Hello,
the discussion on Werner's "Iron coffins" came up before here. I think it is still one of the better books. You can certainly read Doenitz' memoirs or some other books written by people who are so proud of their deeds during ww2 that they obviously forgot pain and fear, let alone the Nazi regime. History reads different if it is written by Caesar rather than by one of his centurios. If you need facts on technics, both kinds of literature will not get you far.
This is a critical book. Some ranges of electronic warfare as well as some incidents Werner describes are plain wrong. In the german edition "Eiserne Saerge" there is a foreword by Hans Helmut Kirst, who is a writer of partly fictious war books himself. This is a book that simply does not glorify war, as well as the book "Das Boot". Both authors have therefore been attacked by all kinds of people that did learn nothing from WW2, or often survived it by not taking part.
You will not find a word of Mr. Rohwer criticizing Doenitz or the guilt of the Nazi regime. Saying he is the leading naval historian is based on the fact that people hating the war did not want to write about it any more. He does. When you find any criticism in this "historian's" writing it will be limited to problems with logistics hindering Doenitz to win the war. Even today there are few survivors that will tell you about "their" war without need. You should read Rohwers outpours with a grain of salt - as well as Werner's.
Greetings,
Catfish
|