Rich in detail and narrative quality, this firsthand account of minesweeping in the Royal Navy during World War II draws on the author's diaries as well as the more formal journal he was required to keep as a junior officer. Brendan Maher was just eighteen years old when he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve in 1942. He describes life in large and small minesweepers as he experienced it at the time - unaffected by later perceptions and interpretations - and offers a fascinating account of the preparations for D-Day.Maher's ship, ML[subscript 137], was first in the line of vessels that led the assault on Sword Beach during D-Day, and this book includes excerpts from her deck log of that day. Such documentation not only confirms the story's authenticity but gives the reader a vivid sense of what it was like to be there. Unlike other books that have focused solely on the technical or historical aspects of minesweeping, Maher's describes it at deckplate-level revealing vividly the human side of this dangerous service.After participating in the hazardous clearance of Cherboug and Brest, Maher was seriously wounded during the disastrous attempt to sweep pressure mines in Dutch waters and was hospitalized for an extended period. His life in a plastic-surgery hospital and his experiences while on leave in wartime Britain take the reader behind the front lines and so complete the story. Told with wit and candor, this memoir will appeal to a wide variety of readers - from those with only a passing interest in World War II to sailors currently involved in mine countermeasures. Read Less