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Book Review of CHURCHILL'S PIRATES: The Royal Naval Patrol Service in World War II

CHURCHILL'S PIRATES: The Royal Naval Patrol Service in World War II
reviewed on
Helpful Score: 2


A completely missed opportunity to write a revised history of the Royal Naval Patrol Service since 'Trawlers Go To War' by Lund & Ludlam (Foulsham 1971)
It's now nearly 40 years ago when since TGTW was first published and in that time much more in the way of documentary evidence from both British and German archives has been made freely available. This new book shows nothing new on the subject and for that reason I find it quite basic.
Quite often the book seems to lack some much needed in-depth detail especially on the important achievements of the RNPS including the 24 trawlers that were sent out to protect the east cost of the United States in 1942.
Worse still, there is NOTHING in the book that lists references, sources or acknowledgements in relation to any research. Indeed most of this material seems to be lifted from already familiar titles - you can spot them all in Sutherland's and Cranwell's rather short and limited bibliography, which incidentally is shortened further by the inclusion of three of their own titles!
Someone just repeating what's already been published and doing a little research on the Internet could have easily written this book
Yhe Appendix three 'Selected RNPS Second World War Awards for Minesweeping' has been completely lifted from the Minesweeping & Clearance Diving Officers Association web site (www.mcdoa.org.uk) which amounts to plagiarism. I think there is a strong case for an infringement of copyright. Why should someone's hard work be plagiarised and exploited for profit.
Once again the lack of acknowledgements and references is very suspect.
Leave it on the shelf and look for a second-hand copy of `Trawlers Go To War' - Lund & Ludlum or`Coxswain of The Northern Convoys' - Kerslake