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The Diary of a U-boat Commander
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
300 pages, Hardcover
Published October 13, 2018
10 people want to read
About the author
Stephen King-Hall
70 booksWilliam Stephen Richard King-Hall, Baron King-Hall (21 January 1893 – 2 June 1966) was a British naval officer, writer, politician and playwright.
The son of Admiral Sir George Fowler King-Hall and Olga Felicia Ker; theirs was an artistic Naval family, King-Hall's sisters Magdalen and Lou also being writers. He married Kathleen Amelia Spencer (died 14 August 1950), daughter of Francis Spencer, on 15 April 1919 and they had three children, Ann, Frances Susan and Jane.
He was educated at Lausanne in Switzerland and at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. He fought in the First World War between 1914 and 1918, with the Grand Fleet, serving on HMS Southampton and 11th Submarine Flotilla. He gained the rank of Commander in the service of the Royal Navy in 1928, before resigning in 1929. He wrote several plays between 1924 and 1940, including Posterity accepted by Leonard Woolf for the Hogarth Essays. He joined the Royal Institute of International Affairs in 1929, having previously been awarded their Gold Medal for his 1920 thesis on submarine warfare. He entered the House of Commons in 1939 as Member of Parliament (MP) for Ormskirk unopposed, standing as the National Labour candidate. He later changed his affiliation and continued to stand as an Independent, subsequently losing the seat to future Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the 1945 general election. During the Second World War, he served in the Ministry of Aircraft Production under Beaverbrook as Director of the Factory Defence Section. In 1944 he founded and chaired the Hansard Society to promote parliamentary democracy. He presented a programme for children on current affairs on both BBC radio and television. He was invested as a Knight Bachelor in 1954 and was created Baron King-Hall, of Headley in the County of Hampshire (Life Peer) on 15 January 1966. He lived at Hartfield House, Headley until his death on 2 June 1966.
He wrote four books under the pseudonym R.N. Etienne:
Verses from the Grand Fleet (1916)
A Naval Lieutenant 1914-18 (1919)
Strange Tales from the Fleet (1919)
The Diary of a U-Boat Commander (1920)
The son of Admiral Sir George Fowler King-Hall and Olga Felicia Ker; theirs was an artistic Naval family, King-Hall's sisters Magdalen and Lou also being writers. He married Kathleen Amelia Spencer (died 14 August 1950), daughter of Francis Spencer, on 15 April 1919 and they had three children, Ann, Frances Susan and Jane.
He was educated at Lausanne in Switzerland and at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. He fought in the First World War between 1914 and 1918, with the Grand Fleet, serving on HMS Southampton and 11th Submarine Flotilla. He gained the rank of Commander in the service of the Royal Navy in 1928, before resigning in 1929. He wrote several plays between 1924 and 1940, including Posterity accepted by Leonard Woolf for the Hogarth Essays. He joined the Royal Institute of International Affairs in 1929, having previously been awarded their Gold Medal for his 1920 thesis on submarine warfare. He entered the House of Commons in 1939 as Member of Parliament (MP) for Ormskirk unopposed, standing as the National Labour candidate. He later changed his affiliation and continued to stand as an Independent, subsequently losing the seat to future Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the 1945 general election. During the Second World War, he served in the Ministry of Aircraft Production under Beaverbrook as Director of the Factory Defence Section. In 1944 he founded and chaired the Hansard Society to promote parliamentary democracy. He presented a programme for children on current affairs on both BBC radio and television. He was invested as a Knight Bachelor in 1954 and was created Baron King-Hall, of Headley in the County of Hampshire (Life Peer) on 15 January 1966. He lived at Hartfield House, Headley until his death on 2 June 1966.
He wrote four books under the pseudonym R.N. Etienne:
Verses from the Grand Fleet (1916)
A Naval Lieutenant 1914-18 (1919)
Strange Tales from the Fleet (1919)
The Diary of a U-Boat Commander (1920)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 9, 2023
I picked this up expecting a causal tale about life on a U-boat. I was surprised to find a tragic love story hidden away instead. The love story is the main focal point of this book with the war at sea adding to it. I'm not sure if this is a real account or just fiction, regardless this book is very compelling and couldn't put it down. I recommend the audio version narrated by Mark Smith. He gives the book a lot of extra character.
October 19, 2021
I found it gripping, but I also have a keen interest in WW2 history and submarines. It also helps if you think the diary is real..
November 9, 2023
Great book, I listened to the audiobook version on YouTube. I will leave the link below so that everyone can enjoy it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHNNZ...
February 12, 2024
This was a wonderful barn burner of a story that has a very unexpected ending. I really enjoyed it. Grab it and check it out.
August 15, 2025
Met a 98-year-old Coast Guard vet yesterday, who spent the end of the war looking for U-Boats. Great book that shows the military and personal life of a great writer.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews