Germany Books

...continues the excellence of the series. Originally intended as the final book of the series, "The Story of Civilization", in ended up being the penultimate volume.

The Durants lucidly and eloquently summarize the philosophy, life and influence that Rousseau had on the 18th century and, indeed, continues to have to this very day. Rousseau may be regarded as the creator of the Left-wing sensibility. This may seem anachronistic and, in a sense, it is. Rousseau died before the French Revolution, which created the modern political division of Right and Left. Nevertheless, it is accurate to see him as the Fountainhead for relativism, communism, and the worship of feeling as opposed to reason (debased and emptied of all intellectual content this is now called building "self-esteem" by the modern leftist).

Rousseau created most of the modern ills of political fanaticism and airy, absurd idealism as the Durants so ably note.

The rest of the period is not neglected and vivid portraits are made of Frederick the Great, Catherine the Great, the Elder Pitt, Diderot, D'Holbach, Samuel Johnson and many, many others help this book to shine.

Awarded the Pulitzer Prize--which should have gone to the entire series as opposed to just this volume--this book gives the reader a complete (if necessarily synopsized) account of the End and Failure of the Enlightenment and how what Rousseau and Voltaire intended in their attacks on the social structure (Rousseau) and religion (Voltaire) lead to disastrous consequences in the French Revolution.

The writing sparkles with vivid wit, pith and lucid beauty. It is a book to be read for a lifetime and bequeathed to children. In an age where smarmy, intellectually empty, political fanaticism is attempting to erase the past in favor of the PC fantasies of the moment, the Durants offer a vivid account of the Truth. European civilization is presented here in all its glory and with all its warts. Slavery, religious fanaticism, exploitation and the horrors of the penal system and warfare are all presented here, in their proper place and in context. The modern academic community has attempted to destroy the ideal of context and balance. As long as these books are around, REAL history and historiography are available to anyone who simply opens a copy and reads it.

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...continues the excellence of the series. Originally intended as the final book of the series, "The Story of Civilization", in ended up being the penultimate volume.

The Durants lucidly and eloquently summarize the philosophy, life and influence that Rousseau had on the 18th century and, indeed, continues to have to this very day. Rousseau may be regarded as the creator of the Left-wing sensibility. This may seem anachronistic and, in a sense, it is. Rousseau died before the French Revolution, which created the modern political division of Right and Left. Nevertheless, it is accurate to see him as the Fountainhead for relativism, communism, and the worship of feeling as opposed to reason (debased and emptied of all intellectual content this is now called building "self-esteem" by the modern leftist).

Rousseau created most of the modern ills of political fanaticism and airy, absurd idealism as the Durants so ably note.

The rest of the period is not neglected and vivid portraits are made of Frederick the Great, Catherine the Great, the Elder Pitt, Diderot, D'Holbach, Samuel Johnson and many, many others help this book to shine.

Awarded the Pulitzer Prize--which should have gone to the entire series as opposed to just this volume--this book gives the reader a complete (if necessarily synopsized) account of the End and Failure of the Enlightenment and how what Rousseau and Voltaire intended in their attacks on the social structure (Rousseau) and religion (Voltaire) lead to disastrous consequences in the French Revolution.

The writing sparkles with vivid wit, pith and lucid beauty. It is a book to be read for a lifetime and bequeathed to children. In an age where smarmy, intellectually empty, political fanaticism is attempting to erase the past in favor of the PC fantasies of the moment, the Durants offer a vivid account of the Truth. European civilization is presented here in all its glory and with all its warts. Slavery, religious fanaticism, exploitation and the horrors of the penal system and warfare are all presented here, in their proper place and in context. The modern academic community has attempted to destroy the ideal of context and balance. As long as these books are around, REAL history and historiography are available to anyone who simply opens a copy and reads it.

In this, the tenth volume in the critically acclaimed series "The Story of Civilization," Dr. will & Ariel Durant have compiled a masterful dramatic exploration of the European climate and the events which paved the way for the French Revolution.

The reader will be exposed to a vivid recount of the acts of: Rousseau, who confessed his most embarassing sexual and emotional episodes. England and the rise of her overseas empire. Catherine The Great of Russia. Frederick The Great of Prussia. The German Enlightenment. Marie Antoinette. France's impotent and frustrated King Louis XVI. And much, much more including plates and maps.

Written to stand alone or within the series, the Durants have composed an unparalleled historical prose in smooth flowing narrative that is easy to read and understand by both professional and layperson alike. In short, this book is for everyone. I rate it as five stars. Bravo!

Whether you believe in, are curious about, or completely disagree with Revisionist arguments, this book is definitely worth the time to check out. It doesn't matter what side you're on, this book will stir strong emotions. The Rudolf Report can only be loved or hated.

Rudolf cites many sources and photographs for all of the information contained in the book, many texts in English and many texts in German. He debunks popular refutations on Revisionism, brings up widely asked questions, and offers insights to why these inconsistencies may be.

All in all, this is one of the best arguments for Revisionism that you will find. It analyses every aspect of Auschwitz in a scientific way and doesn't give the hint of frustration with the Jewish people like so many other Revisionist books.

This is definitely something you want to check out.

I am surprised to see this book has not been reviewed. Perhaps it is not selling well, as it is available for free as a PDF download from the author's web site.
The Rudolf Report totally destroys the assertion that the Nazis operated homicidal gas chambers in the Auschwitz/Birkenau camp complex. The writing is factual and expository, and the style is matter-of-fact, but the conclusions are inescapable. Some half-hearted attempts have been made to refute Rudolf's work, but none have made any inroads into the core of his case: chemical analysis of the buildings and ruins at the camp disprove the thesis the cyanide gas was used inside the alleged gas chambers.

The author has been prosecuted and convicted, and is now in prison in Germany, for the very act of writing this book.

I heartily recommend this work for it's veracity and relevance.

But they Can't. This book is BANNED in Germany. This is the first book that the author was sentenced in absentia back in 1993. It has never been refuted, Actually it has been confirmed by world-renowned chemists as accurate. Germar Rudolf sits in jail asking the simple question:

What sort of Truth is it that crushes the freedom to seek the truth?

With a plot that reads as if it came from the mind of Alistair MacLean, Robert Ludlum or Tom Clancy, this long unreported episode in our nation's history could not be more relevant in 21st century America.

From a World War II Nazi plan for espionage and terrorism, the authors have managed to craft a compelling and intriguing historical account, which raises many important questions. Questions which desperately need to be asked in post 9-11 America. But, they are questions which are all too often being ignored by most of the ratings-starved and war-hungry media.

Messrs. Gordon and Abello have done their home work, and it shows. Bravo, to the first time collaboration of this judge and this novelist.

Abella and Gordon hit the nail on the head with this book. If you are even slightly interested in WWII history, this is a great read. Given what's going on in the world today, the subject matter is truly relevant. Abella and Gordon make this historical story accessible and interesting.

This terrific book is about foreign terrorists who land on American shores and plan to destroy American buildings, military bases, and kill civilians. In particular, they plan to bomb Jewish owned businesses and stores such as Macy's. No, this doesn't take place now, but in 1942. And these terrorists are Nazis.
The first part of the book describes the true story of how 8 Nazis landed on the eastern coast in 1942. These were men who had spent part of their lives in the United States, so they knew how to blend in and they knew American customs.
If not for the work of the FBI, and for the defection of one of the men to the Americans, the damage that would have been done to America would have been horrendous. And these 8 may have been just the first of many terrorists to follow.
The second part of the book describes how the men were given military tribunals, because Roosevelt believed that public trials would only endanger our national security and our country. Sound familiar?
This is a well-written, timely book that holds the reader's interest from start to finish. I thought I knew quite a bit about World War ll, but I didn't know anything about the events described in the book.
I highly recommend this book to anyone concerned about the politics and policies of today, and for anyone who is simply interested in a good and interesting story.

