The sea had become a mass grave by 1941 as Hitler's four capital warships -- Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Tirpitz, and Bismarck, the largest warship on the ocean -- roamed the wind-swept waves, threatening the Allied war effort and sending thousands of men to the icy depths of the North Atlantic. Bristling with guns and steeled in heavy armor, these reapers of the sea could outrun and outgun any battleship in the Allied arsenal. The deadly menace kept Winston Churchill awake at night; he deemed them "targets of supreme consequence."The campaign against Hitler's surface fleet would continue into the dying days of World War II and involve everything from massive warships engaged in bloody, fire-drenched battle to daring commando raids in German occupied harbors. This is the fast-paced story of the Allied bomber crews, brave sailors, and bold commandoes who "sunk the Bismarck" and won a hard-fought victory over Hitler's iron sea.Using official war diaries, combat reports, eyewitness accounts and personal letters, Simon Read brings the action and adventure to vivid life. The result is an enthralling and gripping story of the Allied heroes who fought on a watery battlefield.
The sea had become a mass grave by 1941 as Hitler's four capital warships -- Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Tirpitz, and Bismarck, the largest warship on the ocean -- roamed the wind-swept waves, threatening the Allied war effort and sending thousands of men to the icy depths of the North Atlantic. Bristling with guns and steeled in heavy armor, these reapers of the sea could outrun and outgun any battleship in the Allied arsenal. The deadly menace kept Winston Churchill awake at night; he deemed them "targets of supreme consequence."The campaign against Hitler's surface fleet would continue into the dying days of World War II and involve everything from massive warships engaged in bloody, fire-drenched battle to daring commando raids in German occupied harbors. This is the fast-paced story of the Allied bomber crews, brave sailors, and bold commandoes who "sunk the Bismarck" and won a hard-fought victory over Hitler's iron sea.Using official war diaries, combat reports, eyewitness accounts and personal letters, Simon Read brings the action and adventure to vivid life. The result is an enthralling and gripping story of the Allied heroes who fought on a watery battlefield.
Simon Read is the author of eight previous works of nonfiction published on both sides of the Atlantic. His writing has appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Publisher's Weekly, and Time. Three of his previous books, including Winston Churchill Reporting, have been optioned for movie and television adaptation. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona.
"A vivid and detailed analysis... The fast-paced narrative draws on
a solid foundation of primary sources and moves easily from
meta-themes of strategy to the experiences of the sailors and
airmen of Allied and Axis powers... an engaging history recommended
for all U.S. history and WWII collections"--Library Journal
"Drawing on firsthand accounts from Allied and German sources, Read
recreates the demise of each German warship in gripping, often
poignant, prose. WWII buffs and naval history fans will be
spellbound."--Publishers Weekly, starred review
"In The Iron Sea Simon Read brings readers straight into the heart
of the tumultuous battle to control the Atlantic. Swarms of
dive-bombers, lines of torpedoes cutting through inky black waters,
the shrill cries of officers and sailors, the plumes of smoke and
fire--all come viscerally to life in this narrative
thriller."--Neal Bascomb, New York Times bestselling author of The
Winter Fortress and Faster
"Prepare to journey back in time to the perilous early years of the
Second World War, where Britain's lifelines depended on the
destruction of four mighty German surface ships. Simon Read
brilliantly retells the stories of the hunt for Hitler's warships
in a single volume, which is crisply researched and brimming with
vivid prose."--Patrick K. O'Donnell, bestselling author of
Washington's Immortals and The Unknowns
"Simon Read's The Iron Sea is a riveting fast-paced drama about the
havoc Hitler's surface fleet caused the Allies in World War II.
Expertly researched and finely written this is a major new
contribution to WW2 military history. Highly recommended!"--Douglas
Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author of American Moonshot:
John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race
"Simon Read's The Iron Sea is a wonderful, rip-roaring account of
one of the greatest hunts in history - the pursuit of Hitler's
warships. You'll feel the lash of salt spray, the thunder of depth
charges, the immense tension of the chase. A superb addition to the
annals of naval WWII history."--Alex Kershaw, New York Times
bestselling author of The Liberator and The Longest Winter
"Winston Churchill's greatest fear in World War II was of losing
the battle of the Atlantic and Britain being starved into
surrender. I felt tingles down my spine when I read of the feats of
so very many ordinary men and women from so many walks of life who
sank Hitler's battle fleet, and stopped that from happening....
Read's Iron Sea, with its scholarly research and scintillating
prose style, will leave you full of pride for that extraordinary
generation and their staggering achievement."--Andrew Roberts,
award-winning and bestselling author of Churchill: Walking with
Destiny
"The Iron Sea puts the reader right at the heart of events. Whether
it is the flier in the belly of an RAF bomber braving flak over
Kiel, the commando plunged into the horrific violence of Operation
Chariot, or the sailor on the salt-crusted deck of a destroyer in
the North Atlantic, The Iron Sea gives a no-punches-pulled account
of what it was like to be there."--Aspects of History
"[A] pulse-pounding narrative . . . A suspenseful, well-wrought
account of battling ships at sea and grave wartime
conditions."--Kirkus Reviews
"In prose both gripping and stylish, Simon Read captures the
feverish intent on both sides to lay claim to the Atlantic, a
battle that sent thousands to their icy deaths and lasted almost
throughout the war."--Air Mail Weekly
"In The Iron Sea, Simon Read takes readers into true stories of
anti-Nazi swashbuckling adventure . . . It's well worth the read.
An enjoyable testimony, the Iron Sea will appeal to military
history readers, both expert and casual. It reminds us that the
defeat of this greatest threat to humanity was not easily
won."--Washington Examiner
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