{"title":"John R Mckay","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"surviving-the-arctic-convoys-book-john-r-mckay-9781399013031","title":"Surviving the Arctic Convoys","description":"Leading Seaman Charlie Erswell saw much more than his fair share of action during the Second World War. He was present at the 1942 landing in North Africa (Operation TORCH), D-Day and the liberation of Norway. But his main area of operations was that of the Arctic Convoys, escorting merchant ships taking essential war supplies to the Russian ports of Murmansk and Archangel. In addition to contending with relentless U-boat and Luftwaffe attacks, crews endured the extreme sea conditions and appalling weather. This involved clearing ice and snow in temperatures as low as minus thirty degrees Celsius. No wonder Winston Churchill described it as 'the worst journey in the world'. Leading Seaman Charlie Erswell saw much more than his fair share of action during the Second World War. He was present at the 1942 landing in North Africa (Operation TORCH), D-Day and the liberation of Norway. But his main area of operations was that of the Arctic Convoys, escorting merchant ships taking essential war supplies to the Russian ports of Murmansk and Archangel. In addition to contending with relentless U-boat and Luftwaffe attacks, crews endured the extreme sea conditions and appalling weather. This involved clearing ice and snow in temperatures as low as minus thirty degrees Celsius. No wonder Winston Churchill described it as 'the worst journey in the world'. Fortunately, Charlie, who served on two destroyers, HMS Milne and Savage, kept a record of his experiences and is alive today to describe them. His story, published to coincide with the 80th Anniversary of the first convoy, is more than one man's account. It is an inspiring tribute to his colleagues, many of whom were killed in action. No-one reading Surviving The Arctic Convoys could fail to be moved by the bravery and endurance of these outstanding men.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49530167886097,"sku":"GOR012071144","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49742877589777,"sku":"NGR9781399013031","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50373048697105,"sku":"CIN1399013033G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50380523503889,"sku":"CIN1399013033VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1399013033.jpg?v=1750987298"},{"product_id":"mosquitoes-book-john-r-mckay-9781523965861","title":"Mosquitoes","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49549835763985,"sku":"GOR009325581","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50479475261713,"sku":"GOR012332603","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/152396586X.jpg?v=1764842209"},{"product_id":"absolution-of-otto-finkel-book-john-r-mckay-9781784650438","title":"The Absolution of Otto Finkel","description":"Brittany: in the summer of 1928, twelve-year-old Jack Graham and his brother Francis befriend the quiet German, Otto Finkel and together with the enigmatic Jean-Luc and virtuous Marco, they are involved in a serious case of misadventure that leaves a man dead and one of the boys disfigured. The memories for most of them fade with time but for Otto, the mental scarring matches the physical scarring. Is this the reason why, years later, in the turmoil of war, he finds himself as an officer in the Waffen S? Largely unbeknown to them, the paths of the schoolboys, now young men, impinge on Otto's life as each chooses to serve their respective countries in different ways. Following their wartime exploits, from the beaches of Dunkirk to the purge of the Roman ghetto, from the horrors of Drancy Deportation Camp to the Nazi ratlines of post-war Europe. This is a powerful story of war, grief, love and regret.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49578561274129,"sku":"GOR008276795","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49655253565713,"sku":"GOR012346595","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1784650439.jpg?v=1751280189"},{"product_id":"arctic-convoy-pq18-book-john-r-mckay-9781399036603","title":"Arctic Convoy PQ18","description":"This superbly researched book tells the story of one of the most significant maritime operations of the Second World War. The importance of the Arctic convoys providing the Soviets with the necessary equipment needed to win the war on the Eastern Front has too often been underestimated. This book puts that right.  Following PQ17, the worst Allied maritime disaster of the Second World War, it was imperative that PQ18 got through. So when the convoy left Loch Ewe on 2 September 1942 the stakes could not have been higher. The Battle of Stalingrad was hanging in the balance. Had the convoy suffered unacceptable shipping and war supply losses, the Arctic route would have had to be suspended with potentially war-changing consequences not just for the Soviets but the whole Allied war effort. Consequently, as this work vividly describes, it was both the most heavily defended and the most heavily attacked convoy of the whole war.  The Author draws on contemporaneous accounts of the combatants from both sides including U-boat crews, airmen and, of course, the crews of the warships and merchantmen. Offering newly discovered facts about the convoy’s turbulent passage, this book is a valuable addition to the history of the campaign which will appeal to historians and laymen alike.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49752780439825,"sku":"NGR9781399036603","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50340763140369,"sku":"GOR013934329","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1399036602.jpg?v=1751051151"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-john-r-mckay.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}