This fabulous conclusion to Robert Elmer's Wall series is probably my favorite. Smuggler's Treasure has the kind of pacing and intrigue that kids need to keep them engaged in a book. Plus, they will learn about history while absorbing information about the events that took place in Berlin in 1989.

I'll never forget when the Berlin Wall came down. I was a freshman in college and watched with fascination as the events unfolded on television. The story of years of separation and broken relationships between families within the same city being suddenly restored when the wall was taken down by force touched America's heart. It was a thrilling time in history and one that should never be forgotten. Freedom is an important thing that our children need to learn about so they will appreciate the sacrifices made to hear freedom ring. Unfortunately, the liberal media has nearly destroyed patriotism in the minds of many US citizens over the past several years. I admire Elmer's intention to educate our youth about important historical events that relate to today's world.

Smuggler's Treasure wraps up three generations of history starting with book one, and the ending is guaranteed to make the reader smile. I don't want to give details and spoil the story, but I will say that it got me a bit misty-eyed when I read this final book in the series. I highly recommend Smuggler's Treasure (and the entire series) because it's highly entertaining and historically fascinating...plus it's interesting enough for adults to enjoy. I'm just bummed to see the series end.

It's 1989 in Berlin. Sabine and Willi are married and have a teenage daughter, Lisel. They live in West Berlin now and life is good. Eric, Sabine's brother still lives in East Berlin, and occassionally she and Liesl go through the border checkpoint to visit him, but he can never come to them. Presiden Regan came to Berlin, and made his famous demand, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." But Lisel doesn't believe it will ever happen. Then Nick Wilder comes from America, bringing devastating news for Lisel and her family.
Robert Elmer's three volume series, The Wall, should be required reading for all teenagers. This is a extraordinary time in our history, which should never be forgotten. Books like this help us to remember.

In Book III of Robert Elmer's The Wall Series, Liesl Stumpf, Sabine's and Willi's thirteen-year-old daughter, is safe in West Berlin. But while working on a school project regarding The Wall, Liesl stumbles onto a family secret. Is it possible her American grandfather is still alive? Does her mother know? Does her grandmother even know? When an American boy brings a treasure belonging to a church decimated during the Berlin bombings of World War II, Liesl's suspicions regarding her grandfather are confirmed. Her Uncle Erich might be able to shed some light regarding this family secret, but he is stuck behind the wall - the wall that continues to keep her family separated. The Year is 1989 and East Berliners are hopeful in the words of the American President, Ronald Reagan, who commanded that Mr. Gorbachev tear down the wall. Too many lives had been lost in efforts to escape to free West Berlin. Liesl remembers the story of her parents' narrow escape. The Wall continues to be a barricade to her family's reunification as well as her country's. Robert Elmer's conclusion to The Wall Series holds the same gripping drama as the previous two and is told with equal historical accuracy. A great read for any age.

An intriguing book. Rather too detailed (but don't give up -- it's full of good stuff). A good reference for managers on how to run a business by maintaining excellent rapport with one's employees (Marcus Woolf style) and an excellent example of professional ethics (again, Marcus Woolf style towards his moles). Some amazing ideas by the East German intelligence, e.g.Romeo agents, are described.

Having travelled to East Berlin during the 50's and 60's, I thought this book would be of some interest. I was not prepared to be as thoroughly enthralled by this account of the East German secret police and its deputy minister, Markus Wolf, as I was. It was an unexpected find! Colitt obviously knows his subject and has created a spellbinding historical account.

Having travelled to East Berlin during the 50's and 60's, I thought this book would be of some interest. I was not prepared to be as thoroughly enthralled by this account of the East German secret police and its deputy minister, Markus Wolf, as I was. It was an unexpected find! Colitt obviously knows his subject and has created a spellbinding historical account.

This book has allot to offer but for me the real exception is in the mission journal, summarizing what it was like for this B17 crew over 34 missions. You read it as the Bombardier recorded it and this crew had many amazing experiences. These were brave men who risked it all for their country. I was left satisfied with my understanding of their experiences and this is a big compliment. I discovered this book after it was published, finding that my Father (long deceased) was a member of the crew..

"Through Blue Skies to Hell" delivers a real punch. It contains a mission-by-mission diary of 1st Lieutenant Richard R. Ayesh, from Wichita, Kansas, uncle of author Edward M. Sion and a bombardier who flew 34 missions over Europe in a B-17 "Flying Fortress" with the 100th Bombardment Group, 13th Combat Wing, 8th Air Force during the closing days of World War II. Among his combat awards were the Distinguished Flying Cross, Croix de Guerre and the Air Medal with four Oak Leave clusters.

"Through Blue Skies to Hell" begins with a brief biography of Lt. Ayesh, during the depression, in Wichita, Kansas to his arrival in England as a bombardier, assigned to the 100th Bombardment Group, through 34 missions and his return home.

Author Sion, PhD, and current Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Villanova University, then examines the bombs and bomb sight, the principles of American daylight bombing, bomber formations and tactics. He writes a brief history of Thorpe Abbotts, in East Anglia, just north of London, home of the 100th Group, followed by a mission-by-mission diary of Lt. Ayesh. The diary reminds us of the daily risks taken by young men seeing death on a daily basis, facing fields of flak, fierce enemy fighters and foul weather.

This is not a history of the 'Bloody 100th Bomb Group. That has been done before. It is a fine, straight forward, informative look at the air war over Europe after June 6th 1944, with a surprising amount of new perspective on the moral issues of area bombing with implications in the present century.

A worthy book about yesterday for today and tomorrow.

Richard N. Larsen
Reviewer

"Through Blue Skies to Hell," by Edward Sion, started out as a tribute to his uncle who flew 34 combat missions in a B-17 with the 100 Bombardment Group. He finished with his uncle's diary as the book's centerpiece, supplemented by very readable discussions of the technical and strategic contributions of the allied bombing campaign against Germany.

Sion's book is intended for the mainstream reader interested in World War II strategic bombing. His style brings to life dry topics such as the Norden bomb sight. Detailed discussions of this technological marvel could cure the most devoted reader's insomnia, but Sion's readable prose combined with apropos diagrams will keep readers engaged.

The Wizard's War between Germany and the Allies saw the development of numerous radar and electronic countermeasure systems. Sion includes chapters on some of these other technological marvels such as the German Wassermann, Freya, Würzburg-Reissen, and Lichtenstein radar systems. From the allied side, he includes radar guided bombing systems such as the GEE, H2S and H2X, the last of which is supplemented by an amazing photo of its radar image of the D-Day landings.

In warfare, technological advances drive new tactics and strategy. Sion again does an outstanding job describing contentious issues such as target selection, which caused a rift between US and British bomber strategists, into terms for the layman. More importantly, he provides the strategic context for how the ground war in western Europe was progressing, and how the bomber campaign contributed to the overall allied efforts.

With the technological and strategic environments in context, Sion then presents his uncle's diary. After each diary entry, he provides a layman's analysis of each mission describing the bomb payload and where the aircraft flew in the bombing formation. In a few instances, he also included personal interviews with other crew members to share additional perspectives on the more memorable bombing missions.

Sion concludes the book with a discussion on the moral implications of strategic bombing, again placing the bombings and destruction into strategic context. The intellectual arguments are very similar to those presented in other works such as "Among the Dead Cities", by A.C. Grayling. Sion's arguments are more succinct, yet just as effective.

My only complaint is that Sion seems to be unjustifiably critical of the British, especially his perspective that the tactic of area bombing used by the British was immoral. With the luxury of 5 decades of hindsight, it is difficult for today's strategists to appreciate the true historical context of these strategic decisions. He is equally critical of the United States' firebombing of Japan, but I just felt he was too harsh on the British.

This book is well-researched, well-supported by diagrams and photographs, and easy to read. I highly recommend "Through Blue Skies to Hell" for any airpower enthusiast. If you enjoyed, Stephen Ambrose's "Into the Wild Blue", you will enjoy this one too.

A comprehensive and detailed account of the heavy migration from German-speaking areas of Central Europe, and from Ireland, during the l8th Century. It is heavy with facts and statistics regarding the above subjects, including many charts, tables, and an appendix of all known German voyages during the period. Professor Wokeck has obviously done a lot of work researching and analyzing all the available information. She has also spent more than a little time establishing new estimates of the numbers of persons involved in the above migrations, estimates that will most likely be considered the most authoritative for many years to come.

How did tens of thousands of Germans and Irish arrive in America before the War for Independence?

How did they decide on the journey? What factors turned their heads westward instead of to the eastern settlement schemes of Prussia, or the Austrian or Russian empires? Where did they get their advice from? Who led the Germans down the Rhine? How were they collected for trans-Atlantic shipment? Which middlemen profited from (or exploited) the "trade in strangers"? What were the costs of their passage? How were they received in the valley of the Delaware?

This scholarly book addresses the earliest trans-Atlantic mass migration to North America - those immigrants from southwestern Germany and northern Ireland who arrived prior to 1775. It answers the above questions and many more.

Our immigrant ancestors didn't just jump on a boat one day and arrive in the New World many weeks later without an entire system of personal and commercial contacts, information flows, and market forces to facilitate their passage. The huge influx of Germans prior to the Revolution followed a very complex chain of immigration which ensured that ships sailing to Philadelphia from ports in Holland carried "Redemptioners" rather than mere ballast. This book is primarily focused on their experiences.

The later and lesser pre-1775 Irish immigration differed significantly from the German experience both in immigrant composition and geographic mix between the northern counties and the southern counties of Ireland. Elements of the both the German immigrant trade and the Irish immigrant trade prior to the Revolution set the pattern for all later migration in the 1800s.

If you have Palatine, Swiss, or other German ancestors who landed in Philadelphia prior to 1775, this work is a fascinating study in understanding what they were up against - the "system" that moved them and the challenges they faced within that system.

Using both first-hand accounts and statistical analysis of diverse sources and studies, "Trade in Strangers" is an excellent way to understand early German and Irish immigration into the New World. Its focus is primarily the German immigration into the port of Philadelphia but it does mention why other destinations in America were less successful at attracting these immigrants. The smaller Irish immigration prior to 1775 is dealt with to a lesser extent and is mostly used as contrast for comparison to the simultaneous German immigration.

The elements of the system of immigration to America which were to remain constant until at least 1924 are highlighted because they were first used to channel these two early immigrant streams from Germany and Ireland.

This is a thoroughly-researched and well-written book. Historians of the American colonial experience, students of immigration, and family historians may all profit from reading this.

As an amateur genealogist and family researcher I have had many questions on the mechanics of how my ancestors made their voyage from Nassau (Germany) to Pennsylvania in the 18th Century. Most sources skip over these details. However, to understand the challenge they faced, one must know these details. Wokeck has mastered many documentary sources on both sides of the Atlantic to provide the definative answers to such questions. She also explores how these early mass migrations of Germans and Irish provided a model for the later and better known 19th Century migrations. To understand how we became Americans all of use must understand the immigrant experience. That experience began with the subject of this book: the development of the transportation of European migrants into a successful business enterprise. It began small, sporadic, and experimental and became a mass commercial enterprise which was both efficient and profitable. The text and the cited sources are invaluable. I was exhilarated after reading it. It has renewed my enthusiasm for my research at a time it was in the doldrums. Any person with a 'Palatine' ancestry should consider this a 'must read.'

Also recommended: A Tide of Alien Tongues, Marrianne Wokeck (1982)

Bergen's well researched and tightly written account of one German sect, the _The German Christians_ , offers a sobering account of the political consequences of a Christianity turned anti-doctrinal, anti-hierarchical, anti-Roman, people-centered, and focused on "feelings" rather than objective reality. This movement, self-designated as "The People's Church," celebrated its uniquely German form of Christianity in emotion-charged liturgies cleansed of traditional rituals and language. Stripped of long-established ritual, rules, tradition,theology, and foreign co-religionists, this wholly-German sect pressed its reconfigured notions of Christianity into the service of Nazism.

Trend spotters will note ominous parallels to developments in contemporary (increasingly horizontal forms of) American Christianity. Bergen offers evidence that tinkering with religious language, liturgy, rules and doctrine can have profound socio- political consequences.

Must read for all German history buffs as well as readers interested in Christian liturgy and theology. A complete copy of my review of _Twisted Cross_ appears in the September 1998 issue of Adoremus Bulletin.

Adherents of the German Christian movement of the 1930's and 1940's saw Nazism and Christianity as movements with shared values and a common agenda. They were given official support by the Nazi party for a time and the first and only Protestant Reich Bishop, Ludwig Mueller, was nominated from among their ranks. While traditional church historians have sought to minimize this movement as an aberration, Bergen provides evidence to support the thesis that it remained a popular mass movement throughout the years of Nazi rule. The evidence she presents further demonstrates that this Protestant sect blended together Nazi and Christian doctrine not out of expediency but out of faith. She analyzes the views not only of the leaders of the movement but also of its rank and file in order to capture a sense of their religious as well as psychological and political motivations. For most of the book, her focus is on understanding how the at once nationalist and anti-doctrinal theology of the church evolved under the pressures of the Nazi regime. In this regard, her account of their escalating struggle to purge Christianity of its Jewish roots is of particular interest. The last chapter, Postwar Echoes, gives and interesting account of the way in which German Christians tried to reconcile their old allegiances in the post war period and the way in which other Protestant sects used the high-visibility collaboration of the German Christians to avoid thorough de-Nazification at the end of the war. Hard to find documentary photographs showing the widespread blending of Christian and Nazi symbolism in church life enhance the overall value of the work.

The two previous reviews may be well-intended, but are not quite accurate from what I read in the book. The book is an excellent indictment of Christian anti-semitism fully realized on a national level, revealing the inherent hatred of Jews so easily supported by the Christian Bible. I highly recommend this book to every Christian as a tool for some soul-searching concerning the true nature of their faith.

The German Christians were not a sect. They were not a separate entity from Christian churches in Germany. It was a movement *within* typical German churches with large numbers of supporters and great influence on all Protestant Christians in Germany.

In Germany at the time, and "In July 1933 Protestant church elections across Germany filled a range of positions from parish representatives to senior consistory councillors. Representatives of the German Christian movement won two thirds of the votes cast. Hitler himself had urged election of German Christians, who, he claimed in a radio address, represented the "new" in the church. Affirmed by the biggest voter turnout ever in a Protestant church election and soon ensconced in the bishops' seats of all but three of Germany's Protestant regional churches, in 1933 the movement seemed unstoppable." (pg. 7)

Protestant refers to Lutheran, Reformed,and united churches in the category of Evangelical churches (not quite the same as used here in the US today).(pg. 5) SO the German Christians were not a relative few, a sect, a cult, or the "not true" Christians but instead a vast number of the Christian population---all devoted to the elimination of Jews from culture, from the nation, and physically from the land of the living. How proud their Aryan Jesus (descended from Viking tribes in Galilee!!!) must be of Christianity in Germany!

