didn't say 'and why not?' In today's post- Brexit Britain where a Prime Minister can appoint Boris Johnson Foreign Secretary and Her Majesty's Opposition is led by a man who can't muster enough support from amongst his own colleagues to form an alternative administration to the elected government, you need cheering up and HMS Saracen does that perfectly.
Reeman is a navy man through and through and this is shown at its best in the battle scenes, especially those in the Dardanelles in 1915 and off Malta in 1941. Why has this never been filmed. Put Paul Greengrass behind the camera and Matt Damon on the bridge and you'd have all the action you could wish.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen and Two Families at War, all published by Sacristy Press.
Reeman is a navy man through and through and this is shown at its best in the battle scenes, especially those in the Dardanelles in 1915 and off Malta in 1941. Why has this never been filmed. Put Paul Greengrass behind the camera and Matt Damon on the bridge and you'd have all the action you could wish.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen and Two Families at War, all published by Sacristy Press.
December 18, 2013
This book opened my world to reading for the first time. After reading this I have never stopped. Thank you Douglas.
December 15, 2018
One of Reeman best!
July 20, 2010
Too books in one!
This was the first reeman book I ever read and from that time, I was captured by his emotion and experiences which he puts brilliantly into his books.
This book follows a naval officer through the first and second world war. Injuries, action, both land and see based, love and hope mixed with an erge to do well and be liked at the same time make Richard Chezni a complex man.
It brings a new meaning to modern warfare with the way it is written and gives a hint at what it must have been like for those men who were there, as Reeman was in the second world war.
This was the first reeman book I ever read and from that time, I was captured by his emotion and experiences which he puts brilliantly into his books.
This book follows a naval officer through the first and second world war. Injuries, action, both land and see based, love and hope mixed with an erge to do well and be liked at the same time make Richard Chezni a complex man.
It brings a new meaning to modern warfare with the way it is written and gives a hint at what it must have been like for those men who were there, as Reeman was in the second world war.
October 11, 2015
I judge this to be one of the better books of modern British naval warfare. The book follows the naval career of a young officer in the First World War and his older self as a captain in the Second World War. The ship is the same and the officer is molded by the ship and its crew in the first instance and controls and leads in the second. A great read for those immersed in the genre.
April 8, 2015
Reeman is great
Douglas Reeman aka Alexander Kent brings the reality of ww2 British Navy as vividly as he did the British Navy in its glory days of the late 18th or early 19th. Century. This book is gripping and the hero Captain is a wonderful character.
Douglas Reeman aka Alexander Kent brings the reality of ww2 British Navy as vividly as he did the British Navy in its glory days of the late 18th or early 19th. Century. This book is gripping and the hero Captain is a wonderful character.
June 22, 2013
The story of an officer in the British Navy and his love for an ugly yet noble ship which sees him and his crew thru two world wars. Very well done and you could learn something.
November 3, 2021
After abandoning the Bolitho books late in the series I decided to try his modern naval fiction series and was not disappointed. Reeman's writing is easy to read and follow. I like his action and sea going sequences in the historical books and it's the same here. The characters and relationships are well done and the romance parts are amateurish and distracting and it's the same across the different eras.
Spoilers below:
This is quite a different type of plot, I like it but it's a bit depressing. It begins in WWI where the protagonist Chesnaye starts off as a midshipman in the monitor HMS Saracen. This is a strange kind of vessel. A smallish and shallowish boat for inshore work with a pair of gigantic 15" guns in a turret. Only 2-3 were ever built. She is sent off to Gallipoli to assist the troops with naval bombardment. Chesnaye is sent off in a shore party to spot for Saracen's guns. The land action scenes are very well done and Chesnaye is shown to be a resourceful and brave officer.
Part 2: We are suddenly thrown into WW2 where Chesnaye is now a reserve captain after having had a very uneventful and boring career during the interwar years. He is called back into service and given the Saracen in which he had started his career.
Since the Saracen is hopelessly outdated in many aspects, she is only good for use as a transport ship and convoy escort in the Eastern Mediterranean. No matter, she does her duties well with Chesnaye in charge fighting off airplane attacks, rescuing wounded men and dropping off supplies with skill and verve. His antagonist is his old shipmate and midshipman in the Saracen but now vice-admiral who tries to discredit him for personal reasons.
Ending spoilers here, really don't read this.
In the last action sequence, HMS Saracen is sent off as part of a convoy to Malta from Alexandria. She beats off an Italian battleship attack with her 15" guns and the Vice-Admiral is karma-killed in the action.
Overall a good read, almost in the style of good Wilbur Smith. Depressing because after a promising career in WWI, our protagonist did not amount to much. The WW2 scenes are basically his career finale. And I dislike the Reeman style romance scenes because people fall deeply and irrevocably in love after one meeting and without any chemistry. I guess authors felt they had to include romance subplots in the 70's but this subplot really added nothing to the book except obvious manufactured drama that I just fast read through.
Still, I learned about monitor ships and was otherwise a good WWI and WW2 naval action book. I'm now reading another Reeman book.
Spoilers below:
This is quite a different type of plot, I like it but it's a bit depressing. It begins in WWI where the protagonist Chesnaye starts off as a midshipman in the monitor HMS Saracen. This is a strange kind of vessel. A smallish and shallowish boat for inshore work with a pair of gigantic 15" guns in a turret. Only 2-3 were ever built. She is sent off to Gallipoli to assist the troops with naval bombardment. Chesnaye is sent off in a shore party to spot for Saracen's guns. The land action scenes are very well done and Chesnaye is shown to be a resourceful and brave officer.
Part 2: We are suddenly thrown into WW2 where Chesnaye is now a reserve captain after having had a very uneventful and boring career during the interwar years. He is called back into service and given the Saracen in which he had started his career.
Since the Saracen is hopelessly outdated in many aspects, she is only good for use as a transport ship and convoy escort in the Eastern Mediterranean. No matter, she does her duties well with Chesnaye in charge fighting off airplane attacks, rescuing wounded men and dropping off supplies with skill and verve. His antagonist is his old shipmate and midshipman in the Saracen but now vice-admiral who tries to discredit him for personal reasons.
Ending spoilers here, really don't read this.
In the last action sequence, HMS Saracen is sent off as part of a convoy to Malta from Alexandria. She beats off an Italian battleship attack with her 15" guns and the Vice-Admiral is karma-killed in the action.
Overall a good read, almost in the style of good Wilbur Smith. Depressing because after a promising career in WWI, our protagonist did not amount to much. The WW2 scenes are basically his career finale. And I dislike the Reeman style romance scenes because people fall deeply and irrevocably in love after one meeting and without any chemistry. I guess authors felt they had to include romance subplots in the 70's but this subplot really added nothing to the book except obvious manufactured drama that I just fast read through.
Still, I learned about monitor ships and was otherwise a good WWI and WW2 naval action book. I'm now reading another Reeman book.
November 6, 2021
Second of three books recommended by some list I saw on Twitter of WWII novels read as a young person that sparked an interest in history. The first was A Flock of Ships.
H.M.S. Saracen is much, much better than A Flock of Ships.
The story spans two campaigns across two wars - initially Gallipoli in 1915 and then again in the Med around the fall of Greece in 1941. The namesake ship is a monitor so immediately you get an interesting story about a class of ship rarely written about, much less known. Monitors were floating artillery platforms to support troops on the ground as they carried two 15" guns (same as would be found on a battleship) but with a far smaller crew.
The dialog amongst the crew, both enlisted and officer is believable though probably not as salty as in real life. There are many characters and the narrative bounces around them although there is a central figure that is threaded throughout the 26 years. And of course, the other central figure is HMS Saracen herself. Unlike many sea stories, part of the action takes place on land with a quite well-written battle scene.
There are of course chain-of-command conflicts, a bit of a love story or two, submarines, battleships, cruisers, and those monitor guns do get to fire.
An original story and for lovers of naval drama, worth reading.
Reeman wrote many novels and they seem to consistently get average ratings above 4 stars on Goodreads so perhaps I'll read another one if I didn't already have 100+ books on my to-read list. I could be talked into reading another with a really strong recommendation from someone I trust.
H.M.S. Saracen is much, much better than A Flock of Ships.
The story spans two campaigns across two wars - initially Gallipoli in 1915 and then again in the Med around the fall of Greece in 1941. The namesake ship is a monitor so immediately you get an interesting story about a class of ship rarely written about, much less known. Monitors were floating artillery platforms to support troops on the ground as they carried two 15" guns (same as would be found on a battleship) but with a far smaller crew.
The dialog amongst the crew, both enlisted and officer is believable though probably not as salty as in real life. There are many characters and the narrative bounces around them although there is a central figure that is threaded throughout the 26 years. And of course, the other central figure is HMS Saracen herself. Unlike many sea stories, part of the action takes place on land with a quite well-written battle scene.
There are of course chain-of-command conflicts, a bit of a love story or two, submarines, battleships, cruisers, and those monitor guns do get to fire.
An original story and for lovers of naval drama, worth reading.
