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Bismarck : The Story Behind the Destruction of the Pride of Hitler's Navy
Late in the morning of 27 May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck was sunk by an overwhelming British armada in a fierce battle that lasted ninety minutes. Admiral Gunther Lutjens, Captain Ernst Lindemann and 2,206 men of her crew were lost, only 115 survived.
Five days earlier, an RAF reconnaissance plane flying low off the coast of Norway spotted four large warships in the sea below. At 19,000 tons fully loaded, the sight of the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen was shocking enough; even more so was the sight of the 50,000 ton battleship Bismarck - the pride of the German navy - a ship shrouded in myth, an awesome and mysterious behemoth of destruction. Their purpose in these waters was obvious and chilling: the German navy was sending this powerful four-battleship task force to seize control of the North Atlantic sea lanes.
The survival of free Britain was at stake. With almost all of Europe under Hitler's thumb, and the United States still frustratingly neutral, Britain was left alone to fight Nazi Germany. The only hope lay in the convoy route across the North Atlantic from the United States. The fate of Britain and the United States hung in the balance, and all knew that the destruction of the Bismarck would be a dramatic turning point in the war.
Noted historians Bercuson and Herwig have uncovered much new information on the Bismarck, including a close examination of classified British and United States diplomatic files, only recently opened, revealing secret diplomatic manoeuvrings between Churchill and Roosevelt. They tell the full story of the Bismarck for the first time, from the key strategic decisions of the national leaders, to the gripping hour-by-hour account of the battle. This is the definitive account of one of the most dramatic and momentous events of the Second World War.
Five days earlier, an RAF reconnaissance plane flying low off the coast of Norway spotted four large warships in the sea below. At 19,000 tons fully loaded, the sight of the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen was shocking enough; even more so was the sight of the 50,000 ton battleship Bismarck - the pride of the German navy - a ship shrouded in myth, an awesome and mysterious behemoth of destruction. Their purpose in these waters was obvious and chilling: the German navy was sending this powerful four-battleship task force to seize control of the North Atlantic sea lanes.
The survival of free Britain was at stake. With almost all of Europe under Hitler's thumb, and the United States still frustratingly neutral, Britain was left alone to fight Nazi Germany. The only hope lay in the convoy route across the North Atlantic from the United States. The fate of Britain and the United States hung in the balance, and all knew that the destruction of the Bismarck would be a dramatic turning point in the war.
Noted historians Bercuson and Herwig have uncovered much new information on the Bismarck, including a close examination of classified British and United States diplomatic files, only recently opened, revealing secret diplomatic manoeuvrings between Churchill and Roosevelt. They tell the full story of the Bismarck for the first time, from the key strategic decisions of the national leaders, to the gripping hour-by-hour account of the battle. This is the definitive account of one of the most dramatic and momentous events of the Second World War.
400 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 22, 2019
In May, 1941, the greatest battleship yet built by man was launched for what Nazi Germany believed would be the turning point of the war in Europe. The Bismarck was to sail through the Denmark Straits and into the North Atlantic, unobserved by the British, to attack any and all shipping and therefore isolate the British Isles from much needed supplies and equipment moving through the shipping lanes from the United States. Nazi Germany underestimated the British communication system and when it was learned that Bismarck was now on the prowl, all British ships that could be spared began the hunt for the elusive hunter.
The authors have written the penultimate book on the life and death of the great ship, utilizing new source material, ship logs, diaries, and eye witness reports to follow the day by day activities and strategies of the British (supported by the USA which was still considered neutral) and the Germans as a deadly game of hide and seek ranged over the Atlantic. Both sides made errors in judgement which were fatal......for the British, the loss of "the mighty" battleship Hood......for the Germans, the death of the Bismarck and the majority of its crew.
We don't usually think of a history book as one that keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat, especially when the outcome is known beforehand. But that is exactly what this volume does. Very highly recommended.
The authors have written the penultimate book on the life and death of the great ship, utilizing new source material, ship logs, diaries, and eye witness reports to follow the day by day activities and strategies of the British (supported by the USA which was still considered neutral) and the Germans as a deadly game of hide and seek ranged over the Atlantic. Both sides made errors in judgement which were fatal......for the British, the loss of "the mighty" battleship Hood......for the Germans, the death of the Bismarck and the majority of its crew.
We don't usually think of a history book as one that keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat, especially when the outcome is known beforehand. But that is exactly what this volume does. Very highly recommended.
May 20, 2019
He was made to rule the waves across the seven seas
To lead the war machine
To rule the waves and lead the Kriegsmarine
The terror of the seas
The Bismarck and the Kriegsmarine!
[15 inch salvo]
You know you have entered the annals of history once Sabaton writes a song about you.
