I was offered a review copy of this book by the author and I’m delighted I got a chance to read it. Never having heard of this story before, I was riveted while I read it. Let me tempt readers by dropping some names – Margot Fonteyn, Billy Marsden, Douglas Slocombe – who were aboard the SS Dotterel after their various desperate dashes for the coast of Holland while under fire from the invading German forces. We also learn who these people are and why they were there, right when the invasion began.

In May of 1940, the phony war ended for Holland, a month after Denmark and Norway. Despite having been warned by authorities to leave for the UK, many people for various reasons, didn’t. Looking back, it’s easy to be exasperated and shake your head but for many of these people, Holland was home and they had deep ties. Holland was also being scrupulously neutral in an attempt to stay out of the conflict. But when explosives and German parachutes began raining down, there was a general awakening to the danger and the British authorities in the country, rather than saying “We told you so,” swung into action.

Journalists, many of whom had covered the invasions of Poland and Denmark and had to escape from those countries, were now faced with being front and center of yet another invasion. They also had to tamp down their frustration at being right in the middle of the action and unable to send their stories out due to communication lines being cut. The dancers of the Sadlers Wells Ballet, who had been sent on a goodwill, “we’re with you” tour of Holland by British authorities, got a journey under fire they’d never expected. Several English footie stars who had spent happy years developing Dutch talent and teams, had to leave behind the lives they’d built with little more than their irreplaceable sport mementos.

There were missteps along the way as the plan the British had depended upon – prestaging two ships near Rotterdam to evacuate citizens – had to be scrapped when the Germans didn’t invade by land from the east but rather by air into Rotterdam. Mines that were being laid in harbors, fear of 5th columnists and Dutch Nazi sympathizers, dive bombers, and the threat of German submarines all added to the tense journey. To add insult to injury, the Dotterel arrived on a Bank Holiday and the crowded passengers had to wait hours to be ferried from the ship to Harwich. It was during this time that one journalist learned that some of the dancers of Sadlers Wells play cutthroat poker. Meanwhile back in Holland, the Consul General was winding down consulate affairs and dealing with those who had waited too long to try to leave.

Chris Hunt has written a very readable and highly entertaining account of people caught up in a war and circumstances some of them never dreamed they’d be dealing with. There are photos, maps, and a “what happened next” chapter. And for those unsure of the people I listed earlier – Margot Fonteyn was a prima ballerina assoluta, Billy Marsden helped win back to back Division One football titles with Sheffield Wednesday, and if you’ve enjoyed the cinematography of the first three Indiana Jones films, you can look to Douglas Slocombe who did it. B+

The old saying that sometimes real life is more exciting or dangerous than fiction was certainly the case for this story. Many people from various walks of life living in Holland were drawn together by the threat of war. Their escape from the German invasion of the Netherlands in 1940 and eventual safe return to their native Britain is told in this very good book by Chris Hunt.

Because I will review sports books for this site, Mr. Hunt thought I might be interested in reviewing this book because one of the main celebrities who made this daring escape, Billy Marsden, was a well-known football player and manager in England. There isn’t a lot of football mentioned in the book, except for two significant passages. One is how Marsden’s playing career came to an end due to injury. He was very thankful for the German medical personnel who helped him recover – something he felt was ironic given that it was now Germany who was pulling Europe into war.

The other section of the book where football was the main topic was a recreational game between native Dutch men working at the hotel where English refugees were staying and a group of the English refugees. These players were mainly from the Sadler’s Wells Ballet Company. The dancers were putting on shows in Holland when the invasion started and the hotel was where they and other refugees were awaiting the boats that would take them out of the country. I thought that was great that for at least a short period of time, there was some recreation that would take minds off of the desperate situation, whether as a player or as a spectator.

Most of the book is a very good portrayal of footballers (Marsden is the most prominent, but not the only one profiled here), dancers and journalists who were in Holland for one reason or another. Their escape from the bombing and invasion is just as dramatic as any wartime movie produced in Hollywood. The details Mr. Hunt writes about each person, each narrow escape and each brief pause of relief make for great reading. While it took me a little longer to read this book than usual for a review request, it is a book that should be consumed carefully as no detail mentioned is unimportant to the story.

This might be better classified as a war or military book than a sports book, but that doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that this is a gripping look at a daring escape by people of various walks of life for who were brought together for a dangerous expedition that ended with a well-deserved trip home.

I wish to thank the author and Mile Away Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.

Something a bit out of the box from a World War 2 perspective, and I really enjoyed it. The author focuses on ex-England International, Billy Marsden, to whom he is related who was trapped in Holland when the Germans invaded the country on 10 May 1940. But he also introduces the reader to a wide variety of different personalities who were trapped by the invasion, from the dancers and crew of a ballet company, to the fast-living war correspondents, the other ex-footballers from Britain coaching across the Netherlands, interned RAF airmen and every other Briton trying to make it home. It also gives credit to the staff of the British diplomatic service, the SS Dotterel crew and member of the Royal Navy who made their escape back to England possible. Though the subject is serious subject and book, the author has done a great job in making this a light read with a happy ending filled with the escapers' different adventures. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book inreturn for an honest review.