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Iain Ballantyne

Goodreads Author

Born

in The United Kingdom

Website

https://www.bismarckbattle.com/

Twitter

@IBallantyn

Genre

History

Influences

Tom Wolfe
Edward L. Beach
...more

Member Since

February 2015

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'Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom - 80th anniversary edition' is Iain's latest book and an updated and expanded new version of the 2016 original, this time published both as an e-book and a shop paperback. His previous book was 'Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' (Sept 2019), also for Agora Books.

Although he has written several naval history books, including those on the Second World War and the Cold War, Iain Ballantyne has, during the course of his career as a journalist, editor, and author, also covered the activities of land forces.

Those assignments took him to Kuwait, Oman, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Hong Kong, sometimes during times of conflict. Iain has visited WW2 battlefields in company with those who fought 'Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom - 80th anniversary edition' is Iain's latest book and an updated and expanded new version of the 2016 original, this time published both as an e-book and a shop paperback. His previous book was 'Arnhem: Ten Days in The Cauldron' (Sept 2019), also for Agora Books.

Although he has written several naval history books, including those on the Second World War and the Cold War, Iain Ballantyne has, during the course of his career as a journalist, editor, and author, also covered the activities of land forces.

Those assignments took him to Kuwait, Oman, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Latvia, and Hong Kong, sometimes during times of conflict. Iain has visited WW2 battlefields in company with those who fought there as young men, while also spending hours in conversation with Arnhem veterans.

As a teenager, Iain embarked on an expedition to follow the course of the Rhine, including a pilgrimage to Oosterbeek and Arnhem. He retraced the route of the British Airborne soldiers in 1944 as they tried to take the famous ‘bridge too far’.

Iain Ballantyne’s assignments as a writer on naval affairs have taken him from the Arctic to mine infested waters off war-torn Kuwait, aboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier off Libya, into the South China Sea and below the Irish Sea in a hunter-killer submarine.

Iain has contributed to coverage of naval and military issues in national and regional newspapers, and provided analysis and commentaries for radio and television, as well as prestigious publications by NATO and the Royal Navy.

His most recent naval history book was 'The Deadly Trade: The Complete History of Submarine Warfare from Archimedes to the Present' (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2018). It was published in the USA in December 2018, as 'The Deadly Deep' (Pegasus Books).

Iain's other books include ‘Hunter Killers’ (Orion, 2013), which was published in the USA in September 2019 as 'Undersea Warriors' (Pegasus Books).

Iain won a Mountbatten Certificate of Merit for his action-packed depiction of the pursuit and destruction of Hitler's flagship as recounted in ‘Killing the Bismarck’ (Pen & Sword, 2010).

In 2017 he was awarded a Fellowship by the UK’s Maritime Foundation. One of its top annual awards, it recognised Iain’s immense contribution to the maritime cause since 1990, as a journalist, author of naval history books and Editor of 'WARSHIPS International Fleet Review' magazine from 1998 to the present. ...more

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Did you write two books on the Bismarck, and if so, why?

Iain Ballantyne Deep apologies Michael. I should have answered this a year ago, but I have no excuse other than being kept unfeasibly busy by writing 'The Deadly Trad…moreDeep apologies Michael. I should have answered this a year ago, but I have no excuse other than being kept unfeasibly busy by writing 'The Deadly Trade' - a mammoth effort, from which I am now recovering!

On the Bismarck books, the first one grew out of an earlier book. In 2001 my first book was 'Warspite' (about the legendary British battleship) and as with the subsequent 'HMS London' (2002) and 'HMS Rodney' (2008) I met and interviewed dozens of war veterans, as well as writing to many more...

Those three books were created to give the sailors and Royal Marines who may well have never told their stories before a place on the record in history. I also did substantial research in UK naval museums.

When researching 'HMS Rodney' in the museums and talking to veterans I uncovered some interesting material that I realised had never been in print before about the Royal Navy side of the Bismarck Action, especially the final battle. During a discussion with my publisher it was agreed that I could hold most of that Bismarck material back from 'HMS Rodney' to form the core of 'Killing the Bismarck', which was published in 2010.

It was a different kind of book for me too, not a biography of a famous warship and her men down the ages, but a look at new angles in the familiar story of the legendary chase and destruction of Bismarck.

The second book - 'Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom' (2016) - was a follow on to that one and itself grew out of on-camera interviews I conducted with a tight band of brothers (UK and one Canadian) naval veterans from HMS Rodney, HMS Cossack, HMS Dorsetshire and an Ark Royal air squadron.

It is deliberately a stripped back book, composed primarily of their testimony of what it felt like to fight in that battle, presented as close as possible to the raw state of what they said on camera. It is cinematic and very tight.

It surely represented my last opportunity to write a book based primarily on my own contact face-to-face with WW2 veterans - it was always an honour to meet and talk to them and find out about their lives and times at war (and often in peace)...direct from source...from the men who saw history being created with their own eyes, who knew what it was really like to be plunged into some of the most epic sea battles in history.

Actually I did get some fresh material from WW2 veterans in 'The Deadly Trade' too, which was an unexpected thrill - from new interviews and also from past ones that I found were suddenly relevant to the massive story that book tells.(less)

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How do you deal with writer’s block?

Iain Ballantyne Tempting fate...but don't get it. I work my way around any roadblocks, go for a walk, have a catnap or watch a movie. A glass of red may help or a bou…moreTempting fate...but don't get it. I work my way around any roadblocks, go for a walk, have a catnap or watch a movie. A glass of red may help or a bourbon on the rocks!(less)

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Iain Ballantyne’s books

Average rating: 4.15 · 2,448 ratings · 181 reviews · 26 distinct works • Similar authors

	Killing the Bismarck: Destroying the Pride of Hitler's Fleet 4.12 avg rating — 956 ratings — published 2010 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bismarck: 24 Hours to Doom 4.02 avg rating — 362 ratings — published 2016 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Warspite: Warships of the Royal Navy 4.17 avg rating — 318 ratings — published 2001 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hunter Killers 4.29 avg rating — 269 ratings — published 2013 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	H.M.S. Rodney: Warships of the Royal Navy 4.33 avg rating — 218 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Deadly Trade: A History of Submarine Warfare 4.10 avg rating — 156 ratings — published 2018 — 10 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Arnhem: Ten Days in the Cauldron 4.32 avg rating — 72 ratings — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Undersea Warriors: The Untold History of the Royal Navy's Secret Service 3.89 avg rating — 36 ratings — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	HMS London: Warships of the Royal Navy 4.17 avg rating — 23 ratings — published 2002 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	H.M.S. Rodney: The Famous Ships of the Royal Navy Series 3.91 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2008 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Iain Ballantyne's Blog

A ship for the ages: new expanded paperback edition of ‘HMS London’

Delighted to share for the first time the cover of the forthcoming paperback edition of my book ‘H.M.S. London’, published by Pen and Sword Books, which has revised and fresh words, plus new and upgraded imagery.

It was originally published in 2003, but a lot has happened since then, yielding developments in the ship’s past narrative while a decision to build a new HMS London means the story stretc

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