It's easy to see why James Cameron kept a copy in his bunk while exploring the wreck that "In short... was the state of the art, the most powerful battleship afloat, the terror of the seas." because this book will raise your blood as if you stand on the bridge of the Royal Navy. It has hunting metaphors aplenty to capsulate the decisions, misfortunes and sheer luck that structure the 8-day hunt. It moves as swift as the battleship's bow cut through the Atlantic waves.
To lead the war machine
To rule the waves and lead the Kriegsmarine
The terror of the seas
The Bismarck and the Kriegsmarine!
[15 inch salvo]
You know you have entered the annals of history once Sabaton writes a song about you.
It's easy to see why James Cameron kept a copy in his bunk while exploring the wreck that "In short... was the state of the art, the most powerful battleship afloat, the terror of the seas." because this book will raise your blood as if you stand on the bridge of the Royal Navy. It has hunting metaphors aplenty to capsulate the decisions, misfortunes and sheer luck that structure the 8-day hunt. It moves as swift as the battleship's bow cut through the Atlantic waves.
December 27, 2016
Like the other German surface raiders (especially the Tirpitz), the Bismarck was a constant threat to Allied convoys. Once engaged in an actual attempt, though, Allied fleet elements converged on the raiders and sunk them. Having said that, the rear admiral in charge of the Hood and the Prince of Wales (Lancelot Holland) made a series of decisions that added up to the worst fought action by a British commander since the days of Admiral Byng.
July 13, 2019
As a kid I fell in love with the Navy. By the time I was in 3rd grade I was reading every thing I could on the navy and World War II. This included carrying home huge encyclopeadic tome's on military ships (E.g. Jane's Fighting Ships.)
Part of what sparked this fascination were the stories about the chases and destruction the Graf Spee and the Bismarck.
They captured my imagination.
As an adult, I still list Naval History as one of my niches, but I put off reading books about those two ships because of childhood memories. In May/June, my GR feed was flooded with people reading this book... and several people recommended it to me.
So I read it and the book did not let me down.
Five stars might be a little generous for the book, but the subject had a nostalgia factor for me.
This was a quick, easy, fun book to read.
Part of what sparked this fascination were the stories about the chases and destruction the Graf Spee and the Bismarck.
They captured my imagination.
As an adult, I still list Naval History as one of my niches, but I put off reading books about those two ships because of childhood memories. In May/June, my GR feed was flooded with people reading this book... and several people recommended it to me.
So I read it and the book did not let me down.
Five stars might be a little generous for the book, but the subject had a nostalgia factor for me.
This was a quick, easy, fun book to read.
September 5, 2025
Very familiar with the story of the Bismarck, however never tire of reading the history of what was a great ship, despite its heritage. This is an excellent history of the ship and its brief life. Highly recommended.
May 25, 2018
Good research
December 15, 2021
Excellent book, tons of detailed information, well-researched. Despite the technical details, still very readable.
June 16, 2025
Informative read including the American involvement during the battle that is not normally even brought up.
April 16, 2016
This book was ok, glad I read it and all, but will never have the urge to read it again. Cover promised that it was a "gripping" slice of history, but the book was very dry to me. Seemed like hundreds of pages of technical information about the Bismarck and various destroyers, while the captains involved rated about a paragraph each for their life & history. Even this contained numbers--the admiral's golf score also means little to me.
The more I read, the more I vaguely suspected that much of the numerical information I was glazing over was being repeated. I don't know how many times I read "the Graf Spee, which was scuttled off of Montevideo,..." Eventually I began to get semi-insulted, like the author was insinuating I wasn't paying attention the first time.
Parts were very interesting--wasn't aware how important spies in Sweden were in winning the Battle of the Atlantic or that there were commando raids in Greenland. But these mentions are relatively short.
Also, I hate dumb foreshadowing like "Only 4 hours left, until the crew met their doom." Some of the editing wasn't very good either and book skipped around a lot.
But it wasn't a complete waste of time and maybe more serious scholars of naval history would like this book.
The more I read, the more I vaguely suspected that much of the numerical information I was glazing over was being repeated. I don't know how many times I read "the Graf Spee, which was scuttled off of Montevideo,..." Eventually I began to get semi-insulted, like the author was insinuating I wasn't paying attention the first time.
Parts were very interesting--wasn't aware how important spies in Sweden were in winning the Battle of the Atlantic or that there were commando raids in Greenland. But these mentions are relatively short.
Also, I hate dumb foreshadowing like "Only 4 hours left, until the crew met their doom." Some of the editing wasn't very good either and book skipped around a lot.
But it wasn't a complete waste of time and maybe more serious scholars of naval history would like this book.
September 21, 2015
Very good.Exhaustive and exhausting detail.Lots of minute detail but all eventually leads to a compelling story.It's a book for those who like the minutiae of events.It could have been edited more without losing the essential story but nevertheless I did enjoy the story,especially as both sides of the conflict are discussed.
October 5, 2012
I thought this was a great book. I have read several books on the Bismarck. This book offered more detail than any of the others. If you have an interest in the story of the Bismarck, I would recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews