Just read Das Boot the book
 

Loved every page of it. If you think the uboat-men were filthy in a putrid environment in the movie, the book brings it out even more. Damp, sweaty, food broken plates, every where, one can to go the head in (lucky if you get there once a day), sailors litterally crapping their pants during a depth-charge run and the smell hits the control room , etc. I will say the movie deviated from the book, but as movies from books go I think Wolfgang Peterson did the best job of anyone staying true to the book. Some on the lines were straight out of the book, "here Lt, here's the life preserver, only works for in the shower, and take the plugs, really helps with the diesel stinks, hahaha" or "where are our patrol planes, talking is all he's good for the fat slob" or "the Tipperary song if you have no objections".
I would say the portrayal is even ahead of Hunt For Red October.

Nevertheless, there were scenes in the book, not in the movie which made reading it a good experience. Without letting on too much, there is a "Laconia Incident", when the boat crashes to the bottom near Gibralter, a British DD does a victory lap (WHY DIDNT THEY PUT THAT IN THE MOVIE???) over the spot they sank, Johan is not the one flakes out during the depth-charge attack, their port of call is St. Nazaire not LaRochelle. Bucheim also explains why they have to go to Gibralter - someone has to stop the flow of supplies to Montgomery, Rommel is forced to retreat becuase he doesnt have enough of his. The book also explains why the airplane that attacks in the dark was able to do it. I think I've spoiled it enough, hopefully you'll go out and read the book now.

One last thing; I came away with a more positive impression of the Captain. I thought he was clever and very capable in the movie but in the book I am more impressed. He is always in control of things, hardly ever taken by surprise. He's also cautious enough to anticipate the British tricks, whereas in the movie sudden enemy tactics take him by surprise. Granted, he is quick to react and gets them out of danger, but in the book he sees them coming. Some of these tricks you actually see them doing, whereas in the movie they talk about them. I wont let on what that is, I've spoiled it enough.

All in all, its one of he best naval books, or war books I have ever read.

Saw the movie ( many times ), never read the book, need to :yep:


RDP

The book is a 'crackin' read :rock: :up:

Yes, from the sounds of it, a level of detail not in the movie , even one as great as Das Boot .


RDP

Has extra events before rtb

If you wach the uncut version - there are a scene when u96 return home and the crew in command room talking about that. I don`t remember how acctually sad that but i quote "The British develope a new system wich can detect surface ships" The captaine replyed "And they use thise system on us".
Now its preety much easy to understand that they talk about a early war radar system :ping: :dead:

The book was great........

The book was tangier than the movie...

loved them both.........

This is depicted in the uncut version of the movie.

The narration in the uncut version also explains this.

...This is also explained in the uncut version.

Seriously, watch the uncut version if you ever get a chance. There's a lot of great character moments in it that got cut out of the shorter versions.

Fair enough on that, but I did buy the 'Director's Cut' with 60 minutes of additional footage. It rocks but I didnt see any references to what you mentioned. Maybe there's even more they dont put out there for the DVDs they release in the U.S.

I do have to say that with the 'Director's Cut' it adds a lot to the DD attack after their convoy strike. They portray that there really is a Hunter-Killer group vectoring on the Boat whereas in the first version put out on HBO back in the 80s you dont get this.

I'm reading it now, slowly to enjoy it better. Now I'm during convoy attack. Played my Directors Cut to see how it goes along with the book and it's quite good, but the book gives soooo much more immersion, you can feel it, see how it all worked, how it was done, what they were thinking.

Long desc. of weather, the sea, eating (I'm always hungry), holding your breath, jokes among the crew and long moment of contemplation and boredom... you cant show all that in the movie. Worth of every 650 pages. Red October book was also far better.

Just a word of caution though ... it's rated XXX!:lol:

The book isn't too bad. The author draws upon a lot of his own war experiences and includes them in the text. The writing was okay, but that may have been an effect of the translation I read.

The Director's Cut is still not the full version. Full version has ANOTHER 90 min of footage, 5 hours of glory :rotfl: . The original version was a 5 hour TV mini-series.

http://www.amazon.com/Das-Boot-Origi.../dp/B0001XAOLQ


Cheers,
T.