Book Description
While on a sailing trip in the Baltic Sea, two young adventurers-turned-spies uncover a secret German plot to invade England. Written by Childers—who served in the Royal Navy during World War I—as a wake-up call to the British government to attend to its North Sea defenses, The Riddle of the Sands accomplished that task and has been considered a classic of espionage literature ever since, praised as much for its nautical action as for its suspenseful spycraft. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

This classic spy story is a genuine thriller.
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 election in the 1970's, sadly to die in office a year or so later.

Whatever the circumstances of his life and death, this story is a "cracking good read", one of the earliest novels in the genre of spy fiction. Don't be put off by the various maps and charts at the beginning of the book - it is entirely possible to enjoy the story without knowing anything about sailing (though presumably the fun of the story will be heightened for those who do have some knowledge of sailing and maritime affairs). The voice of the narrator is irresistibly charming, the story is an excellent one, tautly told. I feel almost ashamed to be discovering this story as late in life as I am. But better late than never.

I highly recommend this book.

Excellent read. Childers Book and the feature film enhance one another.
Erskine Childers at his best. His book The Riddle of the Sands and the feature film starring Michael York only enhance each other. Erskines life in itself reads like a Indiana Jones story. He began sailing along the Frisian Islands in the North Sea in 1897. His experiences and imagination of the possibilities of an invasion by Germany would change the way Great Britain looked at it's defensive policies and the lack of realistic preparations of her coastlines. Did the book and it's warning influence and delay World War I? Was there a plan to invade Britain? Was it considered? Mostly like not, but we will never really know. The Riddle of the Sands and the warning changed how an entire country defended itself. Germany was at the time expanding her empire and particularly her Navy. Germany's only rival at the time was Great Britain. So....... The Riddle of the Sands is a particular insightful look at the end of the Victorian age and the dawning of a new century. A must read if you love historial fiction. Good reading.

A Classic . . . For an Ever-Shrinking Audience
Plenty other reviews give a synopsis of "The Riddle of the Sands" or place it in its historical context.I mainly want to add that while it is quite good in its own way and may well deserve the label "classic," it probably will appeal most to a rather limited and, with time, ever-shrinking audience.

While it is a noted early example (perhaps even the first) of the spy/adventure genre, I doubt that it will satisfy or fully engage most fans of LeCarre, McCarry, Deighton, and others of more modern ilk.The writing often is superb, but now somewhat dated; the plot (such as it is) unfolds at a very leisurely pace; and from the reader it requires close -- even undue -- attention to the esoterica of yachtsmanship and to ever so small details of the coastal geography, topology, and tidal patterns of the East Frisian Islands.For the avid small-boat sailor or student of spy literature, "The Riddle of the Sands" may well warrant five stars, but for the average intelligent reader of the 21st Century, I suspect three stars is more on the mark.

Sailing Around the Frisian Isles
This 1903 novel is a spy story that includes a factual account of small boat handling in the treacherous waters off the Frisian Islands. The `Preface' explains this book as a record of the adventures of "Carruthers". The British government was warned, but little was done. So Childers decided to publish this story to warn the public of a possible invasion of Britain. In Chapter 1 Carruthers gets an invitation to go yachting in the Baltic sea. He accepts out of boredom. The yacht is a converted life boat, thirty feet long and nine in the beam. Arthur Davies can sail this boat without help. Then Davies tells what happened before he invited Carruthers (Chapter 8). Carruthers decided to go along with the plan. Davies talks of the ambitions and rivalry of Germany (Chapter 10).

The chapters describe sailing in a small boat in the North Sea. Cold, fog, and tides that imperil a small yacht. There is the story about the mysterious German, his young daughter, and his business associates. There is a mystery about a salvage operation on an old shipwreck byMemmert Sand. Carruthers has been called back to London. But in Amsterdam he disguised himself and doubled back (Chapter 25). Carruthers' suspicions are confirmed by a boat at night towing a lighter. There is a surprise in the last chapter. The `Epilogue' discusses the plan to invade and conquer Great Britain by surprise.

