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The Cruel Sea
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Plot Summary of The Cruel Sea
"After the great powers of Europe had been plunged into a second World War (WWII), the armed forces of Great Britain frantically recruited personnel for all of the services. The Royal Navy was no exception, and it was in a tiny Naval ship (corvette) that a group of RNR (Royal Naval Reserve) and RNVR (Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve) officers and crew were sent to fight the Battle of the Atlantic.
The book concentrates not only on the troubles which HMS Compass Rose had to deal with in the rough waters of the Atlantic whilst protecting the important trade convoys, but perhaps more importantly on the relationships of those onboard her. "

Simon Griffiths, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Cruel Sea
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 30%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%




Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
Time/era of story: - 1930's-1950's
War Thriller Yes
Armed Forces: - Navy
Specific to - WW II
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - navy soldier
Age: - 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - British
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - an organization
Profession/status: - navy soldier
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a substantial amount
Motive of antagonist - power
The antagonists are: - nazis
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Setting
Water? Yes
Water: - lifeboat - warship - swimming on - drowning
City? Yes
City: - dangerous
Misc setting - fort/military installation

Style
Person - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - hundreds or more
Unusual forms of death - drowned
Unusual form of death? Yes
Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to The Cruel Sea
Iron Coffin by John Mannock
Night Over the Solomons by Louis L'Amour
San Andreas by Alistair MacLean
With Honour in Battle by J.T. McDaniel
Under a War Torn Sky by L.M. Elliott


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Nicholas Monsarrat Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Simon Griffiths  

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