The Navigation Log: A Novel

by Martin Corrick

Book Overview

"Milly dipped a pen in the bottle of India ink and wrote Tom on the label. She looked at the babies. They moved their arms and legs and made small sounds. Quickly she reached out and tied the label... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375508120
• Release Date: April 2003
• Publisher: Random House
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

A good book that deserves a wider audience

This is a good book--I'm surprised to be the first to review it. The first part is a coming-of-age story that follows two twin boys from birth through adolescence in pre-war England. Corrick's writing is simple, direct, and often witty, and his recreation of the London of the times is quite vivid. The second part takes place in 1940, with the war starting and the twins--now adults--pursuing very different careers and living separate lives.This is Corrick's first novel, and you can tell. His writing is not as polished as the writing of other British authors who've written about wartime England (say, Ian McEwan or Michael Frayn). But Corrick is not trying to compete with these folks. He's telling a story, and he's doing so effectively and unpretentiously. This book has adventure, drama, humor, lively historical recreation, and colorful characters--it makes for a very pleasant read. If you're going to read just one book this summer, you may want to read something else (Corrick would agree); but if you're reading several books and like a good story, do add this one to the mix--you will enjoy it.