The riddle of the sands

"The Riddle of the Sands," by Erskine Childers, not only may have affected the course of history-it still thrills readers today. One of the first and still finest spy stories ever written, "The Riddle of the Sands" introduced Edwardian readers to the idea of a 'secret service'. In an enthralling tale of a duel among the islands and sandbanks of the North Sea, two amateur investigators and yachtsmen discover sinister preparations off the German coast. At great peril both from an implacable enemy and furious storms at sea, they stake their lives on the strength of their doughty boat, the Dulcibella. Will they fight their way back to England in time to sound a warning? "The Riddle of the Sands" caused a sensation when it appeared in1903, with statesmen and soldiers drawn into a debate about Britain's readiness to repulse a naval invasion. So strong was its impact that one critic later accused its author of almost single-handedly starting a European war. The influence of "The Riddle of the Sands" would not have been so great if it had not been so powerfully readable, a quality it keeps to this day. Ranked with the greatest work of John Buchan, Joseph Conrad and Ian Fleming, this vintage adventure by Erskine Childers has lost nothing of its force.