A similar invasion was planned in 1940 until it was prevented by The Battle of Britain. The difficulties of an invasion from sea were solved in June 1944. While a blockade of shipping can damage Britain, its internal resources will help. Only a successful invasion will conquer Britain [as in 1066]. There is no mention of the Territorial Army here. Some have claimed this was the first spy novel. "The Prisoner of Zenda" was published years earlier (political intrigue into a dynastic succession).

Solid read, but only in context
I bought The Riddle of the Sands to use in an History essay for university where I was looking at how the spy was portrayed before World War I. As one of the more popular titles from that era of 'invasion literature,' Childer's work certainly fit the bill. It is the story of two men sailing around the Frisian Islands trying to uncover a German plot to invade the north of England. That's basically it in the way of plot. It was Childer's way of calling attention to what he believed where Britain's insufficient North Sea defenses, and the real possibility of a German naval invasion. He succeeded in that endeavour and the North Sea defenses were eventually strengthed, which you could view either as a testament to the power of this novel, or to the 'great underlying problems and increasing pessimism' felt throughout Europe (to quote Ruth Henig), in the lead up to World War I.

Whichever view you take, the novel has a depth of characterisation that is quite remarkable for a first attempt at fiction. Davies and Carruthers are representative of the two poles of English class/social structure at the time, with the inarticulate, yet perceptive everyman Davies teaming up with well-mannered and intellectually capable Carruthers, figurative of the way that all aspects of British society would need to come together to face the coming invasion. However, the fact that this was Childers' first and only novel begins to show in his pacing. This is hardly the 'cliff-hanger' that Milt Bearden claims it to be in his brief 5-page introduction. However, Childers' purpose was not to write a thrilling page turner, but a warning against German invasion. To really enjoy this novel, you have to read it in that context, otherwise you'll be thinking 'what's the big deal?' There is relevance to our contemporary situation, given the whole 'invasion' theme, but to understand that connection, you need to be aware of the reasons for Childers' decision to write this book, and, by extension, the motivation of his characters.

This Modern Library edition does offer some background in Bearden's introduction. Enough to give the casual reader some brief historical context, at least. It follows the Modern Library's tradition of having authors from relevant and related fields offering their thoughts, rather than the academic/scholarly approach that Penguin or Oxford take. The problem here though is that it is too brief to offer any real insights. There is also the standard Modern Library reading guide, offering questions that range between vaguely thought-provoking to superficial. I don't know why they bother with these reading guides, especially at the expense of a decent introduction. However, if you're just after the story without wading through the academia of the Oxford World's Classic release, then this is the version you're after. Plus, Modern Library's cover art is always so much nicer to look at! ... Read more

Product Description
Literature, First modern English espionage novel. First published in 1903. ... Read more

Book Description
Erskine Childers fathered the modern genre of spy adventures. Unlike other spy novelists, however, Childers himself led a life involving spying, gun-running, and conspiracy, and a constant search for adventure and danger, which led in the end to his execution by firing squad in Ireland in 1923. Dangerous Waters: The Life and Death of Erskine Childers tells the extraordinary story of a brilliant and highly talented eccentric, whose fervent support of Irish nationalism, though foddor for his novels, also led to his untimely death. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Irish Literary Supplement, published by Irish Studies Program on March 22, 2005. The length of the article is 1083 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A traitor to his class.(Dangerous Waters: The Life and Death of Erskine Childers)(Book Review)
Author: Francis M. Carroll
Publication: Irish Literary Supplement (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 22, 2005
Publisher: Irish Studies Program
Volume: 24Issue: 2Page: 32(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Concise and penetrating..........
Erskine Childers' name may not be on the tip of every American tongue, but he certainly deserves our attention. Author, statesman, intelligence operative, journalist, expert sailor, photographer, airman, artillery officer, Irish republican; the list goes on and on. In his younger years, Childers was a steadfast supporter of the British Empire, a participant in the Boer War and WWI, and recipient of the DSC. Born of an Irish mother and an English father, Childers was sympathetic towards his mother's homeland, but withheld support beyond Home Rule until he became thoroughly disenchanted with British appeasement of the Ulster Unionists. A critical point reached in his pysche, Childers swung utterly to the militaristic wing of Sinn Fein and the IRA and became an ardent participant and crucial component in the crisis that was to result in Irish civil war.

