Customer Reviews

The Riddle of the Sands: A Record of Secret Service Recently Achieved (Classics of Naval Literature)

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Winston Churchill credited this yachting story with causing the Admiralty to develop the Scapa Flow, Invergordon and Rosyth bases on the North Sea Coast to protect against an invasion from Germany. The novel itself is filled with details of yachting, and the beginning chapters, in particular, have a strident tone attacking British indifference to that threat. Unless you read the book in its historic context ten years or so before World War I, you may find the book ponderous and not very exciting.

But seen in its historic context, and remembering that there were no earlier fact laden spy novels, you can see the debt later spy masters owe to this novel. Once past the opening, the book tells its tale in a very exciting and satisfying manner. It's one of those books that reward a bit of patience in the early going before coming alive.

This Kindle version was perfectly produced by Richard Seltzer at Samizdat, and the price is certainly very attractive. If you are tempted to purchase out of copyright Kindle editions, it's always worthwhile to see if Samizdat has one on offer, and to subscribe to the Samizdat email service to learn of new titles added to the Kindle format.

Robert C. Ross 2010

Written in an attempt to highlight the author's controversial political agenda, the riddle of the sands is a left over from a forgotten time. The characterizations are a little dated now - gentlemen yachtsmen, muddle through with sheer determination and British verve. The underlying thesis that Childers was trying to promote, although through the lens of history can be seen to be utterly impractical - at the time had such a measure of authenticity (due in part to the general German paranoia at the time, but largely due to the authentic feel of the narrative) about it, questions were ask in parliament (which was Childers agenda) Childers is at his best when describing the sailing and the sea - Less convincing in the "spy" plot. It has an added poignancy when we remember that Childers the "British" patriot who tried through this novel to awaken the empire to the weaknesses of its naval policy and the danger of German imperialism - dies in front of a British Firing squad because of involvement in running guns during the Irish rebellion. Read it primarily for the description of the sailing and the sea, enjoy the "spy" story as a boys own distraction.