Exploring the Bismarck

Time Quest

by Robert D. Ballard

"Titanic team finds Bismarck" ran the headlines on June 14, 1989, announcing Robert Ballard's discovery of the legendary World War II battleship. Using Argo, the same deep-sea camera sled that had discovered the wreck of the Titanic, Ballard and his team located the Bismarck sitting upright three miles beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. Argo's cameras captured brilliantly clear images of the Bismarck's huge guns pointing eerily upward and giant swastikas still defiantly emblazoned on her bow and stern decks. The story of the Bismarck is one of the most compelling sea sagas of World War II. By May of 1941, most of Europe had yielded to Hitler. Great Britain stood alone, kept alive by convoys of merchant ships bringing supplies from North America. Germany's battle strategy was to sever Britain's lifeline by attacking these convoys. On May 24, 1941, the Bismarck attacked the British battle cruiser Hood. Only three of the 1419 men aboard survived. An enraged Winston Churchill gave the memorable command to "sink the Bismarck" - mobilizing the British navy into the greatest sea chase of the war. And finally, on the morning of May 27, after intense shelling, the German battleship capsized and sank, taking the lives of over 2000 men. This book recreates in words and pictures the story of what was perhaps history's last great sea battle. It then gives an account of the thrilling discovery of the Bismarck wreck.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Robert Duane Ballard (born June 30, 1942 in Wichita, Kansas) is a former commander in the United States Navy and an oceanographer who is most noted for his work in underwater archaeology. He is most famous for the discoveries of the wrecks of the RMS Titanic in 1985, the battleship Bismarck in 1989, and the wreck of the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown in 1998. Most recently he discovered the wreck of John F. Kennedy's PT-109 in 2003 and visited the Solomon Islander natives who saved its crew. Ballard is also great-grandson of American Old West lawman Bat Masterson.

from wikipedia.org

see also
http://literati.net/Ballard/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/fie...
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/pa...

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a children's book grade 4-6

Exploring the Bismarck is great for adult as well! I'm curious about WWII, but I don't want a 400 page book with wall of letters. So this works for me. It's filled with photographs and illustrations. The book provides just the right amount of history of the Nazi warship and the journey to find the wreck.

In 1941, Bismarck sailed from occupied Poland to the Atlantic to sink merchant ships bringing supplies from North America to Great Britain. She was spotted by British Spitfire while over Bergen, Norway. Battles followed with thousands of lives lost.

Dr. Robert D Ballard's team found the Bismarck in 1989. They discovered the Titanic in 1985.

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource book for a mid level reader who is interested in the complex history of the Bismark. Filled with amazing photographs and illustrations, the reader will soon find themselves engrossed in the brief history of the Bismark. I didn't really care for the part when he talks about his son working with him, but the rest of the book is excellent. A great book to add to your world war 2 collection.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book in 7th grade when I picked it up at the school library. It was a good book, not too complicated, but not too simple. I was intrigued by the details and the images that the book had. I learned a lot about why the Royal Navy chased the Bismarck and how the Bismarck was eventually sunk. It was nice to be able to learn about one of history's greatest hunts. Finally bought it three years later from a secondhand dealer for only $3!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Afternoon read-aloud selection. Both kids gave it a 3...interesting enough. In general they really like this time quest series, but this particular subject just didn't have the glamour of some of the others, like the Titanic or Pompeii titles.

[Ingrid · Rating 2 out of 5]

the horrible adventures of crew members trying to survive on the shp called bismarck in these wild detailed descriptions.

[B.szoke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for children with vivid illustrations and something that caught my imagination both when I first read it as a child, and when I reread it as an adult.

[Kendal · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a crime against the English language that Corwin is so unknown. Read him, and fix that oversight!