Battleship Bismarck: A Survivor's Story (Bluejacket Books) [Paperback]

Burkard Baron Von Mullenheim-Rechberg (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1557504369 | ISBN-13: 978-1557504364 | Publication Date: October 2002 | Edition: Revised

Originally published to much acclaim in 1980, this is the story of the legendary German battleship that sunk the pride of the Royal Navy, HMS Hood, on May 24, 1941, and three days later was hunted down and sunk by the British during one of the most dramatic pursuits in naval history. Told by a German naval officer who witnessed both sinkings, the book chronicles the brief but sensational career of what was thought to be the grandest weapon of the Third Reich. Burkard Baron von Müllenheim-Rechberg, the Bismarck's top-ranking survivor, tells the battleship's story from commissioning to the moment when the captain gave a final salute and went down with his ship.

The epic battle between the two great enemy ships captured the imagination of an entire generation and became a popular subject for movies and songs. With the discovery a few years ago of the Bismarck's sunken hull off the coast of France, worldwide attention has focused again on the famous ship. Reprinted now in paperback for the first time, the work presents the human dimensions of the event without neglecting the technical side and includes information on rudder damage and repair, overall ship damage, and code breaking. The book also provides insights into the author's life as a prisoner of war in England and Canada and the friction that existed between the Nazis and non-Nazis Germans in the camps. Such a personal look at one of the most famous sea encounters in the history of World War II makes absorbing reading.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press; Revised edition (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557504369
• ISBN-13: 978-1557504364
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,872,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rhine Exercise from the German point of view, July 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Battleship Bismarck: A Survivor's Story (Hardcover)

A fantastic book written from the other side's point of view. Great detail about life aboard the Bismarck, the thinking of those aboard the Bismarck, and what happened on the ship during the Rhine Exercise. The chapter dealing with the night before the final battle is both riveting and haunting.

This book brings not just the Bismarck, but the men of the Bismarck back to life for a brief moment in time. You'll never look at this battle the same way again.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book reveals in detail a legendary naval episode., November 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Battleship Bismarck: A Survivor's Story (Hardcover)

Battleship Bismarck: A Survivor's Story is a master piece of naval history. I have read this book several times and each time I have come away with more knowledge about Operation Rhine. The book is complete with details of the launch of the Bismarck at the Blohm & Voss Ship yards to its final destruction in the north Atlantic. The author has been very objective in his account of the Bismarck's maiden and final voyage. I also recommend the book "Pursuit" by Ludovick Kennedy which details the British side of this naval hunt.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book !, December 2, 2001

By 

Jose Luis Prieto (Mendoza, Pcia. de Mendoza Argentina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Battleship Bismarck: A Survivor's Story (Hardcover)

A great book about battleship Bismarck's history. The only reason for a 4 star rate and not 5 is that almost half of the book is about Mullenheim's experience after the battleship's tragic end (POW camp, return to Germany, ...). In the book, those moments are not so full of excitement like the ones with direct relation with the battleship's actions. But don't let that missing star bring you down, this is a great book. I've read a lot about the battleship on the INTERNET, but the book gave me a lot of missing information, more information than the data I was expecting to find.
If you enjoy reading about the Bismarck... get the book. It won't fail you.