The Riddle of the Sands (Unabridged)
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4.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
The Riddle of the Sands: A Record of Secret Service by Irish author Erskine Childers is often described as the first modern thirller and was one of the first popular spy novels.
Published in 1903 novel it spearheaded a genre and influenced the great espionage writers John Buchan, Ian Fleming, John le Carre and many others.
The plot involves the uncovering of secret German preparations for an invasion of the United Kingdom and is sited by Winston Churchill as one of the major reasons the Admiralty decided to establish naval bases at Invergordon, the Firth of Forth and Scapa Flow.
Robert Erskine Childers (1870 - 1922) was an Irish nationalist. Son of British Orientalist scholar Robert Caesar Childers; the cousin of Hugh Childers and Robert Barton; and the father of the fourth President of Ireland, Erskine Hamilton Childers.
Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.
Customer Reviews
The Riddle of the Sands
Written in 1903 it is a historical fiction (spy story) about the England and Germany in the years prior to the first world war. It's also a delightful read for anyone who loves to sail. The narrator and a friend become suspicious of german intentions as the sail the german coast. Load of "salty" talk and sailing adventures.
Two men in a boat
At first blush, The Riddle of the Sands is not a suitable book for conversion to audio. Most of it is a fascinating, but very detailed, log of sailing around the Baltic and North Sea coasts in a small yacht in bad weather. The last fourth only is a thrilling spy adventure and warning about England’s inadequate coastal defenses prior to World War I.
The printed book came with maps required to follow the route. I found copies on the web, but preferred using modern maps of Schleswig-Holstein and Ostfriesland. Moreover, this shamefaced landlubber had to constantly resort to a dictionary to sort out luffs from gaffs and other obscure nautical terms. You may do better, but this audio book is not an obvious choice for jogging or driving.
The narrator has a pleasant reading voice, but constantly stumbles over words and phrases.
One last thing: be aware that the book contains language appropriate to the 1900’s.