Shetland Bus: A WWII Epic of Escape, Survival, and Adventure

by David Howarth

Overview

From the author of We Die Alone, The Shetland Bus recounts the hundreds of crossings of small boats from the Shetland Islands to German-occupied Norway to supply arms to the Resistors and to rescue refugees—all under constant threat by German U-boats and winter storms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762766314
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/17/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	268,776
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

David Howarth served as a British naval officer during World War II, running the Norwegian-mannered spy ring whose name became the title of his first best-selling book. The author of two dozen majoy works of history, including We Die Alone and The Shetland Bus, also available from The Lyons Press, he died in 1991.

Table of Contents

1	The Beginning of a Saga	1
2	Across to Norway	20
3	Air Attack	38
4	Shipwreck	46
5	Domestic Affairs	60
6	Storm	68
7	Two Skippers	78
8	Raid on Lofoten	87
9	Life at Lunna	95
10	Summer Refit	118
11	Big Game	134
12	Successes and Tragedies	163
13	Man-hunt in Lapland	172
14	The Loss of the Bergholm	192
15	Epilogue	207
	Index	217
	Maps
	General map showing Shetland in relation to Norway	22
	Map of More district of Norway showing routes of several of the main operations	158
	Baalsrud's escape route from Toftefjord to Sweden	182

Editorial Reviews

Released in 1951 and 1957, respectively, these titles offer little-known chapters in the history of World War II. Sledge Patrol tells how a handful of Danes and Norwegians on dog sleds patrolled a 500-mile perimeter of the Greenland coast to keep watch for Nazi invaders. When the day came, the men eluded the Germans using their hunting skills and knowledge of the Arctic terrain and managed to get back to base by walking the 56 miles without any equipment in some cases not even coats to bring word of the German presence. The "Shetland Bus" was the nickname given to the Norwegian fishing fleet, which was used to shuttle refugees secretly to freedom and bring supplies and intelligence to the Allied forces. Howarth, a British naval officer, was among the leaders of the Shetland Bus operation, so this history is based on firsthand experience. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

One of the best adventure stories to come out of any war . . . a story of heroism and high endeavor upon the sea.” –The New York Times Book Review “Mr. Howarth does an especially good job of describing, without any heroics, the vicissitudes undergone by the survivors of these expeditions, many of whom managed to fight their way out of Norway and to freedom.” –The New Yorker “One after another of Howarth’s stories shows the skill, hardihood, and sheer courage of his men.” –Chicago Tribune “For many of us the stories of Beowulf and Siegfried were required reading, but here in this modern saga are tales of resourcefulness, discipline, character and heroism which match the courage of those legendary heroes and excel them by their impulsion of patriotism and brotherly love.” –Christian Science Monitor

From the Publisher