Following the highly praised account of his Welsh childhood and early years aboard a coastal sailing ketch in A STEADY TRADE, Tristan Jones now looks back to his years "below decks" in the British Royal Navy during World War II. It is 1940, and Britain is struggling under the Blitz. Discharged from his sailing barge, Tristan is thrown among wartime recruits from all walks of life. After a period of instruction, he goes to sea, first on transatlantic convoy duties, and later on the arduous Arctic runs to Russia. From the destroyer HMS Eclectic, Tristan eyewitnesses the battle between HMS Hood and the Bismark, and he describes the thrilling pursuit and eventual sinking of this legendary German battleship. HEART OF OAK is an authentic rendering of life during wartime, and it is replete with salty characters, historic battle scenes, and exciting adventures that take place both on land and at sea. But it is also about the forging of a young lad; we join Tristan at home, on leave. We share with him experiences both comic and poignant, from the hilarious descriptions of his earliest sexual adventures to his emotional departure from Wales and his childhood home, and the tragic loss of his parents.
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