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The Modern Naval Fiction Library
A Dawn Like Thunder
In the last two years of the Second World War the conflict in Southeast Asia was, unlike Europe and Africa, increasing in savagery. This book tells of the Special Operations mission off the Burmese coast - a mission that required volunteers with nothing to live for, or everything to lose...
338 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 1997
35 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Reeman
138 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 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 9, 2018
This I really enjoy! The story and scion had the right mix...5 Stars
May 5, 2022
Overall I was disappointed with this story, found it to be a bit slow and not up to the normal page turner for this author.
Having read 24 of Mr Reeman's books, and this does not include all of his Bolitho Napoleonic books, it was not up to his normal standard, which is a shame.
Having read 24 of Mr Reeman's books, and this does not include all of his Bolitho Napoleonic books, it was not up to his normal standard, which is a shame.
August 4, 2024
General Overview
Striking a fine balance of stern military fiction, and romance, A Dawn Like Thunder was a real treat for myself to come across.
Style
Mr Douglas Reeman clearly draws upon his own experience in the service for this book. This really helps capture the feel of the story he is trying to tell. It is well researched, but also fun with it. The adventure that unfolds is based on some events, but the actions of our characters, and how they work through the story, are grand. All of which is thanks to the skill of the author.
Story
Following the daring raids of the Special Operations Group in World War 2, we focus in on the Chariot/Tropedo Submarines, and the daring crews that pilot them.
James Ross, a decorated veteran of these dangerous and vital submarines works with Charles Villiers, heir to a lost fortune, to take the fight to the Japanese in the seas of South East Asia.
With both our leads falling for women of equal charm and character, the story unfolds, with mystery and betrayal, along with the tensions of facing the ruthless might of Imperial Japan.
Coming together in an avalanche of action, the book is a grand read. Balancing between action, and slower scenes of romance, the story flows smoothly to a very satisfying end.
Final Thoughts
With Mr Reeman having written many books, I can't wait to read more of his great works of fiction. They sit firmly in their genre, and do well with it.
Striking a fine balance of stern military fiction, and romance, A Dawn Like Thunder was a real treat for myself to come across.
Style
Mr Douglas Reeman clearly draws upon his own experience in the service for this book. This really helps capture the feel of the story he is trying to tell. It is well researched, but also fun with it. The adventure that unfolds is based on some events, but the actions of our characters, and how they work through the story, are grand. All of which is thanks to the skill of the author.
Story
Following the daring raids of the Special Operations Group in World War 2, we focus in on the Chariot/Tropedo Submarines, and the daring crews that pilot them.
James Ross, a decorated veteran of these dangerous and vital submarines works with Charles Villiers, heir to a lost fortune, to take the fight to the Japanese in the seas of South East Asia.
With both our leads falling for women of equal charm and character, the story unfolds, with mystery and betrayal, along with the tensions of facing the ruthless might of Imperial Japan.
Coming together in an avalanche of action, the book is a grand read. Balancing between action, and slower scenes of romance, the story flows smoothly to a very satisfying end.
Final Thoughts
With Mr Reeman having written many books, I can't wait to read more of his great works of fiction. They sit firmly in their genre, and do well with it.
July 16, 2018
I have read several navy warfare novel written by Douglas Reeman. It has been a while since the one before this and I really can't say whether this is better or worse than the previous ones.
Very standard stuff. If one likes this kind of adventures this is probably a good enough story. I didn't specially enjoy or hate the novel, it was as good summer vacation reading as some other "no-brain-needed" novel. You can read it fluently but it's no captivating in any manner. You don't need to stay awake in the night due the fact that you can't stop reading.
A bit too much hero & heroine attitude with handsome men and beautiful women to my liking - just like in the old times or older movies where the distinction between good and bad is clear with one glance. The romance parts were a bit... how should I say it... for teenagers. Actually I would have liked this novel more when I was fifteen or so.
All and a the level is good average in the war story genre. Reeman is not a bad writer.
Myrskyisä aamunkoitto
Gummerus 1997
Very standard stuff. If one likes this kind of adventures this is probably a good enough story. I didn't specially enjoy or hate the novel, it was as good summer vacation reading as some other "no-brain-needed" novel. You can read it fluently but it's no captivating in any manner. You don't need to stay awake in the night due the fact that you can't stop reading.
A bit too much hero & heroine attitude with handsome men and beautiful women to my liking - just like in the old times or older movies where the distinction between good and bad is clear with one glance. The romance parts were a bit... how should I say it... for teenagers. Actually I would have liked this novel more when I was fifteen or so.
All and a the level is good average in the war story genre. Reeman is not a bad writer.
Myrskyisä aamunkoitto
Gummerus 1997
February 17, 2020
Another decent story by Reeman who is a master of naval fiction. I likes the setting in South Asia and the topic of Chariot mini submarines and their use.
The characterisation was a bit confusing. There were a few stereotypical officers (Ruperts) but these exist for a strong reason. The murder sub-plot was clamped on without much integration into the main story. There was less technical detail than usual too. I don't think Reeman has the same grasp of this topic than his mainstay minesweepers/MTBs on which he served. The females seem to be relegated to love-interest roles and added as an effort to broaden Reeman's appeal.
However, the criticisms are peripheral and the story is good. The editing could have been better with the exciting denouement less rushed and the murder mystery bit cut out.
The characterisation was a bit confusing. There were a few stereotypical officers (Ruperts) but these exist for a strong reason. The murder sub-plot was clamped on without much integration into the main story. There was less technical detail than usual too. I don't think Reeman has the same grasp of this topic than his mainstay minesweepers/MTBs on which he served. The females seem to be relegated to love-interest roles and added as an effort to broaden Reeman's appeal.
