MacLean's first novel is a little different to what followed, not being about a mystery or a mission full of double cross but rather a regulation trip by a ship through hideous circumstances. There is a lot of suffering and death and it's extremely well described: sailors plunge into the seas, drenched in oil, or freeze to death, or are rammed by their own side or are shot down, or blow up, or kill themselves, or have bits blown off, or get mashed up.
It's gruelling stuff. I had trouble telling the characters apart and there were a lot of them - I lost track and had to re-read this. A useful guide is here.
Fascinatingly it also starts after a mutiny - that doesn't have a huge impact throughout the book as everyone is professional. The Germans are respected, tough adversaries. The story builds in power as it goes along and the death toll rises - the convoy becomes more disastrous and comes to a logical, tragic end.
I can see why this wasn't filmed it would cost a fortune. You'd have to do some character work on it. It's powerful.
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