In the recent BBC review of public books, Sir Jackie Steward said that this was his ideal of the 'greatest book ever written'. At 12 years old I first found my copy on the bookshelf of my grandfather, who had served on a flower class Corvette, on a couple of North Atlantic runs. He would not speak of his 'Fast Russian Runs' experience, except that it was the only time he had ever wanted to grow a beard, and that they used to dry the blankets on the steampipes. He spoke freely of his time during the 'Freedom of Malta' and of convoy duty in the Pacific, but not of that cold sea. I inherited two of those blankets, woollen, and stiff and felted like tri-wall cardboard by the conditions. Many books have been written about the ill-fated convoy named PQ17, and indeed, this convoy is mentioned in the book, so the conditions of the North Atlantic are nothing new to us. But this book crystallizes what it is like to face these conditions, day in, day out, suffering sleep deprivation, exposure, exhaustion, mental anguish ... I find this book compulsive reading, so much so that that pilfered copy, having travelled across my world and back (a 1970's edition) is falling apart, and I must look for another. It doesn't help that every time I read it, I immediately read it again, in case I missed a bit.
This was McLeans first book, written on the back of a response to a Glasgow newspaperman asking him to write a short story for publication, and I think by far his best. A film was made of this book, never shown on the tv to my knowledge, but what could the camera do for this book? How could any director do justice to this magnificent story?
I'm not going to tell you what happens, others have done so very well, and I can only urge you to find a copy before they all go the same way that mine has. Perhaps Fontana could do us the service of a reprint? You have to read this book to fully appreciate the feeling of being drawn in, sucked in, by the characters. You suffer with them.
McLean died in Switzerland, after many books, some good, some average, some not written by him at all, particulary, and he died an alcoholic. He left a magnificent legacy in this book, a finely-drawn picture of the heights of human suffering and monumental bravery.
Well recommended, not the least by someone who went there and did it himself
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Welcome to Ciao. I usually say lots of things at this point about learning and moving on...but for once I want to urge you to mull over this review and consider updating it. It is a good first review...but that 'first review' is kind of a qualifier, a nod to inexperience. I can sense a feeling in what you've written that you have a lot more to say about this book...about what's in it, and how it touches you and why. If you could share that with us, I think this could be a great review. I'm reading your review as someone who is not overly familiar with the author, but has an idea about the real personal history of what you're talking about from tales I've heard within my own family. Were there specific parts that really moved you, bits you disagreed with maybe? What about the language - how easy is it to read, or difficult? // If you do decide to update drop a note in my gb & I'll happily take another look. If you don't ... well, like I say, I don't normally encourage it. Keep writing, & I'll keep an eye out for you. Hope you enjoy it around here. Lx
ray52 27.01.2005 23:22
Hi and a warm welcome to ciao. Some good info there in your first, well-written review. I hope you enjoy the ciao experience. Ray
Jan 27th, 2005
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