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The Iron Pirate
The crack German heavy cruiser Prinz Luitpold had always been lucky in battle. To the beleaguered army on the Baltic coast she was their one remaining symbol of hope. But it is the summer of 1944, and on every front the war is going badly for Germany.
When the order comes to leave the Baltic to attack and destroy enemy shipping in the Atlantic, Kapitan zur See Dieter Hechler knows that once out in the vast killing ground it will only be a matter of time before the hunter becomes the hunted.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
About the author
Douglas Reeman
143 books179 followersAKA Alexander Kent.
Douglas Edward Reeman was a British author who has written many historical fiction books on the Royal Navy, mainly set during either World War II or the Napoleonic Wars.
Reeman joined the Royal Navy in 1940, at the age of 16, and served during World War II and the Korean War. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant. In addition to being an author, Reeman has also taught the art of navigation for yachting and served as a technical advisor for films. Douglas married author Kimberley Jordan Reeman in 1985.
Reeman's debut novel, A Prayer for the Ship was published in 1958. His pseudonym Alexander Kent was the name of a friend and naval officer who died during the Second World War. Reeman is most famous for his series of Napoleonic naval stories, whose central character is Richard Bolitho, and, later, his nephew, Adam. He also wrote a series of novels about several generations of the Blackwood family who served in the Royal Marines from the 1850s to the 1970s, and a non-fiction account of his World War II experiences, D-Day : A Personal Reminiscence (1984).
Series:
* Blackwood Family
Douglas Edward Reeman was a British author who has written many historical fiction books on the Royal Navy, mainly set during either World War II or the Napoleonic Wars.
Reeman joined the Royal Navy in 1940, at the age of 16, and served during World War II and the Korean War. He eventually rose to the rank of lieutenant. In addition to being an author, Reeman has also taught the art of navigation for yachting and served as a technical advisor for films. Douglas married author Kimberley Jordan Reeman in 1985.
Reeman's debut novel, A Prayer for the Ship was published in 1958. His pseudonym Alexander Kent was the name of a friend and naval officer who died during the Second World War. Reeman is most famous for his series of Napoleonic naval stories, whose central character is Richard Bolitho, and, later, his nephew, Adam. He also wrote a series of novels about several generations of the Blackwood family who served in the Royal Marines from the 1850s to the 1970s, and a non-fiction account of his World War II experiences, D-Day : A Personal Reminiscence (1984).
Series:
* Blackwood Family
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 18, 2022
The German heavy cruiser 'Prinz Luitpold' has always been lucky in battle. In the summer of 1944, as the war is going badly for Germany on every front, she is ordered to leave the Baltic to attack and destroy enemy shipping in the Atlantic. Kapitan sur See Dieter Hechler knows that once out in this vast killing ground it will be a matter of time before the hunter becomes the hunted. Hechler's problems only increase when a glory-hunting Admiral arrives onboard with some mysterious boxes and a beautiful girl pilot. The 'Prinz' will need all of her legendary luck to survive.
This is a typical Reeman book, a courageous but damaged Captain who is given a hopeless task and must fight his superiors as well as the enemy, who meets a woman in unlikely circumstances and falls in love. The fact that the book is written about a German ship gives it a little more interest as does the fact that the action takes place so late in the conflict when most of the participants, on both sides, are thinking about what will happen to them once the war is over.
As usual the action is fast paced and unrelenting if not particularly realistic, but I also felt that it was predictable and formulaic which might please the author's currant fans it won't do much to attract new readers.
This is a typical Reeman book, a courageous but damaged Captain who is given a hopeless task and must fight his superiors as well as the enemy, who meets a woman in unlikely circumstances and falls in love. The fact that the book is written about a German ship gives it a little more interest as does the fact that the action takes place so late in the conflict when most of the participants, on both sides, are thinking about what will happen to them once the war is over.
As usual the action is fast paced and unrelenting if not particularly realistic, but I also felt that it was predictable and formulaic which might please the author's currant fans it won't do much to attract new readers.
January 26, 2018
Another good Reeman WWII novel, this time from the German point of view. Although he does mix in some chapters from the British point of view as they pursuit the German Cruiser raider as it destroys allied shipping in the Atlantic.
I have been reading Reeman novels for years. What ever am I to do when I have read all of them? I believe there are 63.
I have been reading Reeman novels for years. What ever am I to do when I have read all of them? I believe there are 63.
April 17, 2015
Despite the jarring POV switches, and the (odd? unbelievable?) romance arc, I quite enjoyed this.
The love of a captain for his ship gets me every time... Reeman obviously holds the sea as close to his heart as I do.
