The Riddle of the Sands, Erskine Childers
The Riddle of the Sands, Erskine Childers
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The Riddle of the Sands

Author: Erskine Childers

Narrator: Simon Vance

Unabridged: 10 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/22/2008

Synopsis

While on a sailing trip in the Baltic Sea, two young adventurersturnedspies uncover a secret German plot to invade England. Widely recognized as the first modern spy thriller, this 1902 lone masterpiece by World War I Royal Navy officer Erskine Childers was written as a wakeup call to the British government to attend to its North Sea defenses. It accomplished that task and has been considered a classic of espionage literature ever since. Praised for its nautical action and richly authentic background as much as for its suspenseful spycraft, The Riddle of the Sands is the brilliant forerunner to the realism of Graham Greene and John le Carr.

About Erskine Childers

Erskine Childers (1870–1922) was an Irish nationalist and novelist. He was the editor of the Cambridge Review and the author of the influential novel Riddle of the Sands, which the Observer listed as one of the “100 Greatest Novels of All Time.” It is considered by many to be the first spy novel.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Georgia on March 20, 2025

Sand, sand, and more sand. But not the sand of Lawrence of Arabia's deserts. Baltic sands rise like u-boats then descend in a flash. They hide and appear. They do it again and again. They lurk to catch you out. Keep watch! This book reads like an extended scene from Hitchcock. Suspense is not, as th......more

Goodreads review by David on August 05, 2007

Erskine Childers was shot by firing squad during the Irish civil war in 1922. According to Wikipedia, his last words were a joke at the expense of his executioners: "Take a step or two forward, lads. It will be easier that way." His son was subsequently elected fourth president of Ireland in an upset......more

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