Product Description

Captain Francis Cromie became a submarine commander at the remarkably young age of 24. By this time he had already seen action in the Boxer Rebellion, received the China Medal and had been mentioned in despatches. In 1915 he was chosen to head a flotilla of submarines to attack German shipping in the Baltic Sea. Here, he achieved great success despite the hazardous nature of the climate and the German navy. He was decorated three times by the Czar of Russia and received the DSO. During his three years in the Baltic he became fluent in Russian. He only survived the difficulties of the Communist Revolution in 1917 because of his consummate skills as a meditor and diplomat. His murder in the British Embassy in 1918 at the age of 37 remained a tragic mystery for many years. Roy Bainton's extensive researches have revealed why Cromie has previously been omitted from official histories of that difficult period. The circumstances surrounding his murder exposed facts about his complex character, his relationship with the Bolsheviks and the British Establishment - and importantly the story uncovers the duplicity of the allies as they struggled to formulate a reaction to the tidal wave of the Russian Revolution.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #811815 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 328 pages

Customer Reviews

Fascinating history
I picked up this book after seeing some local publicity. I actually teach history but had never heard of Cromie. This provides a picture of the underdocumented subject of submarines in the first world war but it really takes off as a narrative with the Russian Revolution. What makes this book a bit special is the way in which everything comes from a personal angle, the submariners, the spies, the Russians and the author himself when he writes touchingly and amusingly about the process of researching a neglected life. I found it gripping.

A fascinating account of a hitherto unrecognised hero.
Roy Bainton's account of the life of Francis Cromie is a thrilling historical survey of one of the most enigmatic and illustrious British naval heroes of the first world war. The book not only provides an exciting narrative of Cromie's military acheivements and subsequent diplomatic career - it is an illuminating account of the forgotten British submarine campaign of the First World War. Cromie witnessed the Russian Revolution at first hand, and got caught up in events and politics in the most convoluted manner. Bainton leads us through this maze of information and disinformation, combining diligent research with excellent writing to provide an accessible history book which is both informative and inspiring. A really good read.

Hero's memory thrillingly brought to life
Roy Bainton has produced a magnificent account of the life and times of Captain Francis Cromie, First World War submariner and ,later, naval attache during the revolution that swept through Russia during the last years of the war.

Cromie's expert handling of his boats and sure dealings with those in power in the Baltic make for a ripping tale competently fleshed out by Bainton's detailed and thorough research.

Almost forgotten today, Cromie can now be put back on the highest footing of our war heroes of old thanks to the author's toils, which became almost an obsession for him over two years of research.