Another Place, Another Time: A U-Boat Officer's Wartime Album [Hardcover]

Werner Hirschmann (Author), Donald E. Graves (Author), Timothy Mulligan (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2004

This unique book met with universal acclaim when it was published in hardcover in 2004. Now it appears in a handsome paperback revised edition.Werner Hirschmann, former German submarine officer, recounts his childhood in Nazi Germany, his attendance at the German Naval Academy, his service in the U-Boot-Waffe and his experiences as a POW. Among the most interesting episodes are his period on a destroyer that escorted the Bismarck on her last operation; a Mediterranean U-boat patrol; being besieged by the American army at the U-boat base at Lorient; and his last patrol to North America, when his submarine, U-190, sank the Canadian warship HMCS Esquimault.Based on Hirschmann's wartime diaries as well as historical documents, this book includes many photos from his remarkable album depicting life and ­operations on U-boats. Also included is a detailed pictorial tour of the Type IXC40 U-boat (similar to the ­famous U-505 in Chicago) using unpublished photographs discovered in Canadian and German archives. This handsome paperback edition includes several new photographs.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Paperback is printed on the same high-quality coated paper as the original hardcover. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Born in Düsseldorf in 1923, Werner Hirschmann served in World War II as an engineer officer on U-boats. After his submarine surrendered in 1945, he spent a period in Canada and Britain as a prisoner-of-war before being repatriated to Germany. In the 1950s he emigrated to Canada and pursued a career in the computer business. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press; 1St Edition edition (October 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591140137
• ISBN-13: 979-1591140138
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 8.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,932,201 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Splendid Book, More Technical than Most, March 18, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Another Place, Another Time: A U-Boat Officer's Wartime Album (Hardcover)

One of the services with the highest casualty rate during World War II was the German U-Boat service. Of the 40,000 men who served in that branch, 28,000 were killed. Werner Hirschmann was one U-Boat officer that entered the German Navy in 1940 and served until 1945 when he and his boat surrendered to Canadian forces.

This book covers several different subjects. The first few chapters deal with his joining the Navy and the training he received. Then it's to see on a destroyer, including excort duty for the Bismark when it left for the Atlantic raid. Finally he is transfered to U-Boats with more training followed by going to war. Finally came the sixth and last patrol, ending in surrender.

There are two appendicies to the book. The first is a Pictorial Tour of the authors boat, the U-190 and the U-889, both type IXC long range boats. The type of submarines that were used in the patrols to North America, the Caribbean, the southern Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and the Orient. This pictorial tour is well illustrated. Mr. Hirschmann was the engineering officer on the boat, so as you would expect, these pictures feature most of the technical aspects of the boat. There is even a picture of the quite rare four rotor Navy Enigma machine.

The second and somewhat smaller appendix is titled Life on a U-Boat. Again, it is fairly technical in nature.

This is a splendid book, especially for the technically minded

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Place, Another Time, November 12, 2005

By 

Steven J. Mcallister - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Another Place, Another Time: A U-Boat Officer's Wartime Album (Hardcover)

I am a fan of autobiographical history, especially WWII and U-boats. The authors really try to be as factual as possible.
The book is based on recollections and diaries of Werner Hirschmann.
It is a book that is hard to put down and really makes you feel like you are in his shoes.

I have reviewd books in the past, but only review books that have made great impressions.
It has parts that may be too techincal for some, but that doesn't take away from the story and could be enjoyed by anyone who liked the book "Iron Coffins" or the movie "Das Boot".

I'm a big fan of Werner Hirschmann and am glad he let me read his diaries.

Stevie

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars very good read, June 21, 2006

By 

Gary C. Baker "KALEU" (Melbourne ,FL) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Another Place, Another Time: A U-Boat Officer's Wartime Album (Hardcover)

For the U boat buff's this is a very good read. I own over 60 books on U Boats and would rank this in the top 10. Its very different from other books since its a focus on a person not so much as the boat. I found myself living the writers life. I would say its a must read and again different from many other U Boat books.