The love of a captain for his ship gets me every time... Reeman obviously holds the sea as close to his heart as I do.
May 8, 2017
Classic Reeman... I enjoyed this one, different point of view from his other books but still an effective storyteller that few match in this genre and period.
June 7, 2017
A solid read with the usual Douglas Reeman template shaping the story. Reluctant, unassuming hero comes through initial action and then unexpectedly gets new orders after expecting r & r. New circumstances create chance meeting with girl and then leads men into final battle. It is a format that works well and Reeman is a master of this type of book. Where this differs is that it looks at the war from the other side: the German side, and it works very well, lifting this story above the ordinary.
January 2, 2021
Standard Douglas Freeman Second World War naval warfare novel. Not brilliant but not bad either. If you're interested in WWII you'll be interested in this too.
The novel is pure fiction but the ships are close to real as are probably the descriptions of battles between them.
A new piece of information to me was that Germany had big service submarines in use at least at the later phase of the war. They provided supplies to fighting subs so those could stay in their operation areas for longer periods without the need to return to home bases so often. The journeys to the operation area and back took time, consumed much fuel and were dangerous due the allied destroyers and aeroplanes. It was far more economical and effective to stay on open seas and get fuel, torpedo and food supply by a service submarine.
Reeman is not the best possible writer for romance fiction. In this case he managed better than normally. The true romance was just a minor sidetrack.
A slight disappointment to me was Reeman's use of the term "dogwatch" which he located in the hours of the night - a common layman's mistake which can be forgiven when not talking about ships.
But in the naval vocabulary dogwatch hours are from 16 to 18 and 18 to 20 (4pm to 6pm and 6pm to 8pm). This is an odd mistake as Reeman had served in the Royal Navy and he really should know. The idea is to ensure that all crew gets their evening meal in decent time, so the early evening four hour watch is divided into two dogwatches.
Kaapparilaiva
Gummerus 1989
The novel is pure fiction but the ships are close to real as are probably the descriptions of battles between them.
A new piece of information to me was that Germany had big service submarines in use at least at the later phase of the war. They provided supplies to fighting subs so those could stay in their operation areas for longer periods without the need to return to home bases so often. The journeys to the operation area and back took time, consumed much fuel and were dangerous due the allied destroyers and aeroplanes. It was far more economical and effective to stay on open seas and get fuel, torpedo and food supply by a service submarine.
Reeman is not the best possible writer for romance fiction. In this case he managed better than normally. The true romance was just a minor sidetrack.
A slight disappointment to me was Reeman's use of the term "dogwatch" which he located in the hours of the night - a common layman's mistake which can be forgiven when not talking about ships.
But in the naval vocabulary dogwatch hours are from 16 to 18 and 18 to 20 (4pm to 6pm and 6pm to 8pm). This is an odd mistake as Reeman had served in the Royal Navy and he really should know. The idea is to ensure that all crew gets their evening meal in decent time, so the early evening four hour watch is divided into two dogwatches.
Kaapparilaiva
Gummerus 1989
April 25, 2020
This reminded me a lot of Nicholas Monsarrat’s The Cruel Sea only from the German perspective. A lot of the same elements are present: the two-fisted men, the ships of war, the peril, the soap-opera romance. However, this works a bit worse as a realistic account of the war and a bit better as an action-packed tale of combat at sea. To be sure, the book has a few faults. Author Douglas Reeman includes a lot of characters in this story, so many that the supporting cast becomes difficult to tell apart. And as possible remedy for this, we get the same character aspects repeated over and over as if Reeman is trying to drill them into our heads. At several points I caught myself mumbling, “Okay, we get it. The guy has marital problems. Can we get back to the ship now?” Further, the pace is a bit off. Things proceed fairly slowly until the last 50 pages or so, when suddenly everything happens at once. However, I suppose that mimics the way naval combat actually works, so perhaps it fits with the book’s intent. Overall this was a fun summer read.
March 29, 2015
Douglas Reeman drinking game: first use of word "oblivion"--page 136
Douglas Reeman drinking game: first Royal Naval Officer to drink a "horses's neck"--page 186
This is not one of Reeman's best. Whether it's writing (mostly) from the Nazi POV or the unusually jumpy narration to the unbelievable chain of events -- or all three, this feels like a bad "airport novel."
Douglas Reeman drinking game: first Royal Naval Officer to drink a "horses's neck"--page 186
This is not one of Reeman's best. Whether it's writing (mostly) from the Nazi POV or the unusually jumpy narration to the unbelievable chain of events -- or all three, this feels like a bad "airport novel."
