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| Author | Nicholas Monsarrat |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | War novel |
| Set in | Battle of the Atlantic, World War II |
| Publisher | Cassell & Co, London |
Publication date | 1951 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Pages | 416 |
| OCLC | 1011639873 |
| LC Class | PZ3.M75.73 billion |
The Cruel Sea is a 1951 novel by Nicholas Monsarrat. It follows the lives of a group of Royal Navy sailors fighting the Battle of the Atlantic during the Second World War. It contains seven chapters, each describing a year during the war.
The novel, based on the author's experience of serving in corvettes and frigates in the North Atlantic in the Second World War, gives a matter-of-fact but moving portrayal of ordinary men learning to fight and survive in a violent, exhausting battle against the elements and a ruthless enemy.