{"product_id":"uncommon-courage-9781472987112","title":"Uncommon Courage","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e''An extraordinary account of heroism and sacrifice. An unexpected and important story, rivetingly told. Rip roaring stuff. Get this into the paws of the sea dog in your life.'' - Griff Rhys Jones\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e''A book that had to be written'' - \u003ci\u003eLet''s Talk\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e''People ashore don't realise what a grim war we are waging at sea with the Germans. A cold-blooded war, in a way I think requiring the maximum of bravery from the men of both sides in the long run, as it is so ceaseless and intangible. You just don't know whether the next moment will be your last.'' \u003c\/i\u003eRobert Hichens, RNVSR Several years ago, Julia Jones was searching through long-forgotten items stored at her house and discovered some suitcases of old written material, which turned out to be accounts by her father of his experiences in the RNVSR (Royal Naval Volunteer Supplementary Reserve). She realised that as a child she'd met some of the people mentioned, and although she was too young to truly know them, these youth\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom Childers to Monsarrat via Shute and Maurice Griffiths. Julia Jones links the world of yachting, literature, the navy and war into an extraordinary account of heroism and sacrifice. An unexpected and important story, rivetingly told. Rip roaring stuff. Get this into the paws of the sea dog in your life. -- Griff Rhys Jones\u003cbr\u003eA story that has been a long time coming… And who to tell it better than novelist and journalist Julia Jones who has not only the gift of the pen, but whose father was one of the cadre of sailors who helped ensure that the war was won * Classic Boat *\u003cbr\u003eThis is a magnificent portrait of men at war and a most scholarly history. * Country Life *\u003cbr\u003eA book that had to be written * Let's Talk *\u003cbr\u003eThe likes of Maurice Griffiths, Peter Scott, Robert Hichens, Nevil Shute Norway and Adrian Seligman brought an inventiveness to situations that sometimes challenged the 'Navy way' but got results... A remarkable mosaic of accounts of the war at sea. -- Peter Willis * Yachting Monthly *\u003cbr\u003ea good book that offers a welcome insight and turns the spotlight anew on some of the forgotten men of a terrible conflict * Sailing Today *\u003cbr\u003eJones describes ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances, amateur sailors turned into minesweepers or commandos, but does not allow the picturesque to distract from the gruelling realities of their experiences. * The Tablet *\u003cbr\u003einteresting and well-researched ... a very absorbing book * The Cruising Association *\u003cbr\u003e[Jones] writes with vim and vigour ... a continously astonishing book * The Spectator *\u003cbr\u003eAn excellent read for summer days onboard. * The Lady *\u003cbr\u003eabsorbing...compelling...informative * Seagull: The Journal of the Indian Maritime Foundation *\u003cbr\u003eA masterful work, which gives a wonderful flavour of the RNVSR, with its lack of formality and its individuals capable of thinking and working 'outside the box'... An engaging and entertaining read. -- Ohil Russell * Warship 2024 *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eIntroduction: A riddle in the attic \u003c\/i\u003e   1 ‘There must be hundreds of chaps like me’  2 ‘I happened to look around and he was gone’  3 ‘They ought to make some use of us’  4 ‘Are there many like you in England?’  5 ‘Do you think you’ll like this sort of thing?’  6 ‘I hardened to the life’  7 ‘So casual and quiet in the extraordinary things that you do’  8 ‘I couldn’t help noticing that it wasn’t quite what you expected’  9 ‘He helped me out of a bit of a mess’  10 ‘The last strongholds were battered, stormed and overwhelmed’  11 ‘I sign articles’  12 ‘Small things sidled out of dark hiding places’  13 ‘The dark spaces of the North Sea’  14 ‘Mosquitoes with stings’  15 ‘The very splash of the surf and the bubble of the tides’  16 ‘Distracted by the multiplicity of its functions’  17 ‘Every inch of it must be important’  18 ‘It’s a dirty-looking night and I don’t like this swell’  19 ‘Would you care to join me in a little yachting?’  20 ‘Multitudes of seagoing lighters, carrying full loads of soldiers’  21 ‘There was an outburst of shouting which soon died away’ 22 ‘Goodbye Old Chap’  23 ‘From that point our personal history is of no concern’    \u003ci\u003eEndnotes \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eAcknowledgements \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eBibliography \u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eIndex \u003c\/i\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48867241984343,"sku":"9781472987112","price":9.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781472987112.jpg?v=1722282385","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/uncommon-courage-9781472987112","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}