Naval / nautical adventure novels by Richard Woodman that are free on Kindle Unlimited

A navy commander tells a young female journalist during his WW2 leave about a Polar expedition he joined just after WW1. What happened there was never disclosed. As the daughter of the sponsor of that expedition she wants to discover the truth. I think the story gives a harrowing account of the mental stress the sailors endured during the years on convoy duty. But you have to wait till the ending of the Polar tale for that part of the story. PTSD is a theme.

4 stars

 

 

 

 

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Captain John Sanford, the sturdy and determined former master of a British cargo-ship, has spent the last decade imprisoned in Communist China, undergoing a horrific ‘re-education When he is released he is a relic, a very quiet man, a walking skeleton. His ship is gone and the world has changed. People pity him but he refuses to capitulate to life's injustice and buys a small ship with his overdue pay. With a small crew he uses the ship for island hopping near the Indonesian Malay border.

People think him a symbol of colonial past in his long trousers formal uniform not realising he does that to hide how extremely thin he became in the camps. Instead he is an man open to people from different backgrounds himself born and bred in China and willing to give Chinese sailors a chance to become officers. But some people have a chip on their shoulder. And some actions have devastating results.

The story feels extremely real and was quite moving. Diversity is a theme. Very good novel. Could have been longer.

5 stars

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 A young man joins the crew of a weather ship in the North Atlantic in the 1960ties and takes part in a daring sea rescue operation.

To be honest more for the nautical fanatics and the old sea hands wanting to relive their youth. I found the story a bit too technical.

3 stars

 

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