Böcker av Erskine Childers

Carruthers, a minor official in the Foreign Office, is contacted by an acquaintance, Davies, asking him to join in a yachting holiday in the Baltic Sea. Carruthers agrees, as his other plans for a holiday have fallen through. As they sail off Davies gradually reveals that he suspects that the Germans are undertaking something sinister in the German Frisian islands. This is based on his belief that he was nearly wrecked by a German yacht luring him into a shoal in rough weather during a previous trip. Davies is suspicious about what would motivate the Germans to try to kill him. Having failed to interest anyone in the government in the incident, he feels it is his patriotic duty to investigate further - hence the invitation to Carruthers.

"The Riddle of the Sands: A Record of Secret Service" (1903) is an early example of the espionage novel, with a strong underlying theme of militarism. It is regarded by many critics as one of the greatest spy novels ever written.

The First Modern Spy Thriller: The Riddle of the Sands Two sail-boaters are cruising off the coast of Germany on a vacation. To their amazement they discover a German military exercise-a trial-run for the invasion of England. From that starting point we are whisked through a series of mysteries, bluffs, counter-bluffs, and wild nautical maneuvers as our sail-boaters try to learn more and get their information back to England. Through it all, Childers brilliantly captures the style and attitudes of the day. His use of military terms and concepts is creditable, and his depiction of small boat sailing is impeccable. What is astonishing is that the book was written before WW-I and correctly anticipates the coming military aggressiveness of Germany. As such, it created a sensation when it was first released, and remains a classic, perhaps THE classic, spy-action-adventure novel to this day. Whether you are a boater, a military buff, a spy novel fan, or just like a good thrilling read-this book is for you. Move over Ian Fleming and make way for your grandpa!

Erskine Childers, the author of this book, was one of the most fascinating figures or the early 20th century. Best known today for his thriller 'The Riddle of the Sands' a nautical yarn which employed Childers' skill as a yachtsman to warn Britain of the growing threat posed by Germany in the run-up to the Great War, he later ironically was notorious for running rifles in his yacht to Irish republicans, of whom he became a fanatical supporter. He was eventually shot by a firing squad of the Irish Free State forces for taking the extreme Republican side in the Irish CIvil War in which he directed Republican propaganda. Earlier in his career Childers was a respected military historian and critic, writing a history of the Boer War which he witnessed as a correspondent. In this volume, which boasts an admiring foreword by Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, he gives a critique of the armament and purpose of the cavalry, using his own experiences in the Boer War and the recent Russo-Japanese war (1904) to bolster his argument that the cavalry should evolve from lancers to mounted infantry, each horseman equipped with swords and carbines. An interesting study in military tactics written by a man who was never content to be an armchair warrior.

When Carruthers receives a letter from his friend Davies suggesting a Baltic sailing trip the vision of a manned yacht, A1 scenery and excellent duck shooting quickly works its charm. Much to Carruther's disgust, the reality couldn't be more different. Why should anyone want to kill Davies? What are the Germans trying to hide?

'It seems pretty clear to me that sooner or later we'll be at war with Germany, whether we like it or not.'

Childers's lone masterpiece, THE RIDDLE OF THE SANDS, considered the first modern spy thriller, is recognisable as the brilliant forerunner of the realism of Graham Greene and John le Carre. Its unique flavour comes from its fine characterization,richly authentic background of inshore sailing and vivid evocation of the late 1890s - an atmosphere of mutual suspicion and intrigue that was soon to lead to war.

The classic espionage thriller about two men on a yachting holiday discovering a secret German naval base and an enemy armada with plans to invade England.

Word count 22,885

One of the first great spy novels, The Riddle of the Sands is set during the long suspicious years leading up to the First World War. The story builds in excitement as two young men on a sailing holiday discover a German plot to invade England. This edition is complemented by a fine introduction which examines the novel in its political and historical context.

While on a sailing trip in the Baltic Sea, two young adventurers-turned-spies uncover a secret German plot to invade England. Written by Childers—who served in the Royal Navy during World War I—as a wake-up call to the British government to attend to its North Sea defenses, The Riddle of the Sands accomplished that task and has been considered a classic of espionage literature ever since, praised as much for its nautical action as for its suspenseful spycraft.