Send a Gunboat, by Douglas Reeman

May 31, 2009 by Nekkidblogger
Filed under: Douglas Reeman, book review, naval fiction

There are many heroes in this delightful old story by Douglas Reeman. HMS Wagtail, one of the heroes, is a river gunboat. She has been designed to run in extremely shallow waters. Now, after World War II, this little ship is seemingly at the end of her useful life. She lies in a Hong Kong dockyard awaiting her last summons to the breakers’ yard.

Commander Justin Rolfe, another hero in this book, is also seemingly at the end of his useful naval life. He is an embittered man, brooding and angry from a court-martial verdict and after having been betrayed by his wife. When the offshore island of Santu is threatened with invasion from the Chinese mainland, Commander Rolfe, old Wagtail, and her crew, is assigned the mission of bringing out the British citizens on the island. It is a difficult job, but also a job that offers the chance of a reprieve and a restoration of self respect.

I loved this book! It took a little while before I really got into it, but after a hundred pages or so I had a hard time putting it away. Send a Gunboat tells a very good story about how danger and action draws together, changes, and unites the men involved in it by the skillful and very knowledgeable Reeman!

Links to books by Douglas Reeman at amazon US, amazon UK, and amazon CAN