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The Sinking of the Bismark
The Bismark was the greatest warship ever built, with guns so powerful and accurate it could destroy an enemy ship while safely staying outside the line of fire. But the Allies had to sink it…or risk losing the war. William Shirer, famed World War II correspondent and author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, captures every suspenseful moment of the perilous mission. Most tragic of all was the loss of the HMS Hood, the British Navy’s star battleship, sunk by the Bismark in just minutes. However, a mixture of luck and new technology—including radar—turned the tide in the Allies’ favor.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1962
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About the author
William L. Shirer
90 books1,250 followersWilliam Lawrence Shirer was an American journalist and historian. He became known for his broadcasts on CBS from the German capital of Berlin through the first year of World War II.
Shirer first became famous through his account of those years in his Berlin Diary (published in 1941), but his greatest achievement was his 1960 book, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, originally published by Simon & Schuster. This book of well over 1000 pages is still in print, and is a detailed examination of the Third Reich filled with historical information from German archives captured at the end of the war, along with impressions Shirer gained during his days as a correspondent in Berlin. Later, in 1969, his work The Collapse of the Third Republic drew on his experience spent living and working in France from 1925 to 1933. This work is filled with historical information about the Battle of France from the secret orders and reports of the French High Command and of the commanding generals of the field. Shirer also used the memoirs, journals, and diaries of the prominent British, Italian, Spanish, and French figures in government, Parliament, the Army, and diplomacy.
Shirer first became famous through his account of those years in his Berlin Diary (published in 1941), but his greatest achievement was his 1960 book, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, originally published by Simon & Schuster. This book of well over 1000 pages is still in print, and is a detailed examination of the Third Reich filled with historical information from German archives captured at the end of the war, along with impressions Shirer gained during his days as a correspondent in Berlin. Later, in 1969, his work The Collapse of the Third Republic drew on his experience spent living and working in France from 1925 to 1933. This work is filled with historical information about the Battle of France from the secret orders and reports of the French High Command and of the commanding generals of the field. Shirer also used the memoirs, journals, and diaries of the prominent British, Italian, Spanish, and French figures in government, Parliament, the Army, and diplomacy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
July 5, 2016
"Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win." thus made English football legend Gary Lineker his famous speech on the invincibility of the German national football team. After going through William Shirer's book on one of the greatest naval battles in history, the thought flashed upon my mind that war is a brutal game in which the battling nations fight with one another with maddening ferocity and at the end the British wins. Be it the destruction of the invincible Spanish armada or the victory against Napoleon's army or the bloody Indian mutiny or the Crimean war or the Falklands war, at the end the English flag always flies high in the battlefield. The Bismark episode offers no exception. By a very uncanny stroke of luck at the eleventh hour , a single Swordfish bi-plane enabled to damage and cripple the mightiest German battleship on 26th May , 1941 , while the entire British fleet almost had given up hope to find and sink Bismark and to avenge the disaster of HMS Hood , the mightiest British battleship at the hands of Bismark.
One would be really astonished to learn that it had taken eight battleships and battle cruisers, two aircraft carriers, four heavy cruisers, seven light cruisers, twenty one destroyers and six submarines to help find the Bismark and sink her !!!! As fortune always favors the braves, so this huge enterprise and perseverance of the British fleet to achieve its goal did not go down as another fruitless endeavor. Instead the battle of Bismark has forever secured its place in the annals of naval warfare history as one of the most unique naval battles in which fortune left the hand of the Germans at the very last moment and put the victor's crown on the head of the English .
One would be really astonished to learn that it had taken eight battleships and battle cruisers, two aircraft carriers, four heavy cruisers, seven light cruisers, twenty one destroyers and six submarines to help find the Bismark and sink her !!!! As fortune always favors the braves, so this huge enterprise and perseverance of the British fleet to achieve its goal did not go down as another fruitless endeavor. Instead the battle of Bismark has forever secured its place in the annals of naval warfare history as one of the most unique naval battles in which fortune left the hand of the Germans at the very last moment and put the victor's crown on the head of the English .
October 31, 2020
The Bismarck was arguably the difference-maker in naval dominance going into World War II. This “accessible” account of Nazi Germany’s efforts to get this battleship out of the North Sea and into Atlantic Ocean warfare is right for those who want to know something more than the fact that the effort failed and the Bismarck was sunk.
In less than 200 easily read pages, Shirer gives us as much detail about the “hunt” as most of us will ever want. His talents as a chronicler of this era are known far and wide for his Berlin Diary and The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Photos, timelines, maps and “breakout” pieces lavishly support this short book.
I learned so much about the state of the British Navy, the changing strategies employed by the Bismarck and the ships that pursued it and how close that battleship came to winning the encounter: “…British commanders would have agreed with (the Bismarck’s) Admiral Luetjens on one thing. If the Bismarck could not be located this day then she was safe. A great German naval victory would have been completed. With the Hood unavenged, the British would have suffered a complete defeat---in fact, a disaster.”
From insights into the key players, to tactics and mistakes, to implications of this “hunt,” I absorbed a lot of information in a very short read. If I had to say what provided the greatest impact, it was that this encounter was the harbinger of the shift in naval thinking from the battleship to the aircraft carrier as being the centerpiece of future naval strategy.
In less than 200 easily read pages, Shirer gives us as much detail about the “hunt” as most of us will ever want. His talents as a chronicler of this era are known far and wide for his Berlin Diary and The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. Photos, timelines, maps and “breakout” pieces lavishly support this short book.
I learned so much about the state of the British Navy, the changing strategies employed by the Bismarck and the ships that pursued it and how close that battleship came to winning the encounter: “…British commanders would have agreed with (the Bismarck’s) Admiral Luetjens on one thing. If the Bismarck could not be located this day then she was safe. A great German naval victory would have been completed. With the Hood unavenged, the British would have suffered a complete defeat---in fact, a disaster.”
From insights into the key players, to tactics and mistakes, to implications of this “hunt,” I absorbed a lot of information in a very short read. If I had to say what provided the greatest impact, it was that this encounter was the harbinger of the shift in naval thinking from the battleship to the aircraft carrier as being the centerpiece of future naval strategy.
June 19, 2022
Nothing on my nightstand fit my mood last evening, so I picked this one out of my pile of recent finds at the library. I did not close the book until 1:00AM when I turned the last page
Originally published in 1962, the writing is not the best, but the story is so riveting. At only 176 pages it was not hard to read in one sitting. However, had it been longer I probably still would have fought off sleep.
The Bismarck, a German battleship, was considered the greatest and deadliest battle ship to ever enter war. On May 20th, 1941 she left a fjord in Norway to slink out into the Atlantic and wreck havoc on the British merchant ships. The British Home Fleet was determined to stop her. A chase, which was riddled with human error on both sides, began. Due to weather conditions and human error it took the core (more than 90%) of the British war vessels to find and catch the ship the German's believed unsinkable.
Recommended highly for history buffs and thrill seekers.
Originally published in 1962, the writing is not the best, but the story is so riveting. At only 176 pages it was not hard to read in one sitting. However, had it been longer I probably still would have fought off sleep.
The Bismarck, a German battleship, was considered the greatest and deadliest battle ship to ever enter war. On May 20th, 1941 she left a fjord in Norway to slink out into the Atlantic and wreck havoc on the British merchant ships. The British Home Fleet was determined to stop her. A chase, which was riddled with human error on both sides, began. Due to weather conditions and human error it took the core (more than 90%) of the British war vessels to find and catch the ship the German's believed unsinkable.
Recommended highly for history buffs and thrill seekers.
October 27, 2011
Nothing beats a good old WWII nonfiction book in my opinion. Easily one of the most interesting naval stories of WWII, the hunt for the Bismark truly turned the tides of the war. There are so many facts in this book, all of which are relevant and accurate, but the author presents it in such a way that I find fascinating. Being a 13 year old, its not easy for me to describe a nonfiction book as such; most are either pure facts or are kindergarten level. It's always nice to find a book you can read as a novel but learn as much as an informative book.
