Hungry as the Sea

by Wilbur Smith

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Devastated by a sudden, unexpected financial coup in which he loses everything, including his wife, shipping tycoon Nicholas Berg uses his intense desire for revenge to bring him back into a position of power.

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8 reviews
I'll read anything that has storms and ocean-going salvage tugs. This book has both, in addition to a vendetta, corporate and individual malfeasance, and romantic rivalry. The parts of the book dealing with those latter elements are the weakest. But Smith writes really well about ships during storms; the salvaging of the ocean liner in the beginning is riveting. One reviewer on Amazon complained that Smiths gets too technical and detailed during the storm scenes. Hell, man. That's the best part!

There were times, however, when I felt I had fallen into an As the World Turns version of Alice in Wonderland. The story revolves around the rivalry of Duncan Alexander (the bad guy) and Nicholas Berg (the good guy) for control, of Christie show more Marine and the attentions of Chantelle Christie, owner of the company and a large fortune. The “child” at issue is the “Golden Dawn,” and immense (7,000 foot) super tanker (my incredulity at the size was beginning to become an irritant) designed by Nicholas but built by Duncan after Duncan forced Nicholas from the company. The inevitable then takes control of the plot, you know, Duncan cuts corners, the ship in Nicholas’s view is unsafe, and the maiden voyage will be carrying Nicholas’s son by Chantelle. Yawn. Nicholas, meanwhile, has built his dream salvage tug. You can guess where this is going.

Four stars for the storm scene in the beginning; one for the soap.

Read [a:Jan de Hartog|54379|Jan de Hartog|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg] or [a:Farley Mowat|41013|Farley Mowat|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1233807350p2/41013.jpg] instead.
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The first Wilbur Smith book I ever read,while working as a cook on a prawn trawler off the coast of Australia. Maybe it was the setting, but I've been hooked on Wilbur Smith ever since. This is a wonderful, fast paced adventure with likable characters, strong motivation, and delightfully written desscriptions. My favorite quote, as Our Hero and His Sidekick are going into a sunken ship with a huge, ragged teardrop shaped hole in the metal side: "I never liek to go into a hole like that, it reminds me of my first wife."
½
Novel about an ocean salvage tug operator, his wealthy and estranged wife, and his eco-warrior American girlfriend. Very good Smith book and not a part of his family sagas.
Smith does this kind of novel as well as anyone.
½
Carino. Scorre come un telefillm
Wilbur Smith sets his vividly realistic novels on the razor's edge between human courage and nature's wrath. In *Hungry as the Sea*, this master storyteller takes us to the frigid South Atlantic, where one man fights for his life-- and for redemption.
Nicholas Berg is on a daring rescue mission.  One of his former ships is being lashed against the cliffs of Cape Alarm and is surrounded surrounded by survivors clinging to their boats. Berg has gambled everything on reaching the* Golden Adventurer *before a competitor and a violent storm to win a fortune in salvage fees. If he succeeds, however, the real danger will only just begin . . ..

From the power of a relentless ocean to the hunger of men to survive upon her, this show more is a towering novel of adventure, love and the daring of the human soul.

### Review

"One of the world's most popular and prolific adventure writers."--*The Washington Post

*"A captivating storyteller."--*Orlando Sentinel

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"Smith is a master." -- *Publishers Weekly

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"A rare author who wields a razor-sharp sword of craftsmanship." --*Tulsa World*

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**Praise for Wilbur Smith**

“Smith is a master.” *—Publishers Weekly

*“One of the world’s most popular adventure writers.” *—The Washington Post Book World

*“A rare author who wields a razor-sharp sword of craftsmanship.” *—Tulsa World*

“Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared.” *—The Times* (UK)      
"Best Historical Novelist--I say Wilbur Smith, with his swashbuckling novels of Africa.  The bodices of rip and the blood flows.  You can get lost in Wilbur Smith and misplace all of August."--Stephen King

"Action is Wilur Smith's game, and he is a master."--*The Washington Post Book World*

“The world’s leading adventure writer.” *—Daily Express* (UK)

"Wilbur Smith rarely misses a trick."--*Sunday Times*

“Smith is a captivating storyteller.” *—The Orlando Sentinel*

“No one does adventure quite like Smith.” —*Daily Mirror *(UK)

"A thundering good’ read is virtually the only way of describing Wilbur Smith’s books.” —*The Irish Times*

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### From the Publisher

12 1.5-hour cassettes
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½
El presidente de una gran empresa naviera ha sido depuesto de su cargo y es ahora capitán de un modesto remolcador. El heroico salvataje de un transatlántico atrapado en la soledad de los hielos antárticos, con seiscientos pasajeros a bordo, le da la posibilidad de luchar para reconquistar el poder que ha perdido.

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Author Information

Picture of author.
152+ Works 38,538 Members

Some Editions

Havander, Emma (Translator)

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Common Knowledge

Canonical title*
Come il mare
Original title
Hungry as the Sea
Alternate titles
Hungry as the Sea
Original publication date
1978
Dedication
This book is for my wife Danielle
First words
Nicholas Berg stepped out of the taxi on to the floodlit dock and paused to look up at the Warlock.
Last words
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)He knew, with equal certainty, who would be his companion in that life's work - and standing on the fire-scorched deck of the gallant little vessel he had a vivid image of a golden girl who walked forever beside him in sunlight and in laughter.
'Samantha.'
He said her name aloud just once, and suddenly he was very eager to begin.
Publisher's editor*
Longanesi
Original language
English
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Suspense & Thriller
DDC/MDS
823Literature & rhetoricEnglish & Old English literaturesEnglish fiction
LCC
PZ4 .S6596Language and LiteratureFiction and juvenile belles lettresFiction and juvenile belles lettresFiction in English
BISAC

Statistics

Members
849
Popularity
31,972
Reviews
7
Rating
½ (3.44)
Languages
14 — Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Norwegian (Bokmål), Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
76
ASINs
18