What do you think?
Rate this book
U- Boot Krieg
From the author of the internationally best-selling novel of submarine warfare, 'The Boat,' here is a remarkable word-and-picture chronicle of submarine warfare in the north Atlantic during World War II.
No comparable record of the war at sea exists anywhere... Buchheim's pictures are unique. Ordered on board a submarine as an official artist to send back suitably inspiring renderings of the German Navy in action for propaganda purposes, he was granted a camera and unlimited supplies of film to aid his work , as well as opportunity to use them that was unthinkable for any member of a regular crew.
Caught up in the lives of those around him, appalled by what he saw, he began photographing constantly... to capture not the conventional Historical Moments of victory and defeat but the truth of what was taking place, moment by moment, detail by detail. Over 5,000 of his photographs, smuggled into safekeeping, survived World War II. Of these, 205 form this epic photo-essay.
'U-Boar War' reveals the world of its fighting men in long 'takes,' almost like a movie camera... battles above and below the surface; destroyers and merchant vessels exploding and sinking; the agonized tension and concentration of commander and crew struggling to save their sub in the midst of a depth-charge attack; eloquently subjective shots of young sailors as the leave port, their face betraying the awareness that they are being sent on a voyage with no hope of return.
The photographs are interwoven with Buchheim's narrative text...the stark data out of which his novel, 'The Boat' first grew.. .and rounded out with an essay by the distinguished German historian Michael Salewski that sets the book in the political and military context of the war as a whole.
No comparable record of the war at sea exists anywhere... Buchheim's pictures are unique. Ordered on board a submarine as an official artist to send back suitably inspiring renderings of the German Navy in action for propaganda purposes, he was granted a camera and unlimited supplies of film to aid his work , as well as opportunity to use them that was unthinkable for any member of a regular crew.
Caught up in the lives of those around him, appalled by what he saw, he began photographing constantly... to capture not the conventional Historical Moments of victory and defeat but the truth of what was taking place, moment by moment, detail by detail. Over 5,000 of his photographs, smuggled into safekeeping, survived World War II. Of these, 205 form this epic photo-essay.
'U-Boar War' reveals the world of its fighting men in long 'takes,' almost like a movie camera... battles above and below the surface; destroyers and merchant vessels exploding and sinking; the agonized tension and concentration of commander and crew struggling to save their sub in the midst of a depth-charge attack; eloquently subjective shots of young sailors as the leave port, their face betraying the awareness that they are being sent on a voyage with no hope of return.
The photographs are interwoven with Buchheim's narrative text...the stark data out of which his novel, 'The Boat' first grew.. .and rounded out with an essay by the distinguished German historian Michael Salewski that sets the book in the political and military context of the war as a whole.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1976
1 person is currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Lothar-Günther Buchheim
42 books37 followersLothar-Günther Buchheim (February 6, 1918 – February 22, 2007) was a German author, painter, and art collector. He is best known for his novel Das Boot (1973), which became an international bestseller and was adapted in 1981 as an Oscar-nominated film.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 28, 2024
Buchheim is probably unique in his credentials for reporting on what went on inside the German U-boats or submarines in the Second World War. Given a camera, he was ordered to join a submarine crew and produce documentation that could be used for propaganda purposes.
One fact is critical for understanding the material in this book. No branch of the German military had a higher death rate that the submarine forces. The casualty rate was 75%, most of which were fatalities. The men that crewed the boats were all volunteers, they went to sea knowing that it was likely they would never return.
A voyage generally lasted two months, during which the men never bathed and some of the crew never viewed anything outside their boat. They worked in very cramped conditions, and sometimes spent days where they were in tense and potentially deadly combat situations. They also knew that when they torpedoed a ship, the men on that ship were almost certainly doomed.
The photos in this book show the men going about their jobs. While some of them show the men at ease, most demonstrate them active at their posts and at times when they are hunting and being hunted. The tension and anxiety are visible on their faces.
There is also a textual description of the U-boat war from the last prewar years through the first action in September of 1939 until the end of the war in Europe in 1945. Once again, the reader is reminded of the narrow-mindedness of the military. The German leadership insisted on building capital ships such as the “Bismark” when it should have been clear from World War I that the only real naval weapon that the Germans had that could threaten England was the submarine. One is left wondering how the war would have been different if all the resources used to build the “Bismark” were used to build additional submarines instead.
One fact is critical for understanding the material in this book. No branch of the German military had a higher death rate that the submarine forces. The casualty rate was 75%, most of which were fatalities. The men that crewed the boats were all volunteers, they went to sea knowing that it was likely they would never return.
A voyage generally lasted two months, during which the men never bathed and some of the crew never viewed anything outside their boat. They worked in very cramped conditions, and sometimes spent days where they were in tense and potentially deadly combat situations. They also knew that when they torpedoed a ship, the men on that ship were almost certainly doomed.
The photos in this book show the men going about their jobs. While some of them show the men at ease, most demonstrate them active at their posts and at times when they are hunting and being hunted. The tension and anxiety are visible on their faces.
There is also a textual description of the U-boat war from the last prewar years through the first action in September of 1939 until the end of the war in Europe in 1945. Once again, the reader is reminded of the narrow-mindedness of the military. The German leadership insisted on building capital ships such as the “Bismark” when it should have been clear from World War I that the only real naval weapon that the Germans had that could threaten England was the submarine. One is left wondering how the war would have been different if all the resources used to build the “Bismark” were used to build additional submarines instead.
August 7, 2023
Excellent. Great photos, interesting commentary, exactly the right amount of detail (for me) and an excellent summary of the war and the importance of the U-boats at the end of the book.
Want to read
September 22, 2010Bruce mentioned this book as a WWII geek must-have and pointed to this article on it.
March 12, 2011
Photographic diary of a WWII German U-Boat mission taken by the the future author of "Das Boot".
September 5, 2011
A wonderful set of photos that help get at life inside of the German U-boat corps. Also some thoughtful essays on the people, equipment, and meanings of the Kriegsmarime's silent service.
November 6, 2012
Excellent read. I read it 3 or 4 times.
December 31, 2016
Classic study by an authority.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews