This is the ship that helped start it all. The Last-Gentleman-Of-War, and especially the one I read first as a young kid, Swan of the East, have been read many times. The ship's war record and the example of her Skipper, Karl Friedrich Max von Müller helped draw me into this line of work more than about anything.
Yea, I know, not a big gun ship. Doesn't have to be. It is all in the attitude. Tough and pretty. Just right.
4 comments:
When I was a young man I really enjoyed reading about the old britsh destroyers. The Captain on the open bridge. I read all I could find of them. So I can understand how you feel about this ship.
I remember reading a book about the XO and the landing party of Emden. They were not captured after the destruction of Emden and eventually were able to make their way to Germany. It was quite the voyage. Can't remember the title of the book though.
Landing party OIC, Hellmuth von Mücke, wrote a book: The Emden-Ayesha Adventure: German Raiders in the South Seas and Beyond.
Many of the tales of World War I - both sides - make great reading. My own favorite was the story of SMS Konigsberg. A pity that they are now neglected; when there are no heroes of yore, Sergeant York, there are no heroes today. Organizations like the Naval History & Heritage Command are worth having.
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