Author:Douglas Reeman
From the pen of multi-million copy bestselling author Douglas Reeman comes a brilliantly epic, high-tension adventure novel set at the height of World War Two. Masterfully atmospheric with expert characterisation, it will have you on the edge of your seat! Perfect for fans of Clive Cussler, Bernard Cornwell and Wilbur Smith.
'One of our foremost writers of naval fiction' -- Sunday Times
'Mr Reeman writes with great knowledge about the sea and those who sail on it' --The Times
'A brilliant read' -- ***** Reader review
'Difficult to put down once started' -- ***** Reader review
'First class' -- ***** Reader review
'Douglas Reeman certainly gets you into story!' -- ***** Reader review
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The Battlecruiser: in its day, this class of ship was considered one of the great triumphs of the Royal Navy, as swift as a destroyer but packing a deadly firepower equal to any ship afloat.
But the ships had one fatal flaw: their armour could be pierced by a single enemy shell. The Battle of Jutland exposed this Achilles' heel, then further disasters followed in the next world war with the tragic sinkings of the Hood and Repulse.
1943 - of all her class, HMS Reliant and one other have survived. Reliant has the reputation of a lucky ship, but when Captain Guy Sherbrooke joins her, he knows he could be her last captain.
As Britain prepares to invade occupied Europe, Reliant will be thrown head first into the conflagration. All those who sail in her know that there can be no half measures: only death or glory awaits HMS Reliant.
Excellent ... what Reeman likes is plot and characterisation, and, like many a good craft, his lines are good and clean
—— Guy Walters , The TimesIf any author deserves to be 'piped' into bookshops with full naval honours it is Douglas Reeman, without question master of both genres of naval fiction - historical and modern
—— Books MagazineRobinson rules the waves -- matches Clancy at his best.
—— Northern EchoAn overpowering and beautiful novel... Ambitious, outrageous, poignant, sleep-disturbing, Birdsong is not a perfect novel, just a great one
—— Simon Schama , New YorkerEngrossing, moving, and unforgettable
—— The TimesThis is a great love story
—— Prue Leith , Daily ExpressOne of the finest novels of the last forty years
—— Mail on SundayThis is literature at its very best: a book with the power to reveal the unimagined, so that one's life is set in a changed context. I urge you to read it
—— Time OutSo powerful is this recreated past that you long to call Birdsong perfect
—— The TimesA powerful novel that is difficult to put down
—— Independent on SundayMy favourite novel of all time because it’s not just the most moving First World War story, it also has a wonderful romance
—— Kate Garraway , Daily ExpressIt broke my heart.
—— Matthew Lewis , BuzzfeedMagnificent. A classic that everyone should have read.
—— Sandra Howard , Daily ExpressA sweeping historical drama, it’s also erotic, poignant and tear-inducing. I read it and wept buckets. I don’t think anything else Faulks has written before or since surpasses the brilliance of this one.
—— Reading MattersThis is literature at its very best. A book with the power to reveal the unimagined, so that one’s life is set in a changed context. I urge you to read it.
—— Andrew Denham-Davis , DISCUSWhile marked by poppy wearing and memorial ceremonies, the First World War is also sustained through family history, handed down from one generation to the next. No book better articulates the impact of this narrative than Stephen Faulks’ Birdsong.
—— Lucy Middleton , Reader's DigestA truly amazing read
—— Gail Teasdale , 24housingI’d never read such descriptive literature, and couldn’t sleep at night for thinking about what I’d just read. His [Faulks] portrayal of terror on the battlefield is so powerful
—— Anna Redman , Good HousekeepingMy all-time favourite book
—— Kate Garraway , Good Housekeeping