Customer Reviews

My Life (Navies and men)

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UNTIL I READ GRAND ADMIRAL RAEDER'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY, "MY LIFE", I TRULY BELIEVED THAT HE AND GRAND ADMIRAL DOENITZ DESERVED THEIR RESPECTIVE LIFE AND 10 YEARS PRISON SENTENCES RECEIVED AT NUREMBURG IN 1946. NOW, I'M NOT SO SURE. I THINK THAT RAEDER WAS A SCAPEGOAT FOR THE RUSSIANS; THEY HAD CAPTURED HIM (ONE OF THE FEW TOP NAZIS THEY DID CAPTURE) AND THEY WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE PAID FOR THE GERMAN NAVY. HOWEVER, I HAVEN'T READ ANYTHING IN RAEDER'S STORY TO CONVINCE ME THAT HE WAS ANYTHING BUT WHAT HE CLAIMED TO BE: A LOYAL, PATRIOTIC SAILOR, WHO PERFORMED THE SAME DUTIES AS FLEET ADMIRAL KING, ADMIRALS OF THE FLEET SIR DUDLEY POUND AND SIR ANDREW CUNNINGHAM, AND ADMIRAL YAMAMOTO. THOSE DUTIES WERE TO MAKE CONTINGENCY PLANS IN CASE OF POSSIBLE HOSTILITIES WITH VARIOUS OTHER SEA POWERS, AND CARRY OUT THE ORDERS OF THE GOVERNMENT IN POWER. HOWEVER, THE RUSSIANS WANTED HIS SCALP; ORIGINALLY WANTING HIM SENTENCED TO DEATH, THEY RELUCTANTLY ACCEPTED THE LIFE SENTENCE. PURE AND SIMPLY, RAEDER WAS A GOOD SAILOR, WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACQUITTED.

I should say that the invaluable worth of this book lies in its accurate history of the German Navy after WWI since Raeder became its head starting in 1928. It is not only a personal history of the famous Grand Admiral, but also the history of the German Navy. Raeder gives us a full picture of the history of the German Navy since the late 19th- Century when he joined the Navy. He especially depicts the rebirth of the German Navy after WWI, which embraces the accounts of how the German Navy suffered after WWI because of the Versailles Treaty, of how after 1933, the German Navy finally got rid of the shackle of the Treaty which led the way of rearming and rebuilding. He details the grand "Z" Plan which was designed to make German the greatest sea-power in the world at the turn of late 40's. He reveals that even before the war, in the study of he possiblilty of war with Britain in the near-future, the Navy had already stipulated its main task was to attack British sea borne commerce not to confront the powerful British fleet in the light of analyzing the outnumbered situation of Navy strength between Britain and Germany which was ten to one. He reviews the background of all the international treaties and events before WWII. He especiallly gives credit to Germany on the Anglo-German Agreement which was concluded on 18th June 1935 both for the rebirth of German Navy and the interational naval disarmament. He recalls how the Navy fought for its own air force which had brought some conflicts between him and German sir force Commander-in Chief Goering who though everything flying belonged to German air force, and who was reluctant to let Navy to have its own air force which could render powerful air cover for the Navy as Royal Navy and American Navy did. He also discloses how the navy tried hard to possess fuel form abroad for reserve before the War. In his book, Raeder describes his happy association with the Imperial Navy Admiralty, such as Tirpitz and Hipper, also the complicated relationship with Hitler: Their common grounds on the affairs of the Navy before and during the war, and their conflicting opinions on the Navy which leading to their finally breaking off during the war. Unlike other auobiography, Raeder tellls us less about his personal life, you even will not read his love story or his wedding. He concentrates only on his Naval life, from Naval school to the Grand Admiral and to the final breaking off with Hitler in 1943, to the vigorously defending German Navy to which he divoted with his whole life and his whole heart for decades and himself who was proved only as a loyal and patriotic soldier in his final battle in the Nuremberg Trial, as well as to the Spandau, the prison where he spent a decade as a so-called "criminal of war" which conviction has been debated in histroical and law academy for decades after the war, and which verdict has been criticized as unjust even among the Allied Navy high level personnel righ after the Trail. This book is full of information which is unknown to readers: It is surprising to know that in 1940 it was Allied who not only planed to violate the Neutrality of Norway, but also actually set the invasion in motion: Only four days head of German if not delayed later for some reason; It is equally surprising to know that for long time after Hitler came to the power, German foreign policy was pro-Britain rather than anti-Britain, even after the War breaking out, Hitler did not want to hