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The Modern Naval Fiction Library
The White Guns
Kiel Harbour, 1945—the war in Europe is at an end. But for Lieutenant Vere Marriott and the men of MGB 801, moored amid a nightmare of devastation, it is an uneasy, unsettled peace. New assignments ashore and afloat mean fresh tensions and conflicting emotions. For some, glory now takes second place to profit. For others, revenge at last seems within their grasp.
336 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
About the author
Douglas Reeman
141 books178 followersAKA Alexander Kent.
Douglas Edward Reeman was a British author who has written many historical fiction books on the Royal Navy, mainly set during either World War II or the Napoleonic Wars.
Reeman joined the Royal Navy in 1940, at the age of 16, and served during World War II and the Korean War. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant. In addition to being an author, Reeman has also taught the art of navigation for yachting and served as a technical advisor for films. Douglas married author Kimberley Jordan Reeman in 1985.
Reeman's debut novel, A Prayer for the Ship was published in 1958. His pseudonym Alexander Kent was the name of a friend and naval officer who died during the Second World War. Reeman is most famous for his series of Napoleonic naval stories, whose central character is Richard Bolitho, and, later, his nephew, Adam. He also wrote a series of novels about several generations of the Blackwood family who served in the Royal Marines from the 1850s to the 1970s, and a non-fiction account of his World War II experiences, D-Day : A Personal Reminiscence (1984).
Series:
* Blackwood Family
Douglas Edward Reeman was a British author who has written many historical fiction books on the Royal Navy, mainly set during either World War II or the Napoleonic Wars.
Reeman joined the Royal Navy in 1940, at the age of 16, and served during World War II and the Korean War. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant. In addition to being an author, Reeman has also taught the art of navigation for yachting and served as a technical advisor for films. Douglas married author Kimberley Jordan Reeman in 1985.
Reeman's debut novel, A Prayer for the Ship was published in 1958. His pseudonym Alexander Kent was the name of a friend and naval officer who died during the Second World War. Reeman is most famous for his series of Napoleonic naval stories, whose central character is Richard Bolitho, and, later, his nephew, Adam. He also wrote a series of novels about several generations of the Blackwood family who served in the Royal Marines from the 1850s to the 1970s, and a non-fiction account of his World War II experiences, D-Day : A Personal Reminiscence (1984).
Series:
* Blackwood Family
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 21, 2024
This was another book recommended by my dad and my first Douglas Reeman book. I can't honestly say based on this book if it will be my last Douglas Reeman book. Whilst the story was good, it took a while to get into (apparently that is normal with Douglas Reeman) and some of the terms used take you off to Google to find out their meaning as they aren't explained very well. This surprised me, as having read a few war books I thought I had a good understanding of naval terms and expressions. Still, the story was good and even now 12 hours or so after finishing the book, I find my mind drifting to it which is always a sign of a good book.
November 18, 2021
Marea Baltică are toane şi e plină de primejdii la fel de variate ca şi ţările care o înconjoară – de la Finlanda, în Nord, la coastele mai blânde ale Danemarcei şi la curenţii agitaţi ai Strâmtorii Kattegat, care o despart de Suedia.
Acea dimineaţă de la începutul lunii mai nu reprezenta o excepţie. Mai mult, atmosfera, rece şi foarte umedă, era ostilă, de parcă ar fi cunoscut motivul pentru care acea zi era diferită de altele.
Soarele dimineţii era mascat de norii joşi, iar când atinse suprafaţa mării, deveni dur şi metalic, aşa încât apa părea de cositor şlefuit. Când soarele se ascundea, aceeaşi mare avea o nuanţă mai întunecată, plumburie.
Mica flotilă de nave ce se deplasa încet spre Sud, spre Golful Kiel, stătea grupată, ca şi cum ar fi simţit, şi ea, atmosfera de ameninţare şi nesiguranţă. Motoarele navelor, funcţionând la turaţie redusă, astfel încât grupul să păstreze în permanenţă contactul vizual, huruiau pe apă, iar atunci când un petic ocazional de pământ se ivea la tribord, echipajele aflate la posturile de luptă auzeau ecourile reverberate de ţărm.
