About books

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Coyote88

Lothar Guenther Buchheim, author of Das Boot, also published a book of photographs and descriptive text from his time aboard a U-boat. You might need a larger library to find it, but it's certainly worth a look. The English translation was published in the US by Knopf as U-Boat War in 1978.

Do avoid a book called Bitter Ocean by David Fairbank White. Dude thinks he can write and he can not.

A little harsh don't you think?

I have that book in my library and whilst it's nowhere near one of the best, it's still worthy of a read.

[Coyote88]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

A little harsh don't you think?

Way too many clumsy, literary touches that miss the mark. About half a dozen "Her call number was XYZ; it would call no more" and many many similar efforts. After reading that a ship getting under way became "airborne," I made the book do likewise.

OTOH, Torpedo Junction, by Homer Hickam, Jr., is a most engaging account of America's first encounter with U-boats off the Atlantic coast. The focus is largely on the American response and slow, painful learning process, but he gives pretty good accounts from the German perspective when the sources are available. Recommended.

[Sir Big Jugs]

Thanks for all the recommendations!