The Sheer Nerve
By Rob Lofthouse
‘An incredible story capturing the commando ethos’ – Brian Wood MC
‘A cracking tale that leaves one barely able to draw breath’ – Shaun Lewis
The bow of U-911 came level with the end of the jetty. Another docker, wrapped in rain gear, waved them in towards the left side. Hook took a deep breath, wiping his sweaty palms on his battledress trousers. Any second now, he knew that 2 Troop would let all hell break loose.
It is 1943, and Captain Hook is at sea aboard a hijacked German U-boat. Hook has heard all the Peter Pan-themed jokes about his name: as a British Commando, he knows that humour can be an indispensable tool for survival in war. And Hook, who is taking a motley crew of submariners and commandos on a hugely daring mission, may be needing it more now than ever.
Having used ingenuity and brute force to steal the U-boat, Hook and his men set off for the French port of La Rochelle. Their aim is to render the U-boats moored there useless, severely hampering the German war effort, and thereafter to navigate through the French countryside, evading the German forces that will undoubtedly pursue them, to meet up with Special Forces in a safer part of France.
To achieve this, commandos must become submariners, as submariners must become commandos. All of them must face the horrors and losses of war. And their officers, Hook included, must keep the complex and highly dangerous project on track to the bitter end.
More complex than any standard wartime yarn of good versus evil, The Sheer Nerve takes the reader on a meticulously observed and unflinching journey through the details and often grisly brutalities of war, in the company of many engaging – and sometimes terrifying – characters. Filled with adrenaline-pumping action from start to finish, it is a must-read for anybody interested in World War Two history, and fans of high quality military fiction.
Born in Twickenham, Rob Lofthouse left school at sixteen to join his local infantry regiment, and subsequently served for twenty years in locations around the world. He retired as a sergeant, and writes the military fiction he always wanted to read, but could rarely find.
