The Riddle of the Sands
by Erskine Childers
It’s a ripping yarn, it’s just so exciting. He really invented a new way of writing about international affairs. It was incredibly influential. It had a profound political effect because it pointed up the fears about Britain being unprepared for war with Germany. It combines derring-do, open air and a kind of lovely, thumping sense of duty that is very British as well. It sets the tone for an awful lot of what follows.
Recommendations from our site
“It’s a ripping yarn, it’s just so exciting. I first read it when I was about ten, and I’ve re-read it periodically since and it combines two of the things that I love most.” Read more...
Ben Macintyre, Journalist
“A wonderful book both for the espionage aficionado and also for the yachtsman. It testifies to the fact that if you are writing any novel with a technical basis, it is good to do research and get it right. This is the only novel he wrote; he went on to become a very committed political fellow.” Read more...
“It’s the Great Game again, but this time it is played out in a small sailing boat on the Frisian Coast in Germany around 1900.” Read more...
The best books on Victorian Adventures
Stephen Evans, Diplomats & Former Diplomat
