Six weeks ago I came across this quote:
"Do not commit the error, common among the young, of assuming that if you cannot save the whole of mankind, you have failed."-Jan de Hartog, playwright and novelist (1914-2002)
Jan de Hartog was born in Holland. He escaped Nazi occupied Germany, lived in the UK during the war, and then settled in the United States. Because of the quote I decided to read one of his books. I read The Captain.
Jan wrote many books about the Dutch on the sea. Most of this story takes place during World War II. The hero, Martinus Harinxma, is a tugboat captain. We learn how he had gone off to sea at age 18. He worked his way up in the tugboat industry. Then Germany invaded Holland in 1940. All the Dutch ships which could escaped, many off to the United Kingdom. Martinus is part of a group which helps the English on the ocean. Martinus captains a tugboat which is part of a convoy.
The story is rich with background. There is much history, general history about the world, and detailed history about Holland. We learn about various facets of the Dutch shipping world. I hadn’t realized that tugboats towed platforms across the ocean.
Jan builds a very rich and detailed world. The characters came alive and the plot was interesting. The reality of war on the high sea was vivid. This book had a similar feel as Tom Clancy novels. The scope was more limited, all of the story is focused around Martinus Harinxma. Jan, the author, is still well known today in Holland. A Dutch friend of mine has read several books by Jan de Hartog.
If you like novels about war, especially navel World War II novels, read The Captain. I’m glad I did, and I’ll probably read more by Jan de Hartog.
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