Customer Reviews

Wreckers Must Breathe

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was Hammond Innes' first book, published just after the outbreak of WW2. Like a number of his wartime books such as 'Trojan Horse' and 'Attack Alarm', this book revolves around a clever and highly original German infiltration of Britain.

What is interesting is that even at this early stage, the typical Innes elements are all in place. Walter Craig is the "everyman", a drama critic on holiday who through no fault of his own gets drawn into the story. Maureen Weston is a capable, resourceful, and very engaging heroine; the narrative actually shifts to allow her to tell her story through extended letters, which is not something I believe Innes ever did again. Logan, too, is a fascinating; Innes has already established his trademark of making the most interesting character someone other than the narrator.

The central plot is very clever, and the story progresses quite well. The only issue I have is with the ending. The idea of a handful of people overpowering hundreds of experienced German sailors is a bit far-fetched, even if the way in which Craig and Logan go about it is well thought out. Innes generally avoided such gung-ho theatrics in his books.

Since it's his first book, 'Wreckers Must Breathe' is as good a place as any to start with Hammond Innes. Just be aware that this isn't quite as solid as his late 40's and 50's work, and has nowhere near the depth of his epic 60's-90's novels.