Era un loc în care foarte puţini dintre ei mai fuseseră înainte, şi numai cei suficient de bătrâni ca să-şi amintească zilele de pace puteau să recunoască numele de pe hartă.
Căci acum era mai 1945 şi, după aproape şase ani de război, navele britanice pătrundeau în Baltica, unde până atunci numai câteva submarine cutezătoare reuşiseră să-şi croiască drum, pe bâjbâite, ca să-şi îndeplinească misiunile speciale împotriva convoaielor de coastă inamice.
Acea dimineaţă de la începutul lunii mai nu reprezenta o excepţie. Mai mult, atmosfera, rece şi foarte umedă, era ostilă, de parcă ar fi cunoscut motivul pentru care acea zi era diferită de altele.
Soarele dimineţii era mascat de norii joşi, iar când atinse suprafaţa mării, deveni dur şi metalic, aşa încât apa părea de cositor şlefuit. Când soarele se ascundea, aceeaşi mare avea o nuanţă mai întunecată, plumburie.
Mica flotilă de nave ce se deplasa încet spre Sud, spre Golful Kiel, stătea grupată, ca şi cum ar fi simţit, şi ea, atmosfera de ameninţare şi nesiguranţă. Motoarele navelor, funcţionând la turaţie redusă, astfel încât grupul să păstreze în permanenţă contactul vizual, huruiau pe apă, iar atunci când un petic ocazional de pământ se ivea la tribord, echipajele aflate la posturile de luptă auzeau ecourile reverberate de ţărm.
Era un loc în care foarte puţini dintre ei mai fuseseră înainte, şi numai cei suficient de bătrâni ca să-şi amintească zilele de pace puteau să recunoască numele de pe hartă.
Căci acum era mai 1945 şi, după aproape şase ani de război, navele britanice pătrundeau în Baltica, unde până atunci numai câteva submarine cutezătoare reuşiseră să-şi croiască drum, pe bâjbâite, ca să-şi îndeplinească misiunile speciale împotriva convoaielor de coastă inamice.
May 9, 2018
Reeman's books are interesting, but the characters and plots get repetitive. This novel is different—based, presumably, on Reeman's own experience in Kiel after the German surrender, it's a vivid and believable portrait of the devastation of Allied bombing, the degradation of defeat, the danger of first contact after surrender, and the difficulty of coming to terms with the Soviets as they were working to divide Europe.
The bulk of the novel is a snapshot of a few months in Kiel as a secondary character—an unlikeable-but-principaled naval commander—pushes the lead characters to build trust with their former enemies, and to repair a destroyed seaport so that the British will be able to ship in enough food, blankets, and other supplies to keep the already-malnourished civilian population in the British Occupation Zone (barely) alive during the coming winter. Hunting for Nazi war criminals and the Black Market are also important themes.
Read this book not for the plot itself (which is OK but unremarkable), but to read about what happens after the shooting stops.
The bulk of the novel is a snapshot of a few months in Kiel as a secondary character—an unlikeable-but-principaled naval commander—pushes the lead characters to build trust with their former enemies, and to repair a destroyed seaport so that the British will be able to ship in enough food, blankets, and other supplies to keep the already-malnourished civilian population in the British Occupation Zone (barely) alive during the coming winter. Hunting for Nazi war criminals and the Black Market are also important themes.
Read this book not for the plot itself (which is OK but unremarkable), but to read about what happens after the shooting stops.
April 22, 2023
Set just as World war two in Europe is ending & with Britain & Russia starting to occupy a defeated Germany, this is a war story from a different & often less written about approach .Centering principally on the activities of our hero " Lieutenant Vere Marriott", but with an array of other varied characters too, I found this a good read & was going to give it a solid four stars...until I got towards the end : Douglass Reeman concludes our story in such a way, which I guess should have been predictable , that is so good it almost had me in tears & so I have no choice but to give it five stars !