This book documents the driving Christian force in Christian churches of Nazi Germany, and exposes the complicity of Christianity in the Holocaust. The everyday Germans did not sanctimoniously sit in the pews unaware of what was going on in the streets, ghettoes and camps. Jew hatred was a national endeavor taught from the pulpits, the teacher's lectern, and recited by the children of that Christian nation. Christians made up the armies, execution squads, and camp staffs who murdered men, women, children, and infants for their Nazi Christ and fatherland.

This book also reveals some of the religio-social mechanics that allow such failures in humanity. It can happen here.

Jesus taught repentence. Admission of guilt precedes correction and rejection of sin and evil. Christian? Read this book and start the process.

A great blend of photographs and the story of one war patrol. If you enjoyed U BOAT WARS by Buchheim then this is a must book.. Out of my 50 books on U Boats I would rank this in the top five...

One of the most interesting books on the U-Boat arm and the men who manned the boats. The author does a great job of writting the narrative to go with the huge collection of photo taken by a war photographer. The photos recently turned up and this book gives the reader a good perspective of what life ws like on a Type Vll U-Boat. Captained by Knights Cross winner, Reinhard "Teddy" Suhren, one of the most successful U-Boat commanders of the war, life aboard 564 was hard, but not without fun time. The patrol takes place in the summer of 1942, when U-Boats were still the hunters and not the hunted, so many interesting activities occured when the boat was on the surface. Suhren's greeting to fellow U-Boat Commander,Horst "Hein" Uphoff, of U-84,upon his return to Brest is funny and quite amazing, considering the time and place. A must read for all those interested in the Battle of the Atlantic.

This is an outstanding book on so many levels. Paterson has taken a set of long-lost photographs and painstakingly researched the details of the long war patrol on which they were taken. What emerges is a compeltely engrossing account of the U-boatman's war, with the daily routine described in as much detail as the terrifying moments of high drama. But this is also a human story, especially of the outstanding leadership qualities of the remarkable commander of U-564 at the time, Reinhard 'Teddy' Suhren. If you have even a passing interest in the 'Grey Wolves', you will enjoy this fantastic book. Very highly recommended.

I purchased the book "The U-Boat: The Evolution and Technical History of German Submarines" used [...]several months ago. The book was translated and published by the Naval Institute Press in 1981 (Hard Cover, 384 pages). The Original book by Eberhard Rossler has been published several times in Germany. The last publication was in 1996 by Bernhard & Graefe Verlang and the title is "Geschichte Des Deutchen Ubootbaus," Band 1 (Volume 1) and Band 2 (Volume 2) Hard Cover, 550 total pages, plus an additional 19 folded blue print sheets in the back of the books.

This Naval Institute Press book is difficult to read because of the size of the print type. This was done because of the volumes of information contained within the constraints of a single volume format. Throughout the book, the quality of the photographs don't meet the standards of books printed in modern print shops today. However, I believe Eberhard Rossler is the definitive expert when it comes to the German U-boat. This book covers the U-boat origins, W.W.I and W.W.II developments (and much more), and some information on NATO U-boats up until the mid 70's (1974). It wound be a fantastic book on U-boats, if a modern publisher would use the contents of the original German books and include all the separate blue prints.

I purchased my copy of the Naval Institute Press book in near mint condition for my personal library. In my opinion, this was a good investment.

Update:

The Cassell & Co re-printed edition 2002 is exactly the same as the Naval Press edition printed in 1989 (format and size). The new dust cover is excellent and the print is much sharper and darker. This book is an excellent buy for the U-Boat enthusiast.

Printer's Error:

The U-Boat drawing on page 118 is labeled as a "Type VII C". This is not correct! In fact, this error was also in the Naval Press edition printed in 1989. The German text edition printed in 1996 identifies it correctly as a "Type IX C" on page 169. The Type VII C never had two stern torpedo tubes side-by-site.

Don_

Excellent history of German Uboats. Highly recommended. A few more structural drawings showing engineering development would be nice.

This book is worth the money!
It dispells any myths and stories about u-boats, and tells the full story of consturtion and building problems more so in WWII.
A very good read for sub modellers!