 The Shetland Bus
Well written chronicle of the war effort against occupying Germany between Norway's underground and Great Britain's military. A handful of Norwegian fishing vessels armed and sailing the winter night arctic seas between a British Naval base in the Shetland Isles off Scotland and the German patrolled coast of Norway. Materials, refugees and trained underground fighters wer transported back and forth at great risk during the early 1940's. This was a little-known effort between these two countries that greatly stressed the people involved. These dangerous and difficult adventures did not mean a great deal in the big scheme of the war until the Norwegian underground played a key part in delaying Germanys efforts to produce atomic weapons. This German set-back helped end the war in Europe and allowed America to be the first nuclear power and to turn their attention to the war in the Pacific.
 A moving tribute to some of the bravest sailors of the war
The Shetland Bus is a stand-out example of a World War II memoir penned shortly after the events by one of the participants. Unlike many such memoirs, Howarth himself plays the role of a supporting character, rather than leading man, but it is this humility and self-effacement that built the trust of the Norwegian irregulars who are the main subject of the book, and the source of much of the information in it. The fishermen turned spies and saboteurs who deliberately put themselves in harm's way time and time again are the true heroes of the book, along with the little boats that carried them through some of the worlds most stormy seas. I first read this book thirty years ago as a teenager, and Howarth's love of Norway and all things Norwegian proved infectious, as I made a beeline for many of the places mentioned in the book as soon as I was old enough to travel solo. The book has been out of print for many years, and it was with delight that I discovered this new edition that will make The Shetland Bus a new generation of friends and admirers. When the book arrived, I still found it worked its magic on me: I read it cover to cover in one flight from Atlanta to Dubai! After reading the Shetland Bus, those who wish to pursue the subject further may wish to read We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance which details one of the most daring operations, which sadly went wrong, with substantial loss of life, though it produced one of the great survival stories of the war.
 First person tale of wartime heroism.
Nicely written, a well told tale, but with a few slow spots. However, this is a true story, and as such is a valuable history. It also gives insight into a time and the people who lived it. Recommended read.
The Shetland Bus
This is quite a story about one of the little known on-going operations during WWII. Amazing what these Norwegean fishermen accomplished saving many lives at the expense of some of their own.
Well told - nothing special
This is about the British effort to provide boats to move people between England (from the Shetland Isles) to Norway and back. Primarily agents, guns, and supplies to Norway and agents at risk back out.
The author writes well and he does a good job of telling the stories of what the Norwegians went through in Norway. That part is written in a less immediate form as the author was not there and is relating the story to us.
It's an interesting sidebar to the war. And the book is well written. But that is all it is. It's a sidebar that while important, was not critical to the strategic effort (although many in Norway might disagree). And while well written, the book does not reach out and grab you.
So I'm glad I read it. But there are other books that I would have enjoyed more that I could have read instead.
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