Publisher's Synopsis
A vivid recount of a young sailor setting out on an adventure to find himself in the midst of a major sea battle at the heart of WW2. Serving seven years full service on the cruise ship Sheffield, sincerely known as the Shiny, my Grandfather's ship not only supported the success of WW2 but saved many Russian and Southern Mediterranean people from starvation. He recounts the endless luck and escapes that Shiny encountered, running the high seas with severe damage and escaping with her 2000 crew and prisoners. The fundamental part that she played in the sinking of Bismarck possibly shortened the suffering of WW2 and the further loss of lives. His transparent stories are interspersed with the British attitude of steel -the stiff upper lip and chin up; life goes on and put the kettle on. Between engaging in the survival of storms raging 100+ foot waves and suffering freezing temperatures, the detail of romance, hope, and preparation for a future offers an understanding of how the population in the 1940s didn't just survive but lived and thrived.