By Brock Martin
1939, Canada unprepared but defiant, declares war on Germany and mass produces a mid-size warship, the Corvette. Thus starts the creation and journey of Canada's first Corvette, the HMCS Collingwood. Neither designed nor equipped for the North Atlantic, Collingwood is tasked to protect convoys and take on the predatory Sea Wolves lurking below the waves.
Heart breaking wartime romance as Ian and Kate struggle with love in difficult times. Our hero Ian, takes command of the Collingwood. He is ready to fight with any weapon he is given having witnessed Nazi atrocities and now driven by hatred. Kate is the daughter of the Collingwood shipyards owner, a brilliant woman with a strong desire to make something of herself. She is ready to fight for her country, but first she must fight for success in a male dominated world.
Action packed historical fiction based on true events of WWII and the Battle of the Atlantic. Murderous Wolf Packs, German Commandos, a nail-biting secret mission, spies and saboteurs. Side Launch takes the reader through a roller coaster of emotion.
If you are a fan of history and love to learn, this Canadian historical fiction is for you.
Declaring war on Germany is one thing, but fighting the wolfpacks was something entirely different. With the production of Canada’s warship, the Corvette, Canada was in with a chance to affect the outcome of the war. But the first Corvette, the HMCS Collingwood, was not equipped properly for its task. Under the command of Lieutenant Ian Thompson, the HMCS Collingwood must attempt to fulfil its purpose by protecting the convoys crossing the North Atlantic from the German U-boats hiding beneath the waves.
While Ian fights on the water, Kate has an entirely different battle to win. She may be a fully qualified electrical engineer, but that doesn’t mean she is taken seriously in her field. She has to fight for the men around her to respect her, especially when she is trying to contribute to the war effort by developing tactics and technologies to be used against the U-boats.
Between Ian and Kate, this book tells a very rounded account of Canada’s war effort, both in the North Atlantic, and on land. Ian has a very clear backstory of why he despises the Nazis so much, and he is ready for almost anything if it means taking them down. Ian runs a very tight ship, there is a lot of respect and friendship among the crew, but they know their drills inside out and upside-down, so when the time to implement them comes, they all know what they must do.
I really enjoyed Kate’s chapters of this book. She has a very difficult time trying to gain respect, simply due to the fact that she is a woman. She knows just as much, if not more, than the men she is working with, but while they get immediate respect, she has to work even harder just for recognition. These chapters really highlighted the differences between women in qualified roles in the 1940s compared to the modern day, and Kate’s determination was an inspiration to read about.
There are some very definite parts to this story, such as the romance between Ian and Kate, that almost seem separate to the main story, but are also tied in together at the same time. Their romance develops slowly, and they come across several problems together, but the story itself flows well. There are also definitely some moments of tension and suspense that keep you turning the pages, wanting to know what will happen next.
I did really enjoy reading about the Corvette, and Canada’s involvement in the Second World War. I was vastly unaware of Canada’s role during the war, I had never actually known that Canada was involved too much, especially with the North Atlantic crossing, and protecting the convoys attempting to provide Britain with the supplies that would keep them able to fight and stop the country from being cut off and starved to surrender. Since reading this book, I have looked up the Corvettes, and their use during the war. I certainly enjoy it when I find out things from books I never even knew existed, and can proceed to fully research it after finishing the book!
This book is very much laid out as a fact book, more than a fiction novel. There is a lot of information revealed about everything, and at times, the amount of information can be a little overwhelming. I can tell that all the facts were included to give the reader as many details as possible about the period, and what was happening at the time, but at times I almost wanted less information so I could simply immerse myself in the story without needing to learn so much about the time period to continue.
This is a book I found very interesting to read. Although I wasn’t expecting quite so much factual information within the book, this is a great story, and it did have me researching the Corvettes by the end of it. Plus, I really enjoyed the addition of Smokey the cat to the HMCS Collingwood, and loved every interaction Ian and the crew had with him! If you are interested in the Canadian war effort, and would like to learn more about the Corvettes, this is certainly the book for you, but I will advise that it is not a book that you can easily read without having at least basic knowledge of the events of the Second World War, and some of the tactics used by both the convoys crossing the North Atlantic and the U-boats.
Brock Martin, a retired captain, served ten years as a Canadian Forces Search & Rescue pilot before his current role. The Canadian Forces gave him the opportunity to travel many areas of Canada and gain an immense appreciation of his country. He has been involved in operations across Canada, including the high arctic.
His free-spirited upbringing in the wilds of Northern Ontario gave him a love of the outdoors and adventure.
Brock is fascinated with historical fiction. He loves to learn of past thrilling adventure through the eyes of fictional characters. He was captivated when he learned the very ships that fought in the Battle of the Atlantic were built in Collingwood.
The Battle of the Atlantic was a massive achievement of Canadian perseverance, dedication and sacrifice of its men and women. Brock wrote this fast-paced, action packed story to honor Canadian heroism.
Website • Facebook • Goodreads
GIVEAWAY!
I like the cover.
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteIt's my pleasure!
ReplyDeleteSide Launch sounds like thrilling, edge of my seat read and I like the cover, thanks for sharing it with me!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Candlelight Reading, for sharing your review!
Have a magical day!
This sounds like a fascinating read.
ReplyDelete