Iron Coffins (To Be or Not To Be)

[AntEater]

Actually I didnt like Topp's book that much, at least it is not really a book about the U-Boat war.
Topp was trying to write about a lot more than the UBoat-War, about the time and his own thoughts of world events.
Topp was a very educated man and his book is strewn with quotes of Hegel, Nietzsche and other Philosophers.
He doesnt actually tell much of U-Boat excitement except for the Battle of Narvik (as IWO of U 46), the Reuben James sinking and the HMCS Sackville episode.
It is surely an interesting book written by a very intelligent and capable man, but it is not primarily centered on the U-Boat war.

Another very interesting book is "Nach Kompaß" by Karl-Friedrich Merten (U 68).
He not only covers his UBoat time in minute detail, but also narrates his life until about 1970.
Given that he wrote this book age 92 it is remarkable. On the other hand, he wrote it with a clear agenda of a very conservative officer (Merten was the premier "das Boot" critic), but he seems to be honest about his motives.