Reeman wrote many novels and they seem to consistently get average ratings above 4 stars on Goodreads so perhaps I'll read another one if I didn't already have 100+ books on my to-read list. I could be talked into reading another with a really strong recommendation from someone I trust.
August 29, 2025
This is my 5th or 6th of Douglas Reeman book I have ever read.
This book is in two parts.
The first part starts when the main protagonist, Richard Chesnaye, a new midshipman join the HMS Saracen, a monitor in WW1 and its subsequent actions at Gallipoli. Along the way Chesnaye met a fellow down trodden midshipman who he befriended , a bully sub lieutenant who he defied and a seemingly cool Captain who he couldn't figure out and a beautiful girl of course. At Gallipoli Chesnaye was sent ashore as an observer for her big guns and he distinguished himself.
Then suddenly the second part begins and Chesnaye was posted to HMS Saracen as her captain in WW2 at Mediterranean theater. In there both Chesnaye and Saracen are both worn out. But against all odds he distinguished again.
I prefer the first part. It came alive with the vivid actions of Gallipoli, the tensions and life on board a warship and most characters are well depicted.
I feel the second parts feels rather hollow and rushed.
Oh actions were well written there as well, even though most of them were highly unlikely in real life, such as dodging the dive bombing in slow and lumbering warship, gun duels with Italian battleship and cruisers etc. But they were enjoyable to read.
However human characters are rather lifeless and uninteresting.
And I don't thinks Romance in both parts are unnecessary.
A solid three stars.
This book is in two parts.
The first part starts when the main protagonist, Richard Chesnaye, a new midshipman join the HMS Saracen, a monitor in WW1 and its subsequent actions at Gallipoli. Along the way Chesnaye met a fellow down trodden midshipman who he befriended , a bully sub lieutenant who he defied and a seemingly cool Captain who he couldn't figure out and a beautiful girl of course. At Gallipoli Chesnaye was sent ashore as an observer for her big guns and he distinguished himself.
Then suddenly the second part begins and Chesnaye was posted to HMS Saracen as her captain in WW2 at Mediterranean theater. In there both Chesnaye and Saracen are both worn out. But against all odds he distinguished again.
I prefer the first part. It came alive with the vivid actions of Gallipoli, the tensions and life on board a warship and most characters are well depicted.
I feel the second parts feels rather hollow and rushed.
Oh actions were well written there as well, even though most of them were highly unlikely in real life, such as dodging the dive bombing in slow and lumbering warship, gun duels with Italian battleship and cruisers etc. But they were enjoyable to read.
However human characters are rather lifeless and uninteresting.
And I don't thinks Romance in both parts are unnecessary.
A solid three stars.
September 16, 2018
I really enjoyed this ripping naval yarn by master of the genre Douglas Reeman. Midshipman Richard Chesnaye joins the new 'monitor' ship of the title (a slow floating gun platform) in 1915, just in time for Gallipoli. Stuff happens. Jump forward to 1941, Chesnaye is made captain of the "Saracen" just in time for Tobruk. His timing sucks. He fights U boats, bombers (German & Italian) and enemy battleships, not to mention spiteful top brass. The oldest ship in the fleet on another impossible mission? There was a tear in my eye come the finale, and not just from the cordite.
OK, it's a bit melodramatic and the dialogue jars at times since it's from a different era: "only my close friends are allowed Dick!" being my favourite example. These are minor flaws when the story's so gripping and I was rooting for our underdog hero and the ship whose fate seems bound to his. The 'lovey dovey' stuff is kept to a satisfying minimum and the author's wartime service lends an air of truth to his descriptions of the Med and the Royal Navy. When he died last year we lost a great storyteller and by all accounts a terrific chap.
My Arrow paperback reprint has a lovely Chris Mayger painted cover showing a monitor class ship in action off the Dardanelles. Nice.
OK, it's a bit melodramatic and the dialogue jars at times since it's from a different era: "only my close friends are allowed Dick!" being my favourite example. These are minor flaws when the story's so gripping and I was rooting for our underdog hero and the ship whose fate seems bound to his. The 'lovey dovey' stuff is kept to a satisfying minimum and the author's wartime service lends an air of truth to his descriptions of the Med and the Royal Navy. When he died last year we lost a great storyteller and by all accounts a terrific chap.
My Arrow paperback reprint has a lovely Chris Mayger painted cover showing a monitor class ship in action off the Dardanelles. Nice.
February 4, 2025
Really enjoyed this (audio)book. Found it truly gripping, especially having explored a smaller monitor in Portsmouth dockyard that was at Gallipoli. It is a great blend of personal impressions and actions centering around the career of a mishipman starting his career on the ship. He later becomes the commanding officer in the next war, which is the time period part 2 takes place in.
