The Big Wind

Captain Peter Bentley is a fighting sailor through and through. Commanding the Australian destroyer Wind Rode, he is a man who trusts his ship, his crew and the seamanship that has carried him through the dangers of the Second World War. After a brief spell of leave in Sydney, Bentley is eager to return to the Pacific, where the war against Japan demands every ounce of courage and experience. With his destroyer newly fitted with radar, he rejoins the fighting fleet, little knowing that his greatest test lies ahead. Following a successful Allied amphibious landing, Bentley's flotilla of five destroyers remains on patrol, protecting vulnerable troopships against enemy attack. Then disturbing signs appear in the seemingly peaceful tropical weather. A monstrous typhoon is approaching. As Bentley struggles to assess the danger, an even more immediate threat emerges: a heavily armed Japanese cruiser, capable of overwhelming his smaller ships and threatening the transports sheltering in the gulf. Bentley cannot abandon his duty. But neither can he ignore the vast, gathering storm. When the typhoon strikes, the destroyers are engulfed by mountainous seas, savage winds and blinding torrents of rain. Radar becomes useless. Steel ships are tossed like toys, and every decision could mean the difference between survival and catastrophe. With an enemy warship somewhere in the chaos, Bentley and his exhausted men must confront a force against which guns, torpedoes and courage alone are powerless. A gripping Second World War naval adventure, The Big Wind is a powerful story of leadership, comradeship and extraordinary seamanship, bringing vividly to life the terrifying struggle of men and warships against the overwhelming fury of the sea.