May 1941. The Dutch freighter Noordendam, commanded by Eric DeHaan, is placed under British naval intelligence and disguised as the neutral Spanish vessel Santa Rosa. Its outwardly commercial voyages allow the ship to carry agents, refugees, supplies and secret cargo through waters patrolled by submarines, aircraft and hostile officials.
DeHaan and his multinational crew undertake covert missions from northern Europe to the Mediterranean while trying to preserve the routines that keep a merchant ship alive. The novel views the Battle of the Atlantic from the vulnerable deck of a freighter rather than a warship, showing how maritime trade, intelligence and rescue became parts of the same campaign.
Jacqueline Winspear
20 books
James R. Benn
26 books