Certainly one of the best books that I've read recently !
Certainly one of the best books that I've read recently !
August 26, 2023
I've read many of Douglas Reeman's books in the past and looked forward to reading this one, especially since I so rarely see them nowadays.
I'd forgotten that he writes so much about love. Love for the ship, the crew, the unfortunate and personal encounters within the book.
The adventure is not like modern action stories, but the writing when describing action and situations is very true. The way people behave, the suffering they go through and personal emotions really affected me. And as stated earlier, the strongest emotion in this war novel is love.
I'd forgotten that he writes so much about love. Love for the ship, the crew, the unfortunate and personal encounters within the book.
The adventure is not like modern action stories, but the writing when describing action and situations is very true. The way people behave, the suffering they go through and personal emotions really affected me. And as stated earlier, the strongest emotion in this war novel is love.
November 23, 2025
Over the last two or so years I have found myself terribly interested in and spellbound by British naval stories of WW2, Douglas Reeman one of my favorite writers of credible, action-filled and well written tales. The White Guns is engaging, involving, and left me melancholy. A big story with characters I cared for and cheered for. For 300+pages Mr. Reeman had drafted me into The Royal Navy where I too was a witness to this story.
November 7, 2021
I read about 1/3 of it before dnf'ing it. I've previously liked Reeman's books but this one was quite pointless. There wasn't really much of a continuity or story line and there were rather too many characters to focus on. In the end, it just wasn't interesting to me and I didn't want to continue. This will be my last Douglas Reeman book.
February 11, 2022
For me his best
A story set right at the end of WW2. Fantastic, believable characters, superb storylines with the right amount of action, suspense and moving personal stories. Brilliant
A story set right at the end of WW2. Fantastic, believable characters, superb storylines with the right amount of action, suspense and moving personal stories. Brilliant
October 14, 2022
I did start out a little slow and a little confusing , but I gave me a different look at the end of WW2. Great finish.
April 29, 2015
I picked this up a couple of years ago for $0.50 from my local library in hard cover large print. Best $0.50 I've ever spent on Reeman.
So very different for him. In some ways he expands on a theme from Iron Pirate - with the treatment of (now) post-war Germany. There's also no 'imagination fleet' here - which helps.
Of the ten of so Reeman's I've read - this is the one that's closest to high art; and the one I've re-read the most.
Also - it is absolutely a which is why it has probably such a low rating compared with his more traditional ripping yarns.
So very different for him. In some ways he expands on a theme from Iron Pirate - with the treatment of (now) post-war Germany. There's also no 'imagination fleet' here - which helps.
Of the ten of so Reeman's I've read - this is the one that's closest to high art; and the one I've re-read the most.
Also - it is absolutely a which is why it has probably such a low rating compared with his more traditional ripping yarns.
December 7, 2016
And yet ANOTHER incredible read by Mr. Freeman!
I have read about the difficulties that men in the service faced when in the early days at the end of the war and the beginning of the occupation how difficult it was to try to bring an honest woman with whom a serviceman had fallen in love with home to be his wife. This is actually the second time I have read about it. Reeman, in all likelihood has seen it. It has only made his writing on the subject that much better. I'm looking forward to reading his next book.
I have read about the difficulties that men in the service faced when in the early days at the end of the war and the beginning of the occupation how difficult it was to try to bring an honest woman with whom a serviceman had fallen in love with home to be his wife. This is actually the second time I have read about it. Reeman, in all likelihood has seen it. It has only made his writing on the subject that much better. I'm looking forward to reading his next book.
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April 18, 2012Great book!
Historically very accurate, and it also includes a nice love story with a happy ending.
Historically very accurate, and it also includes a nice love story with a happy ending.
April 21, 2014
Excellent stuff ...
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews