Look what I found...Is it worth reading?

[TigerShark808]

http://books.google.com/books?id=KUZ3q7N8yfkC&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&dq=u+boat+supply+ships&source=bl&ots=N9DcPY0rTp&sig=sdrNze8SJ--LSKkoKxWnXoc1VFY&hl=en&ei=-QxLSouvHoSIMdHMnbAC&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10

[mookiemookie]

Of course it's worth reading...it's from Onkel Karl himself! But don't make it your first book on the U-boat war (for that, I would go to Blair obviously or really anything by Lawrence Paterson). He is of course very slanted and writing at a time when all of the details of the war were not known (a lot of the codebreaking ULTRA info was still classified when he wrote this), but for an insight from someone who was actually there...any historian will tell you primary sources are very valuable. Just take it in context of everything else.

[TigerShark808]

OK thanks.
Only reason why I ask if its worth reading and want other peoples opinions on the book is because there are times when a person will fabricate his or hers story/ experience to justify or embellish his or hers role in a certain situation . Plenty of men have written books after the fact and have been shown to be liars or exaggeraters.

Thats all.

[mookiemookie]

I'm not aware of any out and out fabrications in this book, but he does definitely downplay a lot of the reasons why he lost the war...the advent of radio direction finding and codebreaking for one, but I suppose he can be somewhat excused for that. He never knew to what extent the Allies were reading his constant messages to the boats at sea.

A good supplement to a U-boat library, but not the be all and end all. :salute:

[TigerShark808]

Thank You for your response.


I hear ya. I will read and continue to read every book affiliated with this war.

Anyways.. I took a walk a few days ago with my wife into "OLD TOWN CLOVIS" Its a town in the central valley of California just east of Fresno. I came across a book store with a crazy amount old and forgotten books. The owner barely stays in business in this time and age.
Many of the books so old they seems to crack and moan with every turn of the page.

So much ww2 material it almost stops my heart( and im only 43yrs old)

I feel like Indy from the Indiana Jones Movies.

ITS AWESOME!

[mookiemookie]

Thank You for your response.


I hear ya. I will read and continue to read every book affiliated with this war.

Anyways.. I took a walk a few days ago with my wife into "OLD TOWN CLOVIS" Its a town in the central valley of California just east of Fresno. I came across a book store with a crazy amount old and forgotten books. The owner barely stays in business in this time and age.
Many of the books so old they seems to crack and moan with every turn of the page.

So much ww2 material it almost stops my heart( and im only 43yrs old)

I feel like Indy from the Indiana Jones Movies.

ITS AWESOME!

Bakersfield born and raised. ;)

I've had very good luck with the used book sellers on Amazon. I can't recall a time I've had a book sent that was not in the condition they described it as. I just have a personal rule: don't buy books that cost more than $10 unless it's a very special something. Amazon has never let me down on this!

If you're interested, here's my "must haves" out of my U-boat library:

Steel Boats, Iron Hearts: http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Boat-Iron-Hearts-Goebeler/dp/1932714316/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246506749&sr=1-1

Torpedo Junction: The U-boat War Off America's East Coast: http://www.amazon.com/Torpedo-Junction-U-Boat-Americas-Bluejacket/dp/1557503621/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246506779&sr=1-1

Operation Drumbeat: http://www.amazon.com/Operation-Drumbeat-Dramatic-Germanys-American/dp/1591143020/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246506858&sr=1-1

U-boat Ace: The Story of Wolfgang Luth: http://www.amazon.com/U-Boat-Ace-Story-Wolfgang-Bluejacket/dp/1557508631/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246506880&sr=1-1

U-boat War Patrol: The Hidden Photographic Library of U-564: http://www.amazon.com/U-boat-War-Patrol-Hidden-Photographic/dp/1591148901/ref=pd_sim_b_8

U-boote Crews Daily Life 1939-1945: http://www.amazon.com/U-BOOTE-CREWS-Daily-Life-1939/dp/235250046X

and I'm just finishing Buchheim's (the author of Das Boot) U-boat War: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=u-boat+war+buchheim&x=0&y=0 and it's excellent. Chock full of awesome pictures!

[TigerShark808]

Thank you Mookie ( from the central valley) ;)

Ill keep your list of "reads" in mind when i shop.

:up:

[Slick Rick]

Dont forget ..... The Golden Horseshoe...the wartime career of Otto Kretschmer, Ace of Aces Teddy Suhren, Hirschfeld story of a Uboat NCO, Battle of the Atlantic by Andrew Williams, Enemy Submarine by Wolfgang Frank, Sharks and Little fish by Wolfgang Ott, Lone Wolf by Timothy Mulligan, and U boat Commander by Ali Cremer. All great reading....

[AVGWarhawk]

Every book is worth reading...memoirs are the best to read:03: Go through SS Amazon and look for books at Amazon. I get great books off Amazon. In fact, I just received two yesterday.

[Sailor Steve]

OK thanks.
Only reason why I ask if its worth reading and want other peoples opinions on the book is because there are times when a person will fabricate his or hers story/ experience to justify or embellish his or hers role in a certain situation . Plenty of men have written books after the fact and have been shown to be liars or exaggeraters.

Thats all.
I own the complete Battles And Leaders Of The Civil War. Much of it has been disparaged as being self-aggrandizing, but no matter - reading an account by someone who was actually there is always humbling, enlightening and entertaining, to say the least.

[Fishers of Men]

The Admiral's memoirs are excellent! It reads a little dry but that was his personality. From his point of view, it is a great way to see the internal struggle among the military leaders for Hitler's favor and see how alone he was in his convictions that a strong u-boat arm was the way to victory. There is a lot of frustration is his words. He was extremely loyal to his men and tries to get the best for them under opposition from others.

He explains that development of the wolfpack tactics, and why he believes it ultimately failed. He gives a good account of the technology war and how he failed to realize the secret way the allies were obtaining information.

He discusses the Nuremberg trails and his decision to abandon the sailors from torpedoed ship to the perils of the sea. He talks about his time in prison for war crimes. All together, I read this book four times. He is also intervened in the BBC World at War video series.

FoM