U-Boat book?

Pirate · Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 407 Location: Oeiras, PORTUGAL

Hi,

I'm thinking of buying a book about u-boats in genera!
In your opinion wich one is the best U-Boat book out there?

Thanx,

Egan · Joined: 21 Sep 2001 Posts: 2325 Location: Red Clydeside

Imo ( and this is only my opinion, mind you) the best book about U-boats and the U-boat war are Clay Blair's two volume set:

Hitlers U-boat war: The Hunters 1939-1942
Hitlers U-boat war: The Hunted 1942-1945

Together they run to about 2000 pages and contain so much information it's mad. about �40 for the set and well worth it.

Von Skion · Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 44 Location: Italia

I suggest "Das Boot" by L.G.Buchheim
It's a novel made by a war reporter who sailed german subs.
The story is a compilation of a lot of stories really experienced by u-boote's crew in the period 1939- winter 1942.

Scion · Joined: 31 May 2001 Posts: 1552 Location: New Zealand

Also "U-Boat War", also by Buchheim... Lots of nice pictures Smile

Egan · Joined: 21 Sep 2001 Posts: 2325 Location: Red Clydeside

Guest · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 7:20 pm Post subject:

happy to know this new title

i wish i can find somewere in italian translation

thanks

Von Skion · Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 44 Location: Italia

Dho....

http://uboat.net/books/

Sailor Steve · Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 8:03 pm Post subject:

Egan · Joined: 21 Sep 2001 Posts: 2325 Location: Red Clydeside

Nice one Steve! Thanks for the link!

Neal Stevens · Joined: 25 Jan 1997 Posts: 3517 Location: Houston, Texas

I always recommend two books to start with:
Raiders of the Deep by Lowell Thomas
Iron Coffins by Herbert A. Werner

a good start to learn about U-boats from the beginning.

Pirate · Joined: 16 Sep 2003 Posts: 407 Location: Oeiras, PORTUGAL

Thanx guys for all the answers, but i think most of your advices go to books that are novels!

I'm looking for the best book on the technical side (sorry for not making this clear before).
History and evolution of the u-boat, technical details on each type and maybe some battle reports that describe episodes of the u-boat war! Smile

Thanks,

Pigfish · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 2044 Location: Alberta, Canada

Sailor Steve · Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:49 am Post subject:

Flappy · Posted: Mon Jan 31, 2005 7:33 pm Post subject:

OT a bit, but gotta agree with Neal on the Werner book, Has to be the "Das Boot" of U-Boat Historical Novels. We get to see what it's like to come up through the ranks as a young Officer in the Kriegsmarine for pretty much the entire War. (He is assigned to a frontesboot in '41) It has been poked at a bit in terms of "exact" Historical accuracy by some of his contemporaries, but for conveying the feel of being in the boat, Werner is remarkably evocative and immersive. Plus IMHO,as it was written in '69 it has the definate advantage of being closer in time to the events.

P.S. - Thx Egan & Neal for the tips on the others, Will be getting the Blair stuff today as it's up the street from me right now, I'm going to check up on the Thomas as at this time as it doesn't show up in their Inventory.

Neal Stevens · Joined: 25 Jan 1997 Posts: 3517 Location: Houston, Texas

The only knock I have against Blair's massive work is that it is pretty dry reading, a lot of facts and records, very thin on the human aspect or narrative description. Really good for resource material, though.