Rating: 
Summary: Was a classic, still a classic.
Review: I've read this one several times over several years (first as a college history class assignment), and it still amazes me how Monsarrat is able to capture the spirit and tribulations of men at sea during war time. If you're at all interested in WWII or naval operations, you must read this book, as Monsarrat penetratingly explores the psyches and motivations of several of the book's principal characters. This book, like Alistair MacLean's HMS Ulysses, is a true naval history classic. Don't skip it.
Rating:
Summary: How it really was...
Review: If a one-word review were acceptable, it would just be: "Great!". You're living through the career of a moderately able submarine hunter in WWII. Like in real life, he was out there in a nutshell called a "Flower class" corvette, facing the stormy North Atlantic and loads of prowling German subs. Have you ever wondered how those heroes' lives really were like? You will live with the corvette's green crew through their hard training, through endless boring hours of seasickness, through personal problems like bad superiors or unfaithful wives, through mobbing and loneliness,... You will see ships around them explode and sink, till finally - oh, I shouldn't spoil the story, should I?A fascinating book, I couldn't stop reading day and night. Try to be part of WWII, let your imagination play, don't watch movies... If you're interested in more of it, try the other side of the coin, as described by Lothar Guenther Buchheim.
Rating: 
Summary: Authentic WWII Sea Salt
Review: If I were asked to recommend three great movies about any Allied or Axis army, navy and air force in World War II, they would be "The Desert Fox", "The Cruel Sea" and "Twelve O'Clock High". All three were made in black and white soon after the war, and all have the unmistakable realism of true accounts.
"The Cruel Sea", based on the famous Nicholas Monsarrat novel of the same title, lend its story beautifully to the stark contrasts and subtle mid-tones of black and white film (you don't get all those mid-tones of grey in color film). The story is grippingly personal, tragic and redeeming, gradually and painfully building the intense bond of camaraderie that seems to be particularly strong among navy people - probably because the sea can be the loneliest and most unforgiving place on earth (hence the title). Recalling the names Compass Rose and Saltash Castle, you'll taste the freezing brine of the North Atlantic, smell the mix of diesel fuel, blood and cordite, and hear the cries of your mates drowning in your wake. The real deal in black and white.
Rating:
Summary: Adaption of Monserrat's tribute to WWII RN escorts
Review: Made in the 1950's with the co-operation of the UK Royal Navy the film follows the fate of a small group of seaman, with minimal experience who manned the small escort vessels that fought the Battle of the Atlantic. Though ficticious, the film is set against the true historical context of the battle and incidents portrayed have a basis in historically recorded incidents. The sheer emotion of ordinary men stoically fighting, and often failing, to survive in the hostile world in which they have been thrown by the war is excellently portrayed with crisp editing and effects. An excellent adaption of Nicholas Monserrat's book with some editing of the original text in order to get the film down to a reasonable length. Though by modern standards the continuity is slightly lacking in the seagoing shots, this in no way reduces the sheer impact of the events portrayed. END
Rating:
Summary: Timeless Classic from the Fifties
Review: Monsarrat's prose gives a description of events, feelings, and thoughts in great detail. One of my favorite parts was when he describes Barnard's thoughts on Russian convoys... more than just a novel, The Cruel Sea gives a historical context within which the story falls - it's obvious that he was very thorough with his research. There are historical references that documentaries can't capture or depict as vividly as the book does - the novel is that good.
Rating:
Summary: The Cruel Sea
Review: Mosarrat shows us that there is no glory in war, but much honor attached to the men and women of the armed forces. The Cruel Sea tells us how to behave during a conflict - be loyal, resilient, and have faith in ourselves and our comrades
I re-read this book every few years and each time I am impressed with the characters, settings, and the lessons that Erickson and Lockhart teach us. And each time I feel better about people and their potentials. This book stays in the current section of my bookshelf.
Rating:
Summary: The Cruel Sea
Review: Mosarrat shows us that there is no glory in war, but much honor attached to the men and women of the armed forces. The Cruel Sea tells us how to behave during a conflict - be loyal, resilient, and have faith in ourselves and our comrades
I re-read this book every few years and each time I am impressed with the characters, settings, and the lessons that Erickson and Lockhart teach us. And each time I feel better about people and their potentials. This book stays in the current section of my bookshelf.
Rating:
Summary: Wavy Navy
Review: SUPERB BOOK, a Classic I use this title because the story is written from the viewpoint of a RNVR Officer (a prewar voluntary reserve officer, background and qualifications yachtsman). I mention this because having a father that served on USN convoy duty before the war started (USS Jacob Jones), and having lived in the UK amongst many who also served in the war, I realize now that the book and the film provide an accurate and vividly emotional portrayal of what it was like. Also, add to list of why "There will always be an England"
Rating:
Summary: Wavy Navy
Review: SUPERB BOOK, a Classic I use this title because the story is written from the viewpoint of a RNVR Officer (a prewar voluntary reserve officer, background and qualifications yachtsman). I mention this because having a father that served on USN convoy duty before the war started (USS Jacob Jones), and having lived in the UK amongst many who also served in the war, I realize now that the book and the film provide an accurate and vividly emotional portrayal of what it was like. Also, add to list of why "There will always be an England"
Rating:
Summary: The Real War at Sea.
Review: Take it from a retired naval officer, this is one of the best novels ever written about war at sea. Monsarrat explores the savage and relentless nature of the struggle against the U-boat menace in the North Atlantic. The sailors' enemies were not just the lethal German submarines, but miserable weather, bad food, wretched accommodations, physical and mental exhaustion, and emotional havoc. I wonder -- could I have stood the test?
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