Regular price: $19.71
The novel that launched the astonishing career of one of the 20th century's greatest writers of action and suspense - an acclaimed classic of heroism and the sea in World War II. The story of men who rose to heroism, and then to something greater, HMS Ulysses takes its place alongside The Caine Mutiny and The Cruel Sea as one of the classic novels of the navy at war. It is the compelling story of Convoy FR77 to Murmansk - a voyage that pushes men to the limits of human endurance.
A 22,000-ton whaling ship steams into a broken plain of white, glimmering ice during the howling fury of an Antarctic gale. What madness drives the ship forwards, deeper and deeper into the ice until its jagged edges hold her fast? Marooned amidst the pitiless, frozen wastes, the crew of the Southern Cross make a desperate attempt to survive against the odds.
Ian Ferguson alone held the key to the disaster that had overtaken a geological survey team more than 2,000 miles away. What drove him now to make the perilous journey through the savage, lonely wastes of Labrador to the scene of the disaster? And what was the link between this and similar events which had taken place in that same territory 50 years earlier?
Michael Randall flees to the wild seas around the Shetlands to escape an impossible dilemma. There he finds a North Sea oil rig and the unlikely possibility of a new life. But one stormy night this glimmer of hope for the future, and Randall's life itself, is thrown into jeopardy.
He was a man without hope, until a lawyer and a crazy inheritance spurred him to one last desperate roll of the dice. The old man was convinced, against all evidence, that there was oil in the Rocky mountains. So his grandson sets off to a godforsaken town of shattered hopes and bitter old men, and plunges into a perilous battle against hostile country, powerful enemies, and a ticking clock.
To all appearances, Dan Chase is a harmless retiree in Vermont with two big mutts and a grown daughter he keeps in touch with by phone. But most 60-year-old widowers don't have multiple driver's licenses, savings stockpiled in banks across the country, and a bugout kit with two Beretta Nanos stashed in the spare bedroom closet. Most have not spent decades on the run.
The novel that launched the astonishing career of one of the 20th century's greatest writers of action and suspense - an acclaimed classic of heroism and the sea in World War II. The story of men who rose to heroism, and then to something greater, HMS Ulysses takes its place alongside The Caine Mutiny and The Cruel Sea as one of the classic novels of the navy at war. It is the compelling story of Convoy FR77 to Murmansk - a voyage that pushes men to the limits of human endurance.
A 22,000-ton whaling ship steams into a broken plain of white, glimmering ice during the howling fury of an Antarctic gale. What madness drives the ship forwards, deeper and deeper into the ice until its jagged edges hold her fast? Marooned amidst the pitiless, frozen wastes, the crew of the Southern Cross make a desperate attempt to survive against the odds.
Ian Ferguson alone held the key to the disaster that had overtaken a geological survey team more than 2,000 miles away. What drove him now to make the perilous journey through the savage, lonely wastes of Labrador to the scene of the disaster? And what was the link between this and similar events which had taken place in that same territory 50 years earlier?
Michael Randall flees to the wild seas around the Shetlands to escape an impossible dilemma. There he finds a North Sea oil rig and the unlikely possibility of a new life. But one stormy night this glimmer of hope for the future, and Randall's life itself, is thrown into jeopardy.
He was a man without hope, until a lawyer and a crazy inheritance spurred him to one last desperate roll of the dice. The old man was convinced, against all evidence, that there was oil in the Rocky mountains. So his grandson sets off to a godforsaken town of shattered hopes and bitter old men, and plunges into a perilous battle against hostile country, powerful enemies, and a ticking clock.
To all appearances, Dan Chase is a harmless retiree in Vermont with two big mutts and a grown daughter he keeps in touch with by phone. But most 60-year-old widowers don't have multiple driver's licenses, savings stockpiled in banks across the country, and a bugout kit with two Beretta Nanos stashed in the spare bedroom closet. Most have not spent decades on the run.
The classic World War II thriller from the acclaimed master of action and suspense. One winter night, seven men and a woman are parachuted onto a mountainside in wartime Germany. Their objective: an apparently inaccessible castle, headquarters of the Gestapo. Their mission: to rescue a crashed American general before the Nazi interrogators can force him to reveal secret D-day plans.
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.
Hugh Legat is a rising star of the British diplomatic service, serving as a private secretary to the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain. Rikard von Holz is on the staff of the German Foreign Office--and secretly a member of the anti-Hitler resistance. The two men were friends at Oxford in the 1920s, but have not been in contact since. Now, when Hugh flies with Chamberlain from London to Munich, and Rikard travels on Hitler's train overnight from Berlin, their paths are set on a disastrous collision course.
Eight hundred women and children begin a 1,200-mile journey on foot across Japanese-occupied Malaya. At journey’s end, only 30 will still be alive. This is the story of one woman, of her ordeal, and of how she was saved by the sacrifice of an Australian soldier. It is a story of rare individual courage in the face of certain death, and hope in the face of despair.
In this classic portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower the soldier, best-selling historian Stephen E. Ambrose examines the Allied commander's leadership during World War II. Ambrose brings Eisenhower's experience of the Second World War to life, showing in vivid detail how the general's skill as a diplomat and a military strategist contributed to Allied successes in North Africa and in Europe and established him as one of the greatest military leaders in the world.
