Riddle of the Sands

[Cornishman]

Map B brought back happy memories. In 1965 my troop of rather bored NATO signallers were given the task of mapping Spiekeroog Island for a change from normal duties. We chartered a local fishing boat to get over there from Neuharlingersiel. On the wheel house was a plaque which read "Gott mit Uns" to which one wag said "I hope he hasn't brought much kit with him."
A week camping on that little piece of North Sea paradise taught me practically all there was to know about secondary port calculations for fear of losing a soldier or two by being cut off.

 

[MacW]

Pardon me, but I`m new here.
Yes, "the Riddle " is a cracking read,as good now as when first published.
Another good read is " A thirst for the Sea - the sailing Adventures of Erskine Childers" by Hugh and Robin Popham. This includes Childers` own logs and excerpts from Childers articles contributed to YM and to the Times. Graphic accounts on his early "takings to the water" and hair raising (to us ) exploits crossing the channel in a diminutive half-decker called Marguerite - nicknamed " Mad Agnes ",as well as logs for the Frisian islands and Baltic cruises.(Stanford Maritime -hard to find )
One of Childers` biographers.R.M.Bowker, was a regular contributor to YM,and no mean voyager himself.

 

[Nickel]

Well he served the entire First World War loyally and bravely in the Royal Navy.

He was one of those men who passionately saw that Enlgand's occupation of Ireland was bad for both England and Ireland. His rebellion did not in anyway demonstrate a hatred for England, just a hatred for England in Ireland.

Churchill for all his later greatness, was always too blind to see this essential fact.

 

[tonyran]

What was really good about the film was he had one of those boats that are only about 30 foot long but inside are as big as a cathedral - with head room to match. Funny how they've stoped making them now you'd have thought they would catch on!

 

[DanTribe]

Also worth reading is a sort of sequel called The Shaddow In The Sands by Sam Llewellyn. Doesn't have the same atmosphere but is well researched.
Dan

 

[Trintella]

Drummond Chalis was the producer, it was directed by Tony Maylam.

If anyone's interested I put a page on the web that just collects together a few links about the book, film and soundtrack. There is a link there to DD Entertainment (no connection & no I won't be getting any commission!) where you can get an official DVD of the film - its letterboxed within 4:3 format with black lines at top and bottom of the screen (not 16:9 or true widescreen format). Better than the old VHS/priate dvd version though. They've reduced it to £5 so I guess its not a best seller...

Link here: The Riddle of the Sands

If anyone finds anything wrong on my page about it, let me know & I'll update it.