First published 2022
In March 1942, Churchill approves what appears to be a suicide mission. British commandos must attack the heavily fortified St Nazaire U-boat base on the French Atlantic coast. Their plan transforms an aging destroyer into a floating bomb aimed at the gates of the Nazi stronghold. Lt Gerard Brett, a curator from the V&A, joins "Bertie" Burtinshaw, who hums "There'll Always be an England" as he prepares for battle. Lt Stuart Chant must set the fuses with only 90 seconds to escape. Captain Micky Burn, a Times journalist, conducts solo reconnaissance behind enemy lines. The raiders, calling themselves "Charioteers," know their chances are slim. Five Victoria Crosses will be awarded, more than any comparable operation. Whittell draws from official documents, interviews, and eyewitness accounts from French civilians and German forces to recreate the desperate hours of Operation Chariot. The raid reveals itself as fundamentally flawed in conception, yet the extraordinary courage of ordinary men transforms tactical failure into legendary victory.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-fiction, adventure, action, world-war-ii
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: based-on-true-events, heroic-sacrifice
Setting: St Nazaire, French Atlantic Coast
Period: 1942
267 pages · Kindle Edition · Penguin