After giving an introduction as to how the Bismark became to become such a significant figure in the war, the author orates about the facts and adds in a little of his personal experience too. This book made me realize how much different WWII would have turned out if the Bismark had not been reprimanded and sunken. We could be talking about the Nazi's having the advantage in the sea which would've definitely carried over to the land and air forces.
Overall this is a great book and I recommend it for both senior and novice readers diving into history books as it will give you a very good first impression. I was so pulled into the book I sort of hoped it would be longer, but still a great book nonetheless.
December 1, 2009
I read this book over the space of two weeks with my four elementary school children (3 boys, 1 girl) and it was very well received by all of them. Given the author (William Shirer - The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich) it should be no surprise that it is very well written and contains a good balance of drama, historical detail and the tension of combat on the high seas. Though written primarily for children, I would recommend it for anyone who wants a concise (and entertaining!) description of a turning point in World War 2 or naval combat in the twilight of the battleship.
July 22, 2022
Standard narrative of the hunt for the Bismarck, most of which I knew. There was an interesting accounting of the U-366's attempt to stop the torpedo attack by the Ark Royal's planes that I didn't know, and also that it was their periscope that caused the British to break off their rescue work.
Have read other books on the same topic, which seemed to delve into the battle in a more compelling way.
Have read other books on the same topic, which seemed to delve into the battle in a more compelling way.
November 22, 2013
The title of my book is "The Sinking of the Bismarck: The deadly Hunt". The Author of the book is William Shirer. The year of the book is was published in 1962. The book did not win a literary award. My opinion about the is great book and people should read it.
The setting of the story is a German battleship fighting in world war 2.The protagonist Admiral Guenther Luetjens and crew in the Bismarck. Admiral luetjens like how his Bismarck in battle. Luetjens got lost a couple of times and being attack.
The problem with Luetjens was that he was being attack by the British Navy.
The setting of the story is a German battleship fighting in world war 2.The protagonist Admiral Guenther Luetjens and crew in the Bismarck. Admiral luetjens like how his Bismarck in battle. Luetjens got lost a couple of times and being attack.
The problem with Luetjens was that he was being attack by the British Navy.
January 22, 2024
I read this book as a kid. In the Sixties it was published as a hardcover book geared to Young Adults. I believe that had more to do with the length of the book than the subject or writing.
A very thrilling account of the week long chase to sink the most powerful battleship the Germans produced in WWII.
Growing up in the Sixties we were exposed to a log of information about WW2 whether books, movies, TV shows. I was born just a few years after the war ended and most of us had fathers and uncles who all served in the War.
There was even a popular song named "Sink the Bismarck" by Country Honky Tonk singer Johnny Horton which became a big hit.
I still remember my best friend in Kindergarten singing the song in front of the class!:)
A very thrilling account of the week long chase to sink the most powerful battleship the Germans produced in WWII.
Growing up in the Sixties we were exposed to a log of information about WW2 whether books, movies, TV shows. I was born just a few years after the war ended and most of us had fathers and uncles who all served in the War.
There was even a popular song named "Sink the Bismarck" by Country Honky Tonk singer Johnny Horton which became a big hit.
I still remember my best friend in Kindergarten singing the song in front of the class!:)
January 29, 2024
At the time, the Bismarck was the greatest warship ever built. The pride of Nazi Germany's navy, the ship was new, huge, and with 2400 sailors and crew, thought to be virtually indestructible. This exciting account by war correspondent, William Shirer, documents the ship's short life and destruction at the hands of the British navy.
November 25, 2022
Shirer is one of the greatest historians of World War II - he has helped me understand this tragic time more than any other historian.
September 30, 2013
Great book for middle grade readers that history-inclined adults will want to read alongside. The biggest recommendation is from my son. He's an excellent but not avid reader - just reads at bedtime. Nothing but Harry Potter and Rick Riordan gets him reading during the day. Until the tale of finding and sinking Germany's most deadly ship in the wide North Atlantic. He brought it to the kitchen table yesterday, and this morning he snuck up to our office so his sister wouldn't find him while he finished it. That's a five star rec.
As a former military officer, I knew the broad outlines of the Sinking of the Bismarck (Germany's most deadly warship) in the early days of WWII, but the details and tension in this book were riveting. The author was a reporter forced to flee Nazi Germany in 1940 - he had even seen the Bismarck while it was being built. He went on to author the famous The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich which I'm now going to move onto my adult TBR pile because this middle-grade book was so fabulous. If William Shirer can make a chase through the North Atlantic this exciting for kids, I can't wait to see what he can do for the sweep of the war itself.
Nice amount of period photos and maps. As clearly written and compelling as Stephen Ambrose, although at a simpler level more appropriate for middle grader readers, and more tightly focused than some of Stephen Ambrose's work, but I would think this is a good entry point for a kid who like nonfiction, history or heroic true stories.
Also good for airplane crazy kids - surprise! I hadn't realized the sinking of the Bismarck was the first naval engagement where air power played a significant part, and also perhaps one of the last uses of biplanes in warfare. The many plane-crazy kids in Boeing land out here will find something interesting in this book too.
As a former military officer, I knew the broad outlines of the Sinking of the Bismarck (Germany's most deadly warship) in the early days of WWII, but the details and tension in this book were riveting. The author was a reporter forced to flee Nazi Germany in 1940 - he had even seen the Bismarck while it was being built. He went on to author the famous The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich which I'm now going to move onto my adult TBR pile because this middle-grade book was so fabulous. If William Shirer can make a chase through the North Atlantic this exciting for kids, I can't wait to see what he can do for the sweep of the war itself.
Nice amount of period photos and maps. As clearly written and compelling as Stephen Ambrose, although at a simpler level more appropriate for middle grader readers, and more tightly focused than some of Stephen Ambrose's work, but I would think this is a good entry point for a kid who like nonfiction, history or heroic true stories.
Also good for airplane crazy kids - surprise! I hadn't realized the sinking of the Bismarck was the first naval engagement where air power played a significant part, and also perhaps one of the last uses of biplanes in warfare. The many plane-crazy kids in Boeing land out here will find something interesting in this book too.
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February 29, 2016I was very entertained by the book "The Deadly Hunt" by William L. Shirer.This book was entertaining and understandable. Even though this book would've been better if it wasn't just about going to war and shooting your weapons and all that. This book is very good and it has a lot of action. Just like in a movie! But these aren't really my type of books. I like books that are nonfiction and that have comedy in them.
The book "The Deadly Hunt" is about the biggest warship ever built which was called the Bismarck. The deadly hunt follows several groups of British ships as they chase down German battleship. The allies had to sink it or risk losing the war. However, a mixture of luck and new technology turned the tide in the allies favor.
I recommend "The Deadly Hunt" to people that are very into history. If you like science, and social studies, then this book is for you. This qualifies for young readers such as 12+. Adults would like this book. Especially social studies teachers.
The book "The Deadly Hunt" is about the biggest warship ever built which was called the Bismarck. The deadly hunt follows several groups of British ships as they chase down German battleship. The allies had to sink it or risk losing the war. However, a mixture of luck and new technology turned the tide in the allies favor.
I recommend "The Deadly Hunt" to people that are very into history. If you like science, and social studies, then this book is for you. This qualifies for young readers such as 12+. Adults would like this book. Especially social studies teachers.
June 27, 2015
This book was originally written in 1962 and that is the one that I read. It was republished more recently and I am thrilled that it has been. The author sets out the scene of the battle(s) and explains what happened in language I could easily understand. The photos and maps are fantastic, and help in the reality of what occurred. He also, without being overly critical, notes the errors made on both sides at varying times of the hunt for the Bismarck and the engagements. WOW. The Bismarck, and the Hood, have been interests of mine for a long time. Although I have done some research, and knew of some of the facts, this book filed in a lot of the missing information for me.
December 17, 2015
I think this book was very descriptive, and informative. This book is named "The Sinking of the Bismarck". It was wrote by William L. Shirer. This is one of my favorite nonfiction books out there so I gave it 4 stars! The reason I think this is such a great book is because of how its nonfiction and informative but not dull. It takes place in the Atlantic Ocean in 1941. Keep in mind, this was right in the middle of
World War 2
. The Bismarck was bigger than any other ship of its time, which had been against the national rules. It had sunk England's biggest ship. So, England decided to take it down. It was sunk March 29, 1941.
July 31, 2008
i read it in the early 70's while humming the song in my head. my father had me sit through the movie a couple times and i had to find out more about this massive ship. i rate it for the time i read it. i do not know if i would rate it so highly now. i know there are far better books on the Bismarck out on the market today. i did meet a sailor of the ship, he did the midwest military shows, selling signed photographs, to make a living. i felt it was a honor to meet him--he was a teenager on the ship. to live through such a time in history, when so many died around you.
February 4, 2017
The book "The Deadly Hunt" by William Sheirer is about one of the greatest battle ships of all time, The Bizmark , The Bizmark was one of the Germans main ships in its fleet. This book is all about the chase and the sinking of the giant ship. Admiral Tovy was one of the people who focused on its sink. Tovy went through many struggles because of finding and failing to sink the bizmark. It sank the HMS Hood and disappeared and later found by some of the British cruisers just to disappear again, eventually found and sank by Toby's massive fleet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 20, 2020
While I felt that this book was aimed at younger readers, I still found the narrative enthralling. Not only is it all entirely accurate, but the writing style pulled me into the story in a way I was not expecting. I read it cover-to-cover in a few hours and would have read it in one sitting if I hadn't other things I needed to do. There were times when I began to feel slightly lost amongst all the names of admirals, officers, battleships, destroyers, etc. But I still found it to be a captivating read.
April 26, 2011
A nice, high level description of the sinking of the Bismarck. I'd known the general story, but this filled in a lot of details that made the story even more interesting.
I had no idea how much was at stake and how close the Germans came to changing the whole complexion of the war,if the Bismarck would have escaped. It most likely would have broken the back of British navy and created a huge shift of momentum to the Nazi's.
I had no idea how much was at stake and how close the Germans came to changing the whole complexion of the war,if the Bismarck would have escaped. It most likely would have broken the back of British navy and created a huge shift of momentum to the Nazi's.
August 19, 2015
I think this book was good because I liked how there was a lot of action. It is a true story and included pictures of the actual Captains for each battleship. You would like this story if you enjoy reading about WWII. There is also a lot of information about the weapons that were used. I also liked that there were maps to show where the battleships were located and how far they were from the Bismark. This is a book anyone who reads will love.
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September 30, 2009Obviously I did not read this book in a Middle Eastern language, but it is the only edition on Goodreads.
October 30, 2009
After seeing the movie, I read up on the history. This was very well written and informative.
November 26, 2011
Very suspenseful book, you want to keep reading it and not put it down.
April 28, 2014
Good short book on the sinking of the Bismark. I did not know that this ship would have been such a game changer if it had gotten away.
November 12, 2014
تا جایی که می دونم کلا دو کتاب به فارسی در باره غرق شدن بیسمارک ترجمه شده .ولی این یکی واقعا خوندنی و جالب بود
February 24, 2019
I found this book to be quite engaging.
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March 6, 2017Fantastic Story.
February 6, 2024
Full disclosure: military history is not a genre I am usually interested in. The only reason I read this book is because when I saw the title in my BookBub email, I immediately started hearing the words to the very old Johnny Horton song "Sink the Bismarck". My parents had the record that song was on and I listened to it many, many times as a child. It's a great song and if you haven't heard it, you can find it on YouTube, but I warn you - it will get in your head on repeat once you hear it because it is catchy.
Anyway, I was curious if the full story of the sinking of this infamous German battleship was as exciting as the song was and since the library had the book I decided to find out. My verdict is that yes, the story has some very interesting parts to it, notably the vast number of "dumb luck" moments that ultimately affected the outcome of this Atlantic-wide pitched battle between Britain and Germany on both sides. There are many things that happened that made me think "Wow, who knew there was so much that could have changed the course of history here; human error, bad weather, mechanical issues - the list goes on".
The bottom line, as anyone who can Google knows is that the British sank the Bismarck, but boy did it take some doing. This quote from the book sums it up nicely: "Thus the chase ended. It had taken the British navy a week to bring it to a successful conclusion. It had taken eight battleships and battle cruisers, two aircraft carriers, four heavy cruisers, seven light cruisers, twenty-one destroyers and six submarines to help find the Bismarck and sink her. In the process each side had lost her mightiest warship."
