Old recipe, well mixed
Hungry as the Sea. By Wilbur Smith, Heinemann. 378 pp. $12.65.
Fearless tug captains, deep-sea salvage, hurricanes, and unscrupulous ship-owners are ingredients used by many writers of sea stories and thrillers. Wilbur Smith scores low for originality, but high for his success in producing a gripping tale from hoary material. Not many writers can seize their readers’ attention so early in the talc and hold it throughout the book. Nick Berg is deposed (by foul means) as chairman of Christy Marine. He struggles back to the top,
overcoming his dishonest opponent, Duncan Alexander, by the dangerous salvage of one of Christy Marine’s most valuable vessels. He goes from strength to strength, the story culminating in the disastrous voyage Of a Christy “ultra-tanker,” dangerously jerry-built, at the avaricious orders of the villainous Alexander — and Berg’s attempts to salvage it.
Where Berg is concerned, the jaws of death have rubber teeth. But’ the book is in the “can’t put it down” class just the same. Wilbur Smith has done it again. — A. J. PETRE.
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Bibliographic details
Press, 21 October 1978, Page 11
Word Count
176Old recipe, well mixed Press, 21 October 1978, Page 11
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