The Cruel Sea

By: Nicholas Monsarrat

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Based on the author's own vivid experiences, The Cruel Sea is the nail-biting story of the crew of HMS Compass Rose, a corvette assigned to protect convoys during World War II.

Darting back and forth across the icy North Atlantic, Compass Rose played a deadly cat-and-mouse game with packs of German U-boats lying in wait beneath the ocean waves. Packed with tension and vivid descriptions of agonizing U-boat hunts, this tale of the most bitter and chilling campaign of the war tells of ordinary men who had to master their own fears before they could face a brutal menace - one that would strike without warning from the deep.

©1951 Nicholas Monsarrat (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

A classic

What did you love best about The Cruel Sea?
A geat story, authentic and one which really stays with you after you put the book down.
The book is a memorial to the seamen of WW2 who died in the Atlantic.

Who was your favorite character and why?
The captain of the Compas Rose, a character both believable and a typical Royal Navy captain.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Vance certainly brings the characters to life. The book was published in 1951 and is still a great read.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
WW2 1939 to 1945

Any additional comments?
The book is factual ( I am 93 and lived through those days so I can vouch for that. It stays with you and you begin comparing the present with those days of the Greatest Generation.
Maybe I am getting too old!!! Thanksgiving sweepstakes.

Classic British WW2 - You can hear Noel Coward!

Just one of 'those' books anglophiles reach out for and it tells the yarn with aplomb and wit. Good read and with the right amount of pathos.

You feel like you are at sea with them

Would you consider the audio edition of The Cruel Sea to be better than the print version?

Outstanding work, I'm a retired Army officer, and I love military history brought to life. Monsarrat brings you the thrills, the sadness, joys, and disappointment of being deployed at war. No issues with narration, very pleasant to listen to.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lt Cmdr Ericsson, his leadership and development of subordinates is a true example of development of junior officers and leading a team in battle.

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?

Lt Cmdr Ericsson, he detailed the nuances of leadership, and balancing his profession and family life.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The loss of loved ones in the bombing of Britain while underway at sea and finding out once they return to port.

Any additional comments?

None

England's Finest Hour

I'm so glad I listened to this book. For so long England fought the Atlantic battle alone, suffering great losses, but they continued the fight nevertheless. I have a greater admiration for these men and women who fought and died.
Simon Vance did an excellent job of narration, and the book was very well written.

An interesting study of men at war

This is not your typical war story. It is more of a study of men against the sea. The character development is done to give them context as humans rather than make them central to the story. The central theme was the hardship of was in the Atlantic.