Part 1 is gripping and full of action while getting to know the initial characters. Part 2 looks much more into the person he has become and the personal conflicts he bears. I found the final battle fantastically written and will have to mark it as NSFW as could not focus on what i was doing while listening.
I know it is the story of a ship from the perspective of a sailor and commander but I wish we could hear more of what happened shortly after Part 2. Just didn't want it to stop.
Part 1 is gripping and full of action while getting to know the initial characters. Part 2 looks much more into the person he has become and the personal conflicts he bears. I found the final battle fantastically written and will have to mark it as NSFW as could not focus on what i was doing while listening.
I know it is the story of a ship from the perspective of a sailor and commander but I wish we could hear more of what happened shortly after Part 2. Just didn't want it to stop.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2025
A pretty darn good read!
While formulaic to the authors other works, he throws enough curve balls, twists, and turns to keep the pace going and the tension high. While the tension in the first half is a bit forced due to the fact that you know that there is to be a second half of the book, the same tension in the second half is doesn't offer that same safety net so it feels powerful but not overwhelming to the last pages.
What's most remarkable about this book is the formula of what he DOES NOT write. There is so much build up, there is so much "in the moment," but the aftermath is left to quick summaries or just discarded as unimportant. The book is truly about the doubt, fear, stress of the before and during, but no real mention of what comes next past the denouement of battle.
A classic for sure, and still holds up this many years later.
While formulaic to the authors other works, he throws enough curve balls, twists, and turns to keep the pace going and the tension high. While the tension in the first half is a bit forced due to the fact that you know that there is to be a second half of the book, the same tension in the second half is doesn't offer that same safety net so it feels powerful but not overwhelming to the last pages.
What's most remarkable about this book is the formula of what he DOES NOT write. There is so much build up, there is so much "in the moment," but the aftermath is left to quick summaries or just discarded as unimportant. The book is truly about the doubt, fear, stress of the before and during, but no real mention of what comes next past the denouement of battle.
A classic for sure, and still holds up this many years later.
December 21, 2023
A good solid read covering Royal Navy operations around Gallipoli in WW1 and Malta in WW2, and about the lesser-known class of warship, the bombardment monitor.
Tough choice between 3 or 4 stars for this one: three bacause the first sections are quite slow, four because, when I turned the last page, I didn't want it to end - and it was such a great end.
Written with the author's longstanding and very deep knowledge of Royal Navy operations, customs and way of life.
I really enjoyed HMS Saracen. The slower parts around WW1 set the scene for the much faster-paced second section covering operations around Malta.
Will probably read again.
Tough choice between 3 or 4 stars for this one: three bacause the first sections are quite slow, four because, when I turned the last page, I didn't want it to end - and it was such a great end.
Written with the author's longstanding and very deep knowledge of Royal Navy operations, customs and way of life.
I really enjoyed HMS Saracen. The slower parts around WW1 set the scene for the much faster-paced second section covering operations around Malta.
Will probably read again.
June 15, 2025
Beautifully read, as always, by David Rintoul, this turned out to be an excellent listen, getting across the culture of the navy: class-ridden and idiosyncratic with endless traditions. The white satin lined boat cloak sticks in the mind. The folly of Gallipoli and the monstrous destructiveness of heavy artillery were a poignant illustration of the impact of ingenious minds. In tandem I was just finishing a biography of Lord Armstrong of Armstrong Whitworth. And Douglas Reeman wrote very well, with direct experience: he was a midshipman on a vessel guarding Atlantic convoys, a baptism of fire indeed. A happy discovery. I shall try his Alexander Kent stories.
February 5, 2021
Enjoyed and recommended.
Reeman's books are written to a formula - troubled hero, overbearing senior officer, nervous and unsure junior officer, an obligatory romance - that you can check things off as you're reading the story through. That is not a criticism, in some respects it is comforting as you settle into the tale.
This one will remain in my mind due to it's poignant ending and also the way it encompasses both WW1 and WW2. It will stay on my bookshelf for a future rereading, which is my way of praising a book.
Reeman's books are written to a formula - troubled hero, overbearing senior officer, nervous and unsure junior officer, an obligatory romance - that you can check things off as you're reading the story through. That is not a criticism, in some respects it is comforting as you settle into the tale.
This one will remain in my mind due to it's poignant ending and also the way it encompasses both WW1 and WW2. It will stay on my bookshelf for a future rereading, which is my way of praising a book.
June 4, 2022
Douglas Reeman was by ho to RN read through the 1970-80s. Most of his tales follow a well trodden path - a bit of romance ( award due for worst scenes) , bullies , toffs , hurts , salt of the earth sailors , bitter merchant men and revenge all wrapped up in less than 300 pages.
This novel takes is to Gallipoli before moving to the North African coast of WW2- Midshipmen to Rear Admirals - Battleships and Oilers.
Things move quickly and even though very dated are still enjoyable.
This novel takes is to Gallipoli before moving to the North African coast of WW2- Midshipmen to Rear Admirals - Battleships and Oilers.
Things move quickly and even though very dated are still enjoyable.
July 24, 2017
"H.M.S. Saracen" Douglas Reeman
British navy tail about an unloved ship. Begins in WWI where midshipmen's Chesnaye is serving. At the start of WWII Chesnaye is a commander and capt of HMS Saracen it's a slow and outdated ship but it's captain and his ship overcome the odds in the end. Good read gave it 4 stars
British navy tail about an unloved ship. Begins in WWI where midshipmen's Chesnaye is serving. At the start of WWII Chesnaye is a commander and capt of HMS Saracen it's a slow and outdated ship but it's captain and his ship overcome the odds in the end. Good read gave it 4 stars
September 29, 2019
If you love the Naval books and the Royal Navy you will love this. A war and romance story between a captain and his ship. It is written like a Black a white movie with all the drama and heroism expected from that time period. Act 1 covers WW1 and act 2 covers WW2.
Loved it even shed a tear at the end but then i always do after i finish a Douglass Reeman book.
Loved it even shed a tear at the end but then i always do after i finish a Douglass Reeman book.
August 19, 2024
In my opinion this is one of his best works. It follows HMS Saracen a monitor class warship and Richard Chesnaye through Gallipoli when both were new and then Malta 1941 where both are obsolete. A stirring story of courage and loss with great characters. Great stuff although the romance felt like an afterthought. Loved the ending David Rintoul gives his usual cultured performance.
February 3, 2019
Saracen simply awesome
Not the usual Doug Reeman book. This one spans both World Wars and more interesting and complex characters than normal. Stuck with it and you'll be moved to tears and cheering for the underdog!
Not the usual Doug Reeman book. This one spans both World Wars and more interesting and complex characters than normal. Stuck with it and you'll be moved to tears and cheering for the underdog!
April 18, 2020
I bought my first copy of this book when I was a teen-ager in 1972. I'm now on my fourth copy Mr Reeman captured the suspense and horrors of war. He paints a picture you can walk into. You can almost smell the sea A very good book indeed. Highly recommended.
May 2, 2020
Great WW2 fictional story.
Great Douglas Redman book. Highly recommend. My fourth time of reading this book and I still enjoy it as much each time.
Great Douglas Redman book. Highly recommend. My fourth time of reading this book and I still enjoy it as much each time.
March 18, 2021
A Great read
January 29, 2022
Wow what a cracker. Ending got me a tad misty.
April 3, 2022
Well written. Entertaining and informative about two stages of a British Navy man’s life in two world wars. The man, the ships, and war upon the seas are all brought to life.
January 27, 2021
This is a typical Reeman naval story. Unfashionable ship with a somewhat draconian captain battles against the odds in the both the first and second world war. The story focuses on one Richard Chesnaye who in the first part of the story he is a new midshipman embarking on his first mission aboard a Monitor class warship whose job is to provide artillery support to the army involved in the Gallipoli campaign. In the second part set in WWII he becomes captain of the Saracen where once again they are tasked with supporting the land forces this time around Tobruk.
The book has a good pace and there is traditional Reeman story, with good battle scenes and skilfully written interactions between members of the crew and the people they meet when ashore.
The book has a good pace and there is traditional Reeman story, with good battle scenes and skilfully written interactions between members of the crew and the people they meet when ashore.
November 10, 2016
Douglas Reeman wrote a couple of dozen naval novels (WWI and II) under his own name, as well as another couple of dozen plus under the name Alexander Kent (age of fighting sail). They follow a pattern: the misunderstood but highly able hero fights his way through the obstacles imposed by the higher ups to engage the enemy, usually in a one-sided, but ultimately successful encounter. The early ones were better, as the pattern was just forming, but the books are quick and pleasant reads on rainy or snowy afternoons.
December 22, 2014
I read this book years ago (in the 60’s) and re-read it recently, and found it just as exciting. The author has a way of a wrapping the book around the reader so much so, that I ended up procrastinating on other things to finish the story. He brings ships and the sea alive.
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