November 18, 2021
În acea dimineaţă, suprafaţa mării se înălţa şi cobora într-un zbucium teribil, neîntrerupt. Nu se zăreau coame de spumă, iar trupul unduitor al talazurilor sclipea în lumina matinală ca sticla topită. O pâclă densă, sfâşiată ici-colo de ochiuri limpezi, plutea deasupra apei, abia atingând-o.
Peste câteva zile începea luna august, dar pe Baltica aerul zorilor era deja tăios ― o ameninţare a iernii ce avea să coboare în curând dinspre Golful Finlandei pentru a chinui nave şi marinari deopotrivă.
Din când în când, stoluri răzleţe de pescăruşi şi alte păsări de mare, neclare în lumina mohorâtă, se lăsau pe oglinda mişcătoare ca nişte ghirlande frânte, neimpresionate de valurile prăvălitoare care în vremuri mai bune puteau ascunde vederii o barcă de pescuit aflată la mai puţin de jumătate de cablu[1] distanţă. De la un capăt la altul, Baltica fusese una dintre cele mai aglomerate căi maritime din lume pe care pescarii şi cabotierele, navele de lemn şi vasele carbonifere şi-au stabilit propriile obiceiuri şi trasee. Acum, cu excepţia câtorva prudente vase suedeze neutre, apele deveniseră zonă de vânătoare şi loc de veci pentru prieten şi vrăjmaş laolaltă.
Era 1944 şi, pentru mulţi, al cincilea an de război. Zgomotele mării erau estompate sau înăbuşite de ceaţă; în acea dimineaţă, locul părea pustiu şi abandonat pentru o vreme. Pescăruşii ce planau tăcuţi şi se pregăteau să înceapă căutarea hranei au simţit primii, ca întotdeauna, că nu mai sunt singuri. La început a fost mai degrabă o senzaţie decât un sunet, nu îndeajuns de aproape ca să fie o zbatere sau un tremur, doar o vibraţie a apei care a făcut ca păsările să se înalţe imediat, fâlfâind şi ţipând, agitate, neliniştite, însă fără a părea dispuse să părăsească teritoriul.
Dacă ar fi existat un martor, ar fi rămas uimit de apariţia neaşteptată a navei. Mai întâi, o uriaşă umbră, apoi, cu o zvâcnire dispreţuitoare a provei înalte şi piezişe, străpunse pâcla, despicând-o, şi spintecă talazurile povârnite cu o remarcabilă uşurinţă. Deşi cele trei elice erau frânate pentru a micşora viteza, mustăţile înspumate de la prova împroşcau vopseaua ştearsă de camuflaj şi lăsau să se înţeleagă adevărata putere a navei. Pe măsură ce-şi croia drum prin apele plumburii, dimensiunile şi forţa ei deveneau şi mai impresionante, iar cele patru turele jumelate şi structura semeaţă a punţilor nu afectau în niciun fel perfecţiunea liniilor. Era un crucişător greu, unul dintre cele mai puternice în serviciul flotei, deşi păstra toată impetuozitatea şi eleganţa unui distrugător.
Peste câteva zile începea luna august, dar pe Baltica aerul zorilor era deja tăios ― o ameninţare a iernii ce avea să coboare în curând dinspre Golful Finlandei pentru a chinui nave şi marinari deopotrivă.
Din când în când, stoluri răzleţe de pescăruşi şi alte păsări de mare, neclare în lumina mohorâtă, se lăsau pe oglinda mişcătoare ca nişte ghirlande frânte, neimpresionate de valurile prăvălitoare care în vremuri mai bune puteau ascunde vederii o barcă de pescuit aflată la mai puţin de jumătate de cablu[1] distanţă. De la un capăt la altul, Baltica fusese una dintre cele mai aglomerate căi maritime din lume pe care pescarii şi cabotierele, navele de lemn şi vasele carbonifere şi-au stabilit propriile obiceiuri şi trasee. Acum, cu excepţia câtorva prudente vase suedeze neutre, apele deveniseră zonă de vânătoare şi loc de veci pentru prieten şi vrăjmaş laolaltă.
Era 1944 şi, pentru mulţi, al cincilea an de război. Zgomotele mării erau estompate sau înăbuşite de ceaţă; în acea dimineaţă, locul părea pustiu şi abandonat pentru o vreme. Pescăruşii ce planau tăcuţi şi se pregăteau să înceapă căutarea hranei au simţit primii, ca întotdeauna, că nu mai sunt singuri. La început a fost mai degrabă o senzaţie decât un sunet, nu îndeajuns de aproape ca să fie o zbatere sau un tremur, doar o vibraţie a apei care a făcut ca păsările să se înalţe imediat, fâlfâind şi ţipând, agitate, neliniştite, însă fără a părea dispuse să părăsească teritoriul.