This book is short, but the writing is a bit clunky at times, and for those of us unfamiliar with naval equipment and processes, some of the description is more than you are really interested in. But with all that, I am glad I read the book as it did give me an appreciation for just how determined the British navy was to sink the Bismarck.
I still think the song is more thrilling, but the book was definitely an interesting "the rest of the story".
Anyway, I was curious if the full story of the sinking of this infamous German battleship was as exciting as the song was and since the library had the book I decided to find out. My verdict is that yes, the story has some very interesting parts to it, notably the vast number of "dumb luck" moments that ultimately affected the outcome of this Atlantic-wide pitched battle between Britain and Germany on both sides. There are many things that happened that made me think "Wow, who knew there was so much that could have changed the course of history here; human error, bad weather, mechanical issues - the list goes on".
The bottom line, as anyone who can Google knows is that the British sank the Bismarck, but boy did it take some doing. This quote from the book sums it up nicely: "Thus the chase ended. It had taken the British navy a week to bring it to a successful conclusion. It had taken eight battleships and battle cruisers, two aircraft carriers, four heavy cruisers, seven light cruisers, twenty-one destroyers and six submarines to help find the Bismarck and sink her. In the process each side had lost her mightiest warship."
This book is short, but the writing is a bit clunky at times, and for those of us unfamiliar with naval equipment and processes, some of the description is more than you are really interested in. But with all that, I am glad I read the book as it did give me an appreciation for just how determined the British navy was to sink the Bismarck.
I still think the song is more thrilling, but the book was definitely an interesting "the rest of the story".
May 9, 2025
The Sinking of the Bismarck by William L. Shirer:
William L. Shirer is known for his epic Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, which details the history of Nazi Germany. Shirer, an American news correspondent in Berlin, had a first hand look into Hitler's regime and had to ultimately flee for his life. I read it several years ago, and it's worth the read. I also have his copy of The Collapse of the Third Republic, which is about France and her surrender in World War II. I started it years ago but never finished.
The Sinking of the Bismarck is about Britain's naval struggle against the mightiest battleship of all time, the Bismarck. These were dark days for Britain, France had fallen, America was not yet in the war, and the British stood alone. They had been virtually kicked out of Europe, were under constant bombing raids by the Luftwaffe, and were sustaining defeat after defeat at sea. They desperately needed a victory.
It took everything they had, including the mightiest ship in the British Navy, the HMS Hood. and various other ships and aircraft to bring the mighty ship down. The Hood was lost early in the struggle, and of the 1,400 men onboard, only 3 survived. Ironically, when the Bismarck was sunk, the British, despite under threat of U-boats and German aircraft, were able to save a couple scores of German sailors. This was an epic struggle in a desperate and dark time for the world.
The Bismarck lives on and has been immortalized in Johnny Horton's song, 'Sink the Bismarck". It was the greatest battleship ever and the last German ship to enter the seas in World War II. Shirer brings the story to life in this short book, which only spans 170 pages, and is far shorter than his other works. This book is concise and direct, there isn't much detail or backstory. You must have a strong understanding of World War II and a decent understanding of naval warfare. Luckily, I have quite a bit of the former and just enough of the latter.
This was a great read, but could have been expanded upon.
William L. Shirer is known for his epic Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, which details the history of Nazi Germany. Shirer, an American news correspondent in Berlin, had a first hand look into Hitler's regime and had to ultimately flee for his life. I read it several years ago, and it's worth the read. I also have his copy of The Collapse of the Third Republic, which is about France and her surrender in World War II. I started it years ago but never finished.
The Sinking of the Bismarck is about Britain's naval struggle against the mightiest battleship of all time, the Bismarck. These were dark days for Britain, France had fallen, America was not yet in the war, and the British stood alone. They had been virtually kicked out of Europe, were under constant bombing raids by the Luftwaffe, and were sustaining defeat after defeat at sea. They desperately needed a victory.
It took everything they had, including the mightiest ship in the British Navy, the HMS Hood. and various other ships and aircraft to bring the mighty ship down. The Hood was lost early in the struggle, and of the 1,400 men onboard, only 3 survived. Ironically, when the Bismarck was sunk, the British, despite under threat of U-boats and German aircraft, were able to save a couple scores of German sailors. This was an epic struggle in a desperate and dark time for the world.
The Bismarck lives on and has been immortalized in Johnny Horton's song, 'Sink the Bismarck". It was the greatest battleship ever and the last German ship to enter the seas in World War II. Shirer brings the story to life in this short book, which only spans 170 pages, and is far shorter than his other works. This book is concise and direct, there isn't much detail or backstory. You must have a strong understanding of World War II and a decent understanding of naval warfare. Luckily, I have quite a bit of the former and just enough of the latter.
This was a great read, but could have been expanded upon.
February 17, 2024
I really enjoyed this short book on the sinking of the battleship Bismarck during WWII. It’s an interesting read mainly to see how plans, mistakes, surprises, and choices all come together to bring an outcome in unexpected ways. Some points about the story:
1. The British made the choice to send nearly all of their ships towards the Bismarck when they located its position. In the process abandoning some convoys, or nearly abandoning anyway. This worked out, even though in 1942 the Atlantic was infested with U-Boats. Had it not worked out, the British would have been savaged by the British public.
2. The Bismarck sank the HMS Hood in a battle that lasted just seventeen minutes when a shell struck what the British knew was a weak point in the ship (but had done nothing to address). A shell struck the armory creating a massive explosion tearing the ship in half. There were only three survivors.
3. The Bismarck was damaged by what was essentially a lucky shot by a torpedo dropped from a biplane! It destroyed her rudder and damaged her steering leaving her to be destroyed by the British as she was helpless even though she could still fire her guns. A ship that cannot steer is a ship that will be destroyed.
Good read.
1. The British made the choice to send nearly all of their ships towards the Bismarck when they located its position. In the process abandoning some convoys, or nearly abandoning anyway. This worked out, even though in 1942 the Atlantic was infested with U-Boats. Had it not worked out, the British would have been savaged by the British public.
2. The Bismarck sank the HMS Hood in a battle that lasted just seventeen minutes when a shell struck what the British knew was a weak point in the ship (but had done nothing to address). A shell struck the armory creating a massive explosion tearing the ship in half. There were only three survivors.
3. The Bismarck was damaged by what was essentially a lucky shot by a torpedo dropped from a biplane! It destroyed her rudder and damaged her steering leaving her to be destroyed by the British as she was helpless even though she could still fire her guns. A ship that cannot steer is a ship that will be destroyed.
Good read.
March 28, 2021
Bismarck Lost and Found
William Shirer offers a concise account of a momentous moment for the British during WW II. Although Shirer does provide a few maps depicting location and relationship to each other of the Bismarck and the British ships his book is not so much of strategy and tactics, but more of what a large part luck can play in some of the world’s biggest moments. The Bismarck was no Titanic. She did not want to go down, and were it not for a bit of that luck throughout the chase she might not have slipped beneath the waves. The Bismarck proves her worthiness when she sinks the Hood the best of the English fleet. It is with a bit of luck (perhaps a lot of luck) that a British torpedo happens to find the Bismarck rudder. Shirer brings everything together to the great satisfaction of this reader. He captures the persistance and dogged determination of the British commanders as well as the determination of the German commander not to go down and certainly not to surrender.
William Shirer offers a concise account of a momentous moment for the British during WW II. Although Shirer does provide a few maps depicting location and relationship to each other of the Bismarck and the British ships his book is not so much of strategy and tactics, but more of what a large part luck can play in some of the world’s biggest moments. The Bismarck was no Titanic. She did not want to go down, and were it not for a bit of that luck throughout the chase she might not have slipped beneath the waves. The Bismarck proves her worthiness when she sinks the Hood the best of the English fleet. It is with a bit of luck (perhaps a lot of luck) that a British torpedo happens to find the Bismarck rudder. Shirer brings everything together to the great satisfaction of this reader. He captures the persistance and dogged determination of the British commanders as well as the determination of the German commander not to go down and certainly not to surrender.
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