However, the criticisms are peripheral and the story is good. The editing could have been better with the exciting denouement less rushed and the murder mystery bit cut out.
October 25, 2018
Normally I love Douglas Reeman books, but not this one. When it comes to telling stories about the war at sea, he knows his stuff and writes it well.
In this book though, he gets into other things that he knows less about. We have a murder, and some commando operations, and he is not in his element writing about this subject. I found this book confusing at times, and he lost my interest to the point where I started flipping through it, skimming pages quickly to read just enough to stay with the plot, covering the final 100 pages in about 15 minutes. I just wanted to get it done and out of the way. Mission accomplished. On to the next one.
In this book though, he gets into other things that he knows less about. We have a murder, and some commando operations, and he is not in his element writing about this subject. I found this book confusing at times, and he lost my interest to the point where I started flipping through it, skimming pages quickly to read just enough to stay with the plot, covering the final 100 pages in about 15 minutes. I just wanted to get it done and out of the way. Mission accomplished. On to the next one.
May 1, 2023
Ross and Villiers are out in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). The Germans have a nest of subs and a repair ship in one of the harbours. These subs are being used to take supplies of much needed material back to the homeland.
It's an old book, written in a different time so the language and attitudes are likely not acceptable today. However, it shows the undisputable bravery of those who served in submarines ('an expensive coffin' as the saying was at the time); the Marines who had a foot on land and sea; the Gurkhas; the Wrens and the families left behind wondering where their lovers, husbands, fathers, sons, brothers were and if they would be seen again.
It's an old book, written in a different time so the language and attitudes are likely not acceptable today. However, it shows the undisputable bravery of those who served in submarines ('an expensive coffin' as the saying was at the time); the Marines who had a foot on land and sea; the Gurkhas; the Wrens and the families left behind wondering where their lovers, husbands, fathers, sons, brothers were and if they would be seen again.
February 2, 2019
Thought I was reading A Dawn Like Thunder, which is also about WWII. Turns out this is a different book. Some of the writing was interesting, but the story was just complicated and the characters were boring. Abandoned.
February 28, 2023
A stirring and entertaining war story. This author has a good handle on combat and war and writes a fine tale with tense combat sequences but also covered the effects of war on the characters. David Rintoul does a fine job with the narration bringing the story to life.
December 22, 2025
This book was good, I was going to give it 4 stars but I feel like the end was a bit rushed. Definitely going to check out another by Mr Reeman though
September 16, 2012
After four years, the tide of war is turning in North Africa and Europe. The conflict in Southeast Asia, however, has reached new heights of savagery, and Operation Monsun poses a sinister threat to the hope of allied victory. The Special Operations mission off the Burmese coast requires volunteers. Men with nothing to live for, or men with everything to lose. The two-man torpedo — the chariot — is the ultimate weapon in a high-risk war…
About the AuthorDouglas Reeman joined the Navy in 1941. He did convoy duty in the navy in the Atlantic, the Arctic, and the North Sea, and later served in motor torpedo boats. He has written over thirty novels under his own name and more than twenty best-selling historical novels featuring Richard Bolitho under the pseudonym Alexander Kent.
April 30, 2012
A good yarn spoilt by Reeman's new fetish for throwing in a murder of one of the also-rans of the book which slows down the action and makes it a bit tedious. Perhaps he thinks that it makes the book more exciting. Not really, although I liked the way he tied it all up at the last page. That much was neatly done. However, Reeman at his best is very good, sadly his last few books have been only average and I wish he would stop this nonsense of slipping in an almost irrelevant murder half way through the story, definitely not what I want to read about or if I do I would choose an author who is good at it!
Worth a read notwithstanding the irrelevant murder.
Worth a read notwithstanding the irrelevant murder.
March 8, 2015
Douglass Reeman drinking game: What page does the ", what?" character first say the sentence ending in that phrase? Answer: 183. The ", what?" character in Reeman's work always is the incompetent senior Admiral, promoted too fast or senile, though rarely actually evil.
Three and a half stars. The book begins slow with two-man torpedo boats (a subject of a different Reeman book, set in Norway), but then casually tosses that aside for bigger game: spying, then a highly fictionalized retelling of Operation Monsun--U boats in the Indian Ocean. http://www.singapore-boxing.org/U-Boa....
Three and a half stars. The book begins slow with two-man torpedo boats (a subject of a different Reeman book, set in Norway), but then casually tosses that aside for bigger game: spying, then a highly fictionalized retelling of Operation Monsun--U boats in the Indian Ocean. http://www.singapore-boxing.org/U-Boa....
March 14, 2015
Although described as "The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight", the author expands to include accounts of the battles of Midway and Guadalcanal. The author describes the hardships and the incredible bravery of men who risked death fighting for a cause they believed in.
Interesting insight gleaned from this book: Sometimes a jerk makes the best commander in a war.
Interesting insight gleaned from this book: Sometimes a jerk makes the best commander in a war.
January 28, 2016
All good solid stuff from Reeman. A cracking adventure tale set against the backdrop of the Indian Ocean naval war against the Japanese. Lots of subplots and good chraacters. The storyline might not be his best as the ending was a tad predictable, but a very enjoyable read nonetheless. Ideal for holidays or commuting or relaxing.
May 1, 2012
if you are more interested in World War 2 events & want to know more about the Conflict of the Pacific & struggle of the sailors on their daily basis in the ocean well i would recommend this book for you to read ^^
February 2, 2009
Another good read by the author. Thoroughly enjoyed the book.
January 3, 2017
England, WWII. Testing some new technology, mini submarines, to sabotage enemy ships. Interesting characters, well-written.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews