A Matter of Time

When World War I breaks out the Germans and British are facing each other, and the boat-builders reluctantly find themselves fighting under the unsympathetic Captain-Lieutenant Gustav von Zimmer. The whole endeavour is a fiasco - von Zimmer and Spicer-Simson both miss their chances - but eventually the German steamer is sunk, if only because the imperial pleasure-yacht turned battleship is in an even worse state than Mimi and Toutou. In the midst of the horrors of war, however, there are moments of great humour and pathos - when the formerly antagonistic Ruter and von Zimmer scuttle their ship and make off into the bush; at the same time as the inveterate showman Spicer-Simson defies expectations and turns his back on professional glory in a gesture of humanity.

War, colonialism, absurdity - Capus deals with big themes with a rich, warm humour and without a moralising undertone - he adds vibrant colour to characters and locations, and lets events speak for themselves. A little known backwater of early twentieth century history is vividly rendered by a great story-teller - the central characters and events of this book are based on fact, but their surroundings and experiences are richly drawn from the author's imagination and detailed research.

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Details

SKU SKU7733

ISBN Number 9781906598433

Author Alex Capus

List Price: £12.99

Our price: £11.40