Twelve Seconds To Live

Oct 30, 2024 7:28 AM

Author:Douglas Reeman

The mine is an impartial killer.

Lieutenant-Commander David Masters, haunted by a split second glimpse of the mine that destroyed his first and only command, H. M. Submarine Tornado, now defuses 'the beast' on land and teaches the same deadly science to others who too often die in the attempt.

Lieutenant Chris Foley, minelaying off an enemy coast in ML366, rolls on an uneasy sea with a release bracket sheared and a lie mine jammed, and hears the menacing growl of approaching E-boats.

And Sub-Lieutenant Michael Lincoln, hailed as a hero, dreads exposure as a coward even more than the unexpected booby-trap, or the gentle whirr of the activated fuse marking the last twelve seconds of his life...

______________________________

A thrilling tale of naval warfare from Douglas Reeman, the all-time bestselling master of naval fiction, who served with the Royal Navy on convoy duty in the Atlantic, the Arctic and the North Sea. He has written dozens of naval books under his own name and the pseudonym Alexander Kent, including the famous Richard Bolitho books set during the Napoleonic Wars.

Reviews

Masterly storytelling.

—— The Times

One of our foremost writers of naval fiction.

—— Sunday Times

Sharpe for the Blitz years... The Odin Mission is a meaty, all-action yarn

—— Sunday Telegraph

A good old-fashioned action hero makes his appearance in this page-turning thriller, the first of a planned series of Second World War novels featuring Sergeant Jack Tanner... James Holland, a respected military historian, has produced a story authentic in every detail

—— Telegraph

With this novel Rahimi picks up a shard of broken glass and sees the whole truth of his devastated country

—— Der Spiegel

Blatant injustice is heartbreakingly brought to life by Hillary Jordan in her debut novel...A tale that has echoes of the novels of John Steinbeck and Alice Walker...The varied viewpoints allow for an intimate insight into each character's thoughts and motivations that enriches the novel

—— Glasgow Herald

Jordan builds the tension slowly and meticulously, so that when the shocking denouement arrives, it is both inevitable and devastating...A compelling tale

—— Glasgow Herald

The architect of the modern thriller

—— The Huffington Post

Unsurpassed by any adventure story in recent years

—— Alistair MacLean, author of The Guns of Navarone and Where Eagles Dare

Well deserved to win the 2007 Costa book of the year award...sophisticated texture...Ms Kennedy manages to make every battle truism fresh

—— Economist

It is quite outstanding, full of beauty, pain and truth... We are lucky to have this book

—— Anne Chisholm , Sunday Telegraph

The facts surrounding the discovery of this book are as remarkable as its contents are magnificent... A triumph of indomitability and a masterwork of literary accomplishment

—— Sunday Times

Deftly translated by Sandra Smith, this is possibly the most devastating indictment of French manners and morals since Madame Bovary, as hypnotic as Proust at the biscuit tin, as gruelling as Genet on the prowl. Irène Nemirovsky is, on this evidence, a novelist of the very first order, perceptive to a fault and sly in her emotional restraint

—— Evening Standard

An heroic attempt to write a novel about a nightmare in which the author is entirely embedded

—— Anita Brookner , Spectator

Read this haunting novel, then read [Nemirovsky’s] letters in this edition to feel the full force of the work

—— Fiona Wilson , The Times

While 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 Digest

A truly amazing read

—— Gail Teasdale , 24housing

I’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 Housekeeping

My all-time favourite book

—— Kate Garraway , Good Housekeeping

Previous Article：The Seed and the Sower Next Article：Burma Boy

Comments

Welcome to zzdbook comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.