Gun Bay opens with an excellent narrative based around the arrival of a major hurricane on Grand Cayman Island which brings to life the effect of such storms on the population. The rest of the book follows Edward Ballantyne and some fellow officers through day to day naval events in the Carribbean until a convoy and it's escort find themselves ashore on the reef off the East End of Grand Cayman. It then follows the survivors and the inevitable court martial that follows.
White is a good storyteller and his characterisations really brought to life the everyday activities of naval officers of the period whilst in port so that you have empathy with them. The point of the book is of course to relate and bring to a wider audience the true events surrounding the stranding of HMS Convert and nine of the vessels she was escorting which is fully achieved. The stranding of so many ships so soon after the small island was devastated by a hurricane has meant the story has passed down through the generations and stil forms part of local folk lore on the island but as far as I am aware it has not previously featured in naval fiction novel.
This book is worth reading just for the detailed account of true events that are not widely known but it is also a well written book in the naval fiction genre which I recommend.
Description of: Gun Bay
Author: William H. White
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