Rating: 
Summary: The Real Deal
Review: I have worn out several copies of this video. You will see other reviewers who find fault with things the movie did or did not portray, but as a historian I can say it captures the essence of serving on a corvette in the North Atlantic better than anything else available(i.e. Corvette K-225 starring Alan Ladd, etc.) I have had the honor of speaking with vets of the Battle of the North Atlantic who viewed this video and to a man they love this movie. I can think of no higher praise than concurrance of the men who were actually there. Field Marshall Erwin Rommel is supposed to have said that "what is winning the war for the Allies is the two and a half ton truck. I would respectfully disagree with the Field Marshall, for the trucks never would have made it to Europe without the convoys and this is what the movie captures.
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?
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: Invaluable: beautiful prose, compelling historical fiction
Review: The Battle of the Atlantic is often referred to as a crucial campaign in the history of World War II; in keeping the sea lanes open throughout the war, the Allies kept the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union in the fight and began the build up for operations in the Mediterranean and in Europe. Popular and historical focus in the Battle of the Atlantic often falls on the German U-Boats as their captains' daring and their crews' boldness make for more dashing stories. In contrast, technologies such as radar, sonar and the cracking of ULTRA are often credited with winning the battle for the Allies, and little attention is paid, generally, to the ships and men who fought the Germans and prevailed in the Atlantic. The Cruel Sea is their story. It is the story of a British destroyer tasked to escort Allied convoys across the Atlantic. It relates the entire course of the war, and illustrates the challenges that the British Navy and the Allies faced at various points in the Atlantic: manning ships with draftees in volunteers in a time of war, the the fear and uncertainty of pre-radar/sonar escort operations in the early years of World War II, and the slow and gradual triumph over the U-Boats after 1943. The Cruel Sea also is a gripping story of human nature, providing insights into loyalty, leadership and courage through the actions of its characters. The Cruel Sea is not a book about war; it is a book about people, men mostly, in a time of war and how they react to adversity. As literature, it is beautifully written, a masterpiece. The author crafts his words so that the reader is gripped by prose as well as by the action and flow of the story. It was a joy to read. The Cruel Sea is a valuable bit of history as well, shedding light on a service and a battle that few know about beyond devoted students of World War II.
Rating:
Summary: Man versus the sea - the real war
Review: The Cruel Sea is perhaps the finest novel written out of World War II. It is drawn on the actual service in the Royal Navy of the author. It is the story of two ships, maybe 200 men, German submarines and the constant relentless ocean. Even when there is no combat action, the sea is always there in all its forms - just waiting for a small defect to occurr and then it will claim another victim - be it man or ship. The sailors of the Compass Rose are a dramatic cross section. The captain is a reservist from the merchant navy while his officers are all volunteers from the civilian sector. One officer's only sea going experience is crossing the channel in a small yacht with a one woman crew. Not the best of material. The crew is even more diverse. The senior ratings, coxswain, signalman, engineer and several others, are all professional Royal Navy and it is one these men the captain will lean the most. The remainder of the crew is drawn from all walks of life from clerks to vet assistants. Together they are all molded into a working crew. The contacts with the German submarines are numerous but the end result is disappointing to some in that only two submarines are sunk between the two ships. Lots of survivors are pulled from the sea though as the submarines whittle away at the convoys chugging across the sea. One gets a sense of the unending grind that the men endure as the ships make thier rounds from Liverpool to New York with a side trip to Russia for variety. Even shore time is not enjoyed as the local Liverpool area is pounded by German bombers and wives and girlfriends are not willing to endure the constant seperation. Compass Rose is sunk and the crew, once more, is held together by the captain. Some men are heros and die a heros death and others are simply freightened men trying to stay alive which few do. It is a sobering time for the survivors as they look back at their life in Compass Rose. The captain and one officer move on to another ship and finish the war in her. Again, it is a return to the grind of fighting the sea and occassionally fighting the Germans. One submarine is sunk by the new ship and the war ends. There is little glory to be earned in this story, rather it is a tale of survival, hanging on to make it through the day or night. Everyone is a hero in this story from the junior sailor to the captain. It is a story that is being remembered less and less as the survivors of World War II diminish in numbers. It is a story to be read and remembered - when there was no array of electronic weapons and nuclear energy to draw upon to destroy an enemy; rather it was skill, patience, persistance and a willingness to endure that saw a successful outcome from a combat between corvette and submarine. Sometimes the corvette won and sometimes the submarine won. Many times it was a draw. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the war at sea during World War II. It should be in every naval officer's personal library regardless of nationality. Once read, it should never be forgotten.
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: Compelling WW2 drama
Review: Finding an original hard cover version of this novel was quite a chore but well worth the wait. Monsarrat follows the exploits of the crew of a British corvette and later a destroyer as it escorts trans oceanic convoys during the battle of the Atlantic. The officers and crew are continually pitted against an always lurking pack of determined German U boats. The tension created as a result of the staggering losses of ships and human life and the battle of nerve and wits between the opposing commanders is gripping. Monsarrat does some wonderful character development of the crew members, showing how the strain of war creates serious personality changes. Its seems as if Monsarrat has served in the Navy as the authenticity of his story seems beyond question.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: A brutal, dark, bitter-sweet insight in the life of a ship and it's crew during WW2.
An amazing read, that will captivate you from the first page through to the last.
Rating:
Summary: The Classic of Naval Warfare
Review: Clearly written by a man who lived it. His literaly style is superb. The detail and feelings described probably bring you as close as you are going to get without being there in person. I could not put it down. One of the rare books you could enjoy reading again. Truly describes the nightmare of the Atlantic war.
Rating:
Summary: Live through the war in the Atlantic - over and over again
Review: This is absolutely one of my favourite books, and I'm reading it for the 5th or 6th time right now. Based on his real wartime experinces, the author creates a fascinating story of "one ocean, two ships, and some 150 men". Living from day to day through the horrors of naval war in the North Atlantic with the wonderfully-crafted characters, one is only beginning to imagine just how terrible it must have been. You breathe with them, you fight with them, you sleep with them and you live through their good and bad times - finding yourself unwilling to put this book aside. Read this book, and Buchheim's "The Boat", and you can truly say: "Now I know what it was like!"
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