November 7, 2013
Recently I found a book that was published originally in 1970: A Flock of Ships (ISBN 978-1906288358, trade paperback, $17.95, re-issued 2010). To my great surprise, it had been recently re-issued as a trade paperback. Thank goodness for astute editors. Brian Callison is the author of this terrific story of the British Merchant Marine during WWII. He served in the Merchant Marine beginning in 1950. The story of the officers and men of the Allied Merchant Marine Services is too often overlooked by WWII fiction writers.The story opens in the present day (circa 1970) when a British Navy Survey Ship pulls into the harbor of an isolated island in the South Atlantic Ocean. In the harbor, much to their surprise, lie the rusting hulks of two British Merchant Marine ships and two German U-Boats.
The Captain of the survey ship discovers the log kept by the First Mate of the merchant ship Cyclops on one of the hulks. The story is reminiscent of Alastair MacLean’s novels – twists of plot, people not being who they seem to be, surprise endings. See if you can guess the plot twists before they are revealed; I missed most of them.
GO! BUY! READ!
—Jim Harris, retired book sales rep
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