Jim Ring has done an admirable job portraying Childers' remarkable life. His book is focused, penetrating, and possesses a rythym that keep the pages turning. Though many words could describe Childers, uncommon intensity and uncompromising integrity to the cause might best sum up the man. Ring allows this view to triumph and, while making no excuses for Childers' more extreme examples of radicalism, he manages to resurrect the reputation of a man ultimately spurned and executed by the Irish Free State.

The life of Erskine Childers is an entirely deserving subject for consumption. Winston Churchill, Michael Collins, Eamon de Valera, Lloyd George, all play prominent roles throughout. Jim Ring has written an excellent account of a time and a man that bear remembering. The struggle for small nations to obtain freedom in autonomy is, in all variations, a story to be told for all time. ... Read more

Product Description
181 Pages ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of (Robert) Erskine Childers, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 1755 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Customer Reviews (1)

Curiosity left over from another time
Written in an attempt to highlight the author's controversial political agenda, the riddle of the sands is a left over from a forgotten time. The characterizations are a little dated now - gentlemen yachtsmen, muddle through with sheer determination and British verve. The underlying thesis that Childers was trying to promote, although through the lens of history can be seen to be utterly impractical - at the time had such a measure of authenticity (due in part to the general German paranoia at the time, but largely due to the authentic feel of the narrative) about it, questions were ask in parliament (which was Childers agenda) Childers is at his best when describing the sailing and the sea - Less convincing in the "spy" plot. It has an added poignancy when we remember that Childers the "British" patriot who tried through this novel to awaken the empire to the weaknesses of its naval policy and the danger of German imperialism - dies in front of a British Firing squad because of involvement in running guns during the Irish rebellion. Read it primarily for the description of the sailing and the sea, enjoy the "spy" story as a boys own distraction. ... Read more

Book Description
When Carruthers joins his friend Arthur Davies on his yacht iDulcibella/i, he is expecting a pleasant sailing holiday in the Baltic Sea. But the holiday turns into an adventure of a different kind. He and Davies soon find themselves sailing in the stormy waters of the North Sea, exploring the channels and hidden sandbanks around the German Frisian Islands, and looking for a secret and#150; a secret that could mean great danger for England.Erskine Childers' novel, published in 1903, was the first great modern spy story, and is still as exciting to read today as it was a hundred years ago. ... Read more

Product Description
Brimming with heart-stopping action, "The Riddle of the Sands" is one the earliest spy novels. ... Read more

Product Description
Brimming with heart-stopping action, ""The Riddle of the Sands"" is one the earliest spy novels. This spell-binding story is set in the period before the start of the First World War. It narrates the story of two friends adventure as they stumble upon Germanys plans to invade England. A gem of the thriller genre! ... Read more

Product Description
Brimming with heart-stopping action, ""The Riddle of the Sands"" is one the earliest spy novels. This spell-binding story is set in the period before the start of the First World War. It narrates the story of two friends adventure as they stumble upon Germanys plans to invade England. A gem of the thriller genre! ... Read more

Book Description
Reprinted to coincide with the centenary of the Anglo-Boer War, a facsimile edition of the celebrated Edwardian author's personal diary of service with the CIV artillery battery (Honourable Artillery Company) in the Orange Free State and Transvaal at the end of the conventional war - and the beginning of guerrilla operations. ... Read more