Product Description

In "The Riddle of the Sands", a gripping spy story set amongst the shoals and mists of the North Sea coast in the years before the First World War, Erskine Childers fathered the modern genre of spy adventures, as well as writing a great yachting classic. Unlike John Buchan or John le Carre, however, Childers himself led a life involving spying, gun-running and conspiracy, and a constant search for adventure and danger, which led in the end to his execution by firing squad in Ireland in 1923. "The Tragedy of Erskine Childers" tells the extraordinary story of a brilliant and highly talented eccentric. A pioneering yachtsman in the early days of small yacht sailing, Childers became such a fervent supporter of Irish nationalism that he ran guns to Ireland on his boat. In the Irish Civil War, his extremism and wish to take part in active service rather than write propaganda, led to his betrayal, trial and execution.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #382102 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 261 pages

Review
"'Piper brings fresh insight to this fascinating, often contradictory life. His narrative twists and turns like a sequel to Childers' own novel'. New Statesman 'It is an immensely human narrative that puts a construct of flesh and bone around a sometimes denied figure.' Irish Times 'An exciting and readable account of an extremely strange life and a worthy companion to The Riddle of the Sands.' Sunday Times"

About the Author
Leonard Piper is the author of Murder by Gaslight, a study of late Victorian murder. He lives in Exeter.

Customer Reviews

Mixed feelings about this - Irish viewpoint
Erskine Childers is the kind of hero that we like in Ireland - someone who dies (preferably by execution) for Ireland. Childers is rightly lauded as having made a significant contribution to the fight for Irish Independence. He is remembered in Ireland for three things: Gun-running with the "Asgard", getting shot for possession of a gun given to him by Michael Collins, and being the father of a President of Ireland (Erskine Childers Junior in 1970's.

Leonard Piper writes an interesting account of Childers' early life and and his career as a Civil Servant, Writer, and Soldier. Apart from authoring "The Riddle of the Sands", very little is generally known about him in Ireland until his ill-fated involvement in Irish politics. For me, this was the most enjoyable part of the book. Childers' single minded dedication to anything he participated in is viewed as a strength by Piper, and rightly so.

Some critiscism here - Piper obviously went to great lengths researching his book. However, I dislike the description of the sinking of a German destroyer in WW1 that Childers' participated in. Simply naming the destroyer would have lent a more authentic air to this story - this is only a minor issue that could easily be corrected in future editions.

However, I take issue with his painting Childers almost as a death-wish seeking zealot when it comes to Irish politics. The Treaty negotiations are poorly dealt with, and the subsequent dealings in the Treaty debates on the Dail get scant attention - surprisingly so in my view as this was clearly the beginning of the road to disaster for Childers. He is painted as someone who easily made enemies, though only when he came to Ireland. The political landscape in Ireland in the early 1920's meant that Childers was one of the first victims of the savage execution policy of the then government as it struggled to maintain order.

Finally, Piper succesfullly banishes any idea that Childers was a spy for the British. He was simply an idealist looking for a cause - he (among many others) picked the wrong side in a bitter Civil War.