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Title: The Sledge Patrol: A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival, and Victory by David Howarth ISBN: 1-58574-289-9 Publisher: The Lyons Press Pub. Date: February, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.25 (4 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Another side to the Big One
Comment: "The Sledge Patrol" is set in eastern Greenland during World War 2. Yes, that conflict even extended to the remote Danish colony. Greenland was strategic because weather patterns for Western Europe and surrounding waters form there. This was of obvious and vital interest to the American, British and German navies. Early in the War, the Danish colonial weather stations had broadcast reports "in the clear". Anyone, including the Germans could pick them up. Two critical events take place: Eske Brun, the Danish colonial head decides he had the power to resist German interest in his territory- and formed the Greenland Army with a force of 9 men. Then the Danish weather reports are sent in cipher so that the German navy can no longer eavesdrop. The Germans land a force to establish their own weather station. This the background to SP. What follows is almost as much a tale of personal honor and battling/surviving the Arctic elements than of military action. There is much dashing to and fro on sledges (dog sleds) to the point where this reader lost track of who was going where. The sides vie to avoid each other more than to engage in combat. And since there is minimal fighting and hence no real "bad guys", I found myself losing track of who was on which side. In fact, most of the men on both sides appear as nice, solid guys. The ending is almost academic. Readers will receive an excellent sense of the fierce and beautiful Greenland geography and Eskimo tradition. Mr.Howarth is an excellent writer and interest in his books appears to be going through a well-deserved revival. But one has to be cautious in recommending SP. It is simply too hard to keep track of the action. Furthermore, the maps are inadequate, adding to the confusion. A positive note: SP is well laid out in an eye pleasing typeface and paper stock. So many of us take such for granted but a tip of the hat to an anonymous graphics person is in order. Cautiously, I'm giving out 4 stars, but 3 may be more appropriate due to my frustrations with the maps. It really would have helped to know where these guys were rather than "somewhere in eastern Greenland".
Rating: 5
Summary: Quiet Heroism
Comment: Proving that truth is stranger than fiction, Sledge Patrol tells the story of ordinary men accomplishing unbelievable feats under extreme physical conditions and bizarre political circumstances during WWII. Living year-round in the Arctic desolation of eastern Greenland, nine men surreptitiously radioed crucial weather data to the Allies and patrolled the extensive coastline for a Nazi landing. When the Germans arrive, the conflict begins.
The book is exciting and inspiring, with moments that are both touching and funny. One of the highlights of the book is how the unarmed and unaggressive band of Danes, Norwegians and Eskimos can outlast and outdistance the better provisioned Germans who aren't prepared for life, let alone combat, in the frozen north.
Now reissued, Sledge Patrol was originally published in 1957. At that time, the author was able to get to know the parties involved, both Allied and German, adding dimension to the characters and realism to the story.
I loved this book!
Rating: 3
Summary: World War Two out where the sidewalk stops
Comment: Greenland, a Danish colony, found itself in an odd spot after the mother country was occupied by the Germans during World War Two. Technically, the colonial government, headed by Eske Brun, should have followed the instructions from Copenhagen, i.e. the Nazi occupiers. But, Brun decided to take Greenland into the camp of the Allies. Thus, he formed the Greenland Army, to which he gave instructions to patrol the virtually uninhabited northeast coast of the huge island, and be on the lookout for (and shoot at) any German forces attempting to land. This instance of a "mouse that roared" serves as the milieu for this story, first published in 1957.
In fact, the Germans did "invade". A small, armed force under a naval officer named Ritter made landfall for the purpose of establishing a meteorological station tasked with broadcasting weather reports to the Kriegsmarine's U-boats operating in the North Atlantic. This "base", out beyond the last human settlement, subsequently came to the notice of THE SLEDGE PATROL, commanded by Ib Poulsen, which represented the entire 9-man Greenland Army. (Yes, that's right. Nine!)
The action of the book is principally a series of almost haphazard dog sled journeys across snow and ice-covered bodies of water and land by members of the Greenland Army and the German intruders. At times, as both sides seek each other out, one is reminded of a Keystone Cops episode. Though the climate provides some element of hardship, the damage done by each opposing force to the other is minimal. Indeed, if one views the Germans as the Bad Guys, their nominal leader, Ritter, is hardly the great villain of the piece. As a matter of fact, he's such a nice and ultimately decent guy that he's clearly inept in the role of military commander. Poulsen, as the leader of the Good Guys, is conscientious and responsible in carrying out his duties, but otherwise rather nondescript.
This narrative serves to record the personal heroism and stamina of those men - chiefly Poulsen, Kurt Olsen and Marius Jensen - ordered by the Governor to observe and report back the German presence. And resist, if possible. Of that heroism and stamina the reader is left with no doubts. However, the time at which the events occurred, late winter/early spring of 1943, was also the period seeing an end to the Battle of Stalingrad and the final conquest of North Africa by the Anglo-American armies. Against the backdrop of these pivotal conflicts, the exploits of THE SLEDGE PATROL pale to absolute insignificance. Perhaps that's why their story should be told. Or, perhaps, why bother? You must decide for yourself. As for me, I was left with respect for the defenders' efforts, but otherwise emotionally cold.
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Title: The Shetland Bus: A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival, and Adventure by David Howarth ISBN: 1585742880 Publisher: The Lyons Press Pub. Date: February, 2001 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance by David Howarth, Stephen E. Ambrose ISBN: 1558219730 Publisher: The Lyons Press Pub. Date: 01 August, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom by Slavomir Rawicz ISBN: 1558216847 Publisher: The Lyons Press Pub. Date: 01 December, 1997 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Skis Against the Atom: The Exciting, First Hand Account of Heroism and Daring Sabotage During the Nazi Occupation of Norway by Knut Haukelid, Collin Gubbins ISBN: 0942323076 Publisher: North American Heritage Pr Pub. Date: August, 1989 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Assault In Norway: Sabotaging the Nazi Nuclear Program by Thomas Gallagher ISBN: 1585747505 Publisher: The Lyons Press Pub. Date: 01 November, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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