Customer Reviews

Iron Coffin

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wow!

The author has gone to great lengths to protray the U-boat crew as protagonists without making the Allied characters into mindless, cruel automatons as lesser skilled authors may have done. This is not a simple task.

Iron Coffin is a great novel and sure to thrill any WW2 or adventure reader. There is great attention to detail and the entire novel rings mainly believable - although I think there may be too much painting of the U-boat officers as excessively anti-Hitler. Perhaps, in hindsight, this was necessary to justify the plot and ending.

Buy this book and read it. You won't be disappointed.

I did not put this book down for two days. It was impossible. From one chapter to the next, it pulled me in more.

A MUST READ!

Wow! That is my best description of an amazing, captivating story. I was intrigued with the jacket cover describing a German U-boat operating in the Gulf during WWII, but never expected the story I read. The characters were so vivid and unique, on both sides, that it was hard not to like any of them. The setting was so well written that I felt myself twisting and turning though the Louisiana bayou. If you enjoy believable action, unforgettable characters, a story that is hard not to enjoy, and good writting, this is a novel for you.

Unforgettable is right...just like the quote on the cover says. This stunning novel captured my imagination and heart from the first few pages. Far from being the usual run-of-the-mill sub tale, this is a serious work of stark realism, heroism, and poignancy. I rate it right up there with ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, DAS BOOT, BAND OF BROTHERS, and FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS as great war/anti-war fiction. The emotional power of IRON COFFIN is startling, and as I have said in a couple of other reviews I've felt compelled to write about this remarkable novel, I defy anyone to read the last few sentences and not wipe away a tear. The story and writing are that good, that heart-wrenching. An absolute classic, and a must-have for any serious reader of war fiction. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

What a discovery! I cannot praise this book enough. Great characterization, outstanding story telling, action packed, minimalist study of characters. This book has it all.
WWII from the perspective of the "other" side. Hard to put down and you will have a knot in your throat by the time you reach the last page.

After you are done with this book it will became part of your favorites list. Guaranteed.

During World War II a Nazi submarine is playing havoc with
Allied shipping.This submarine has sank Allied ships in the North Sea,the Gulf of Mexico and in other shipping routes.The
Nazi submarine is caught refueling and getting resupplied off of
the coast of Cuba.American Navy Catalinas strafe and dept charge
the boats involved.Two of the boats are sunk but one manages to escape.The U-boat finally is able to locate refuge in an inlet
in the swamps of Louisiana.Once there they have to deal with the local natives who are called les Isolates.The leader of this
group is named Papa Luc.He has a young girl named named Jolene
that he has raised and inrends to make his wife.You also have a
witch named Estelle who definitely adds to the story.Papa Luc
turns out to be the villain in this story.After being paid by the Nazi submarine crew in gold for food products Luc decides that he wants all of their gold and money.You also have two more
characters in the story.The Nazis have to hire a diving crew to get parts off of a sunken submarine in the Gulf of Mexico to do
do repairs on their own submarine damaged by the attack on the coast of Cuba.They hire a boat through Papa Luc to do the job.There are two men who are on the boat named Lucius and Mike Holt who play a role in the story.There is an exciting finish
as well as a surprise ending.This is the second book that I have read by John Mannock and it is outstanding.Buy this and read it.It is great.

I entitled this comment on IRON COFFIN "took me off guard" because that's exactly what it did. I'm not used to having a lump in my throat and a tear squeezing out of my eye as I read the last sentence of a novel, but that is exactly what this one did. Only SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and BAND OF BROTHERS gave me the same feeling. Thank you, Mr. Mannock, for your powerful, eloquent story.

"Iron Coffin" was so superior a World War Two novel that I had trouble believing it was written in the 21st century. Or that it wasn't written by a veteran of that war. Very few war novels of any type have entertained me, or moved me, like this one. From the descriptions of desperate U-boat warfare to the film-noir tensions between opposing characters to the poignant and unlikely bayou romance between a young U-boat officer and a lonely Cajun girl, this book has it all. Like my fellow reviewers, I give John Mannock's "Iron Coffin" my highest recommendation. What a delight to pick up a novel on a whim and most definitely not be disappointed. If there's any justice, this story will be made into a movie soon, and a good one. I've already ordered this author's next Second World War novel, "The Sen-Toku Raid". I can't wait!

This novel is not my normal genre, but I know John Mannock to be a wonderful writer. I decided to try it anyway. The story drew me in and it was a great read. I really cheered for the "bad guys" who John drew as human and honorable men. The twist in the epilog was outstanding too. It is well worth the money. I highly recommend it!

I totally enjoyed this book. It sucked you in and kept you wanting to read more. Great twist on a WWII novel. I hope he writes more!!