Buchheim's Photo Book "U-Boat War"

[Subnuts]

I received a used copy of Lothar-Gunther Buchheim's photo essay U-Boat War in the mail yesterday, and all I can say is...wow! Some of these photos are absolutely mindblowing. There's a whole series of photos taken inside U-96's control room during the middle of a depth charge attack, most of them with a big "seam" running through them due to the camera shutter being damaged during the attack. In some of his storm shots, the entire photo is mottled with white splotches from saltwater leaking into the camera. Another example of a camera failure actually adding to the immediacy of the image. In one of the shots of U572 along U96 in the storm, U96 is being lifted up by a huge wave, and from Buchheim's perspective, the other boat is so close that it looks like it was photographed by a low-flying aircraft.

It's pretty funny that Buchheim was an artist and not a photographer, as so many of these pictures are so wonderfully moody and gritty. It's also interesting that, compared to the war correspondant in Das Boot, he was really "in the action" the entire voyage. He was taking shots inside the engine room the moment an alarm was sounded, dangling from the Wintergarden at precarious angles to get good shots of the boat, and sneaking in quick shots of the crew at work at every opportunity.

I've been searching for a copy for years, and I found one on Amazon for $8. If you can find a copy for even twice that, I wouldn't hesitate to jump on it. This might be the best collection of U-boat photos I've ever seen.

[Jimbuna]

I shall purchase this book on your recommendation sir http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/thumbsup.gif

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=U-Boat+War&x=11&y=12

[nikbear]

Cool,its always nice to get a good recommendation:yeah:I'm getting some new books this week so this is very handy,thanks SN:salute:

[Torplexed]

I found a copy in a used book store about a decade ago. Quite a nice visual resource. I think the fact that Buchheim was an artist is part of the reason the photography is so striking. They often go hand in hand. :cool:

[BulSoldier]

Im interested could you post few pictures of it ?

[mookiemookie]

I shall purchase this book on your recommendation sir http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/thumbsup.gif

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=U-Boat+War&x=11&y=12

Me too. Upon your recommendation, I just bought it. :yeah:

[Subnuts]

As requested, from scans from this book. The book also has some pictures taken by Buchheim of St. Nazaire before the patrol, and some taken when he was on the last U-boat to escape from France, but here are some taken during his U-96 patrol:

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/1166/uboatwar019.th.jpg (http://img41.imageshack.us/i/uboatwar019.jpg/)

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/115/uboatwar020.th.jpg (http://img34.imageshack.us/i/uboatwar020.jpg/)

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/8416/uboatwar029.th.jpg (http://img34.imageshack.us/i/uboatwar029.jpg/)

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/3727/uboatwar021.th.jpg (http://img20.imageshack.us/i/uboatwar021.jpg/)

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/7890/uboatwar022.th.jpg (http://img41.imageshack.us/i/uboatwar022.jpg/)

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/9100/uboatwar024.th.jpg (http://img15.imageshack.us/i/uboatwar024.jpg/)

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/8836/uboatwar026.th.jpg (http://img37.imageshack.us/i/uboatwar026.jpg/)

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/8910/uboatwar027.th.jpg (http://img8.imageshack.us/i/uboatwar027.jpg/)

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/5749/uboatwar028.th.jpg (http://img146.imageshack.us/i/uboatwar028.jpg/)

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/8319/uboatwar023.th.jpg (http://img23.imageshack.us/i/uboatwar023.jpg/)

[Jimbuna]

Cheers http://www.psionguild.org/forums/images/smilies/wolfsmilies/thumbsup.gif

[alexradu89]

wow! simply WOW!... i want that :( is there a way we could... like, download this as an e-book ? :s ... i'd really like to see some more pictures of this

[Subnuts]

wow! simply WOW!... i want that :( is there a way we could... like, download this as an e-book ? :s ... i'd really like to see some more pictures of this

I'm sure you could probably download it from somewhere if you looked hard enough. Then again, it's not terribly expensive, and I don't feel like having the copyright police on my ass, even if Buchheim died in 2007.

[TarJak]

Fanmazing. Might just have to grab a copy. Thanks for sharing.:salute:

[fisherstoys1]

How about the book Wolf Pack, by Gordon Williamson it is an Osprey book. 262 pages long and great pics. It covers everything even the still existing bunkers.

Grant

[CastleBravo]

Some of those photos remind me greatly of Das Boot. Do you think Peterson used them as inspiration? I do.

[Coyote88]

I'm sure you could probably download it from somewhere if you looked hard enough. Then again, it's not terribly expensive, and I don't feel like having the copyright police on my ass, even if Buchheim died in 2007.

I think German copyright has the same duration as the US, namely the life of the author plus 70 years. So the book will enter the public domain in 2077,and in the meantime his heirs and the publisher have the right to stop any such distribution. Good hunting (on Amazon)!

[Jimbuna]

Possibly the best E-book I have ever come across for photos on U-boats was 'Wolfpacks at War - The U Boat Experience in World War II' by Jak Mallmann Showell.

http://www.amazon.com/WOLFPACKS-AT-WAR-Jak-Showell/dp/0711029288/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245530242&sr=1-4

[Slick Rick]

A couple of other really good books I just finished up if you are interested....The Cruel sea retold by Bernard Edwards and Hirschfeld the story of a U boat NCO 1940-1946.....both very good reading....Rick

[mookiemookie]

I'm almost through my copy of U-boat War and it is indeed absolutely excellent.

[Subnuts]

Just thought I'd shamelessly bump this thread and tell everyone that my review of U-boat War has been published on the site:

http://www.subsim.com/books/uboatwar.htm (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/../books/uboatwar.htm)

The last paragraph is actually a quote from the book, and not actually part of the review. I don't think it adds anything and I've asked Neal to remove it sometime in the near future.

If you want to see some of Buchheim's photos, I've put together a Flickr gallery of them here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27417638@N07/sets/72157621890839041/

[nikimcbee]

Ha, this was one of my first uboat books.:woot:

[karamazovnew]

Amazing photos.... Thank you for sharing :salute:. I can't really describe the feeling I have when looking at them.

[Sailor Steve]

Thanks for the heads-up - just ordered it.:rock:

[Dowly]

Now that I think of it, I think this was the first time I saw the real life Der Alte. :hmmm:

[maxextz]

wow id like that book but im not paying £94 or nearly 120 dollars for a book
cant believe nobody's mentioned the outrages price :down:

ill buy the second one.

[Sailor Steve]

I just ordered a used copy for $7 and change. After tax and shipping I paid $11.50.

Here it is for just a little more on Amazon UK.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=u-boat+war