The Cruel Sea Author:Nicholas Montsarrat This is the story of one ocean, two ships, and about a hundred and fifty men. It is a long story because it deals with a long and brutal battle, the worst of any war ... It is a true story because that is the only kind worth telling ... — After its original publication by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., Nicholas Montsarrat's "The Cruel Sea" was made a se... more »lection of the Book-Of-The-Month Club and soon became one of the great best-selling novels of our time. It is a tremendous revelation of the longest, cruelest, and perhaps the most heroic battle of World War II - the Battle of the North Atlantic - and it is written with loving, detailed knowledge of the sea.« less