The spectre of another world war haunts journalist Walter Craig and disturbs the peace of his seaside holiday. But below the Cornish cliffs, hidden by churning seas, the enemy is very real indeed, and much closer than anyone could suspect. Craig and his singularly resourceful fisherman friend alone discover the terrible truth - a potentially devastating threat to Britain's merchant ships - and alone must risk their lives against the might of the German navy.
They dismissed the Mary Deare as ‘a piece of leaking ironmongery taken off the junk heap’. For 40 years this 6,000-ton freighter had tramped the seas, suffered shipwreck twice, and been torpedoed three times in two world wars. Then one March night, battered and bruised and empty, she emerged from severe Biscay gales into the English Channel - and into the newspaper headlines. Here was a ship of mystery and tragedy... in one of the greatest sea stories of all time.
First, I dimly remembered seeing the movie "Wreck of the Mary Deare" about 50 years ago with Gary Cooper as John, and Charlton Heston as Patch. I could not for the life of me remember the ending and not much of the story came back to me but I vaguely remember enjoying the movie so I downloaded this book. I am so glad I did. I do love a good tale and really love a good sea tale and this book does not disappoint. It is a very good tale of the sea, of men and ships and treachery of course. I enjoyed it so much I listened straight through and missed a nights sleep. I am in awe of the sea and know some of the things it can do. I am no sailor but have crossed to Bimini a couple of times in a very small boat and it can be scary when it kicks up and gets rough. This is a great adventure story well narrated. I do not think it could be better told.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
If you like a classic adventure story, and are at all interested in the sea and ships, you will appreciate this book. I read it years ago in print and really liked it, but the audiobook is even better. Bill Wallis is a superb narrator and his reading of this novel is among the best I've ever heard.
If you get the opportunity, try to listen to the first 2.5 hours in one sitting - as a sustained piece of nautical adventure writing, I don't think it could be bettered.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I remember reading this as a teenager -- it was the sort of book one could not put down. How would the same book appear after so many decades? Answer: it is still a riveting, beautifully written evocation of man and the wild oceans. The reader, Bill Wallis, was first rate: he didn't read this book it was a telling, a personal recounting....there is an immediacy about this presentation.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
The beauty of the novel is only exceeded by the captivating performance of the narrator. An immersive atmosphere. Strongly recommended.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
This is my favorite sea story, because it captures so well the feel of a tramp steamer and it's supersticious crew, in the wake of a terrrible storm, and the underlying story, sealing the fate of the Mary Deare, culminating in a well told court room drama. A great mixture of adventure and drama masterfully told by the master, Hammond Innes.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Wreck of the Mary Deare?
The first encounter at the very start of the book, has you gripped right away, which continues to build through part one.
Which character – as performed by Bill Wallis – was your favorite?
Higgins, the first mate. A great voice! Hard to believe it's Bill's voice, perfect for the character.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
The book was made into a film with Charlton Heston as Sands, and Gary Cooper as Captain patch. It is a classic called, aptly, "The Wreck of the Mary Deare". Although not following exactly the same as the book, it is still a well done Movie, a classic old movie well worth seeing. I actually saw the movie first, and had to read the book. Neither disappointed me.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
What made the experience of listening to The Wreck of the Mary Deare the most enjoyable?
The best author for adventure on the seas. I read all of this author I could get my hands on in the 80's and was thrilled that I found it here. You won't be able to stop listening.
What did you like best about this story?
Pure adventure and suspense.
Which character – as performed by Bill Wallis – was your favorite?
He is good at telling this tale and keeps you interested.
Any additional comments?
Hope there will be more from this author! I would like to revisit them all.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Where does The Wreck of the Mary Deare rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
It was well written and is a good tale. I would rank this high in the lists of books and typical of Innes
Who was your favorite character and why?
Bill Wallis has bought the story alive by clever characterization. The main character brings the story together and draws the best from the story.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
The saving of the ship by starting the boiler and trying to keep her afloat as the storm destroys the ship. A picture is painted that puts you in the centre of the struggle for survival.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
The sea does give up it's secrets.
Any additional comments?
It has reminded me of the work of Hammond Innes and I want to listen to some more of his work
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Chose this because of the narrator, was very pleasantly surprised very well written beautifully narrated a gripping thriller with many twists and turns perhaps too much nautical detail but I really did enjoy it.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
This is a wonderful tale, woven by Hammond Innes and brilliantly narrated by Bill Wallis. He conveys the hardship and completely brings to life the tough and miserable conditions through which the main characters endure - a truly great story teller. For anyone who has ever sailed around the Channel Islands area then this is a must. I really wish that there were more of these classic books (set in the late 40s early 50s) by authors such as Hammond Innes and Neville Shute on audio book. Please record some more Hammond Innes
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Really enjoyable, wanted to keep on listening full of suspense and mystery.
Narrator was really good made for easy listening.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I thought this would seem a bit dated, but I was so wrong! Hammond Innes is a master storyteller.
Bill Wallis reads beautifully- he really took me to those places.
Thoroughly recommended.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Or so my husband says. Good story and plot. Worth a credit :) well read by the narrator.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful