The Riddle of the Sands
A Record of Secret Service
Carruthers, a bored young clerk at the Foreign Office, accepts an unexpected invitation to join an old acquaintance, Davies, for some duck shooting on a small yacht in the Baltic. The yacht turns out to be the cramped and leaky Dulcibella, and the shooting is a pretext: Davies believes a German named Dollmann tried to wreck him among the sandbanks of the Frisian coast, and he wants to know why. The two men spend the autumn of 1902 charting shallow channels in fog and gales while slowly uncovering what Germany is preparing in those waters. Published in 1903, the novel is one of the earliest spy stories and is unusual for its attention to seamanship and tides, which are as central to the plot as the conspiracy. Read it online in your browser on Vinteuil; the first chapter is free.
Start reading right away, without signing up. The complete text is included in Vinteuil Reading, or yours forever with a one-time purchase.
Frequently asked questions about The Riddle of the Sands
The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers can be read online on Vinteuil, directly in your browser. The first chapter is free for everyone; the complete book is included in Vinteuil Reading ($4.99/month or $39.99/year) or yours forever for $2.99.
Can I read The Riddle of the Sands online?
Yes. The Riddle of the Sands opens right on this page, in a reader designed for long reading: adjustable text size, light, sepia and dark themes, a clickable table of contents and your place saved when you are signed in. No download or app is needed.
Is The Riddle of the Sands free to read on Vinteuil?
The first chapter of The Riddle of the Sands is free, without an account. To read the whole book, either buy its online reading for $2.99 (£2.99 in the UK) and keep it forever, or subscribe to Vinteuil Reading for $4.99/month (£4.99/month in the UK) or $39.99/year, with 1 month free for new subscribers. The subscription opens every book in the library and can be cancelled at any time.
Is The Riddle of the Sands in the public domain?
Yes. The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers is a public-domain work. Vinteuil offers a carefully prepared digital edition made for comfortable reading on screen.
How long does it take to read The Riddle of the Sands?
About 7 h 16 min of reading, at an average reading pace. Your place is saved automatically when you are signed in, so you can read in several sittings and on several devices.
What kind of book is The Riddle of the Sands?
The Riddle of the Sands by Erskine Childers is filed under "Mystery" in the Vinteuil library.