Dacă ar fi existat un martor, ar fi rămas uimit de apariţia neaşteptată a navei. Mai întâi, o uriaşă umbră, apoi, cu o zvâcnire dispreţuitoare a provei înalte şi piezişe, străpunse pâcla, despicând-o, şi spintecă talazurile povârnite cu o remarcabilă uşurinţă. Deşi cele trei elice erau frânate pentru a micşora viteza, mustăţile înspumate de la prova împroşcau vopseaua ştearsă de camuflaj şi lăsau să se înţeleagă adevărata putere a navei. Pe măsură ce-şi croia drum prin apele plumburii, dimensiunile şi forţa ei deveneau şi mai impresionante, iar cele patru turele jumelate şi structura semeaţă a punţilor nu afectau în niciun fel perfecţiunea liniilor. Era un crucişător greu, unul dintre cele mai puternice în serviciul flotei, deşi păstra toată impetuozitatea şi eleganţa unui distrugător.
May 19, 2023
Reeman is an exceptional character builder, giving us people that seem fleshed out and true to life but sadly I couldn't say the same about the action in this one. Nearly all battle sections i found myself thinking 'oh, when did we get into a fight?' and the next page it was over.
Killing Ground is one of my favourite books, and I'll stick to that as this came across like more of a love story set in war time.
Killing Ground is one of my favourite books, and I'll stick to that as this came across like more of a love story set in war time.
June 12, 2026
A different Reeman book. Instead of the story focusing on a British ship, this one features a German Cruiser in WW2. The author continues with his great story telling. The book is fast paced and full of intrigue and action. A very good read.
I listened to this book via Audible and found the narration to be great as well. David Rintoul does the narration (as he has for so many other Reeman novels) and he is a terrific narrator! I enjoy listening to books he narrates.
I listened to this book via Audible and found the narration to be great as well. David Rintoul does the narration (as he has for so many other Reeman novels) and he is a terrific narrator! I enjoy listening to books he narrates.
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November 2, 2021it a gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood
October 23, 2017
He writes mens lives and seafaring well but his stories tend to be dry. Very poor action scenes. Iève got two more of his books on my shelf that I want to try to read before I give up on this author.
September 22, 2019
Good, technical, realistic, but not as gripping as I'd hoped.
January 25, 2020
Gripping story. Every Navy man will enjoy.
March 11, 2023
This book includes the usual WWII Reeman devices (well done battle scenes...sympathetic captain...spunky love interest won over by the captains quiet strength). However, this one is focused on a German boat, which adds to the story in unexpected ways.
December 14, 2014
A slight break from tradition in that Reeman's writing from a German Captain's point of view, so we get a bit of unbritish stiff upper lip pity. Good, familiar (always has a girl to be fallen in love with), great detail in naval warfare from the U-Boat Milch Cows to the way hatches are closed. Solid stuff.
November 24, 2014
This is a novel of World War II naval warfare. The German heavy cruiser Prinz Luitpold is order to sail into the North Atlantic where everyone will be looking for her. Dieter Hechler, her captain, will face enormous obstacles as he and his crew struggle for survival.
October 3, 2013
This is a strange novel by Douglas Reeman and unusually doesn't really work.
Perhaps he didn't understand the German psyche as well as he appeared to historical and contemporary naval (and Marine) characters.
Perhaps he didn't understand the German psyche as well as he appeared to historical and contemporary naval (and Marine) characters.
August 10, 2014
Formulaic Reeman.
Cornballed cornball. Some good elements, in part because it's told from the 'opposition' side for a change, but all the characters are cardboard cutouts. Very forced shipboard romance. Sigh. I've read several of Reeman's books. Maybe one too many now...
Cornballed cornball. Some good elements, in part because it's told from the 'opposition' side for a change, but all the characters are cardboard cutouts. Very forced shipboard romance. Sigh. I've read several of Reeman's books. Maybe one too many now...
April 28, 2015
Doesn't work as well as others with the good guys being - well, the bad guys. But some nice exposition - especially with the bad guys coming to terms with the knowledge that the war will end badly for them.
May 2, 2010
Better than the last book of his I read, but not by much. Will be glad to get back to decent novels.
August 18, 2013
Not a bad offering from Reeman as to be expected. Interesting as it is told from the German point of view when the war was all but lost.
February 26, 2016
Another solid Douglas Reeman offering. enjoyed the German perspective and as usual the hero gets the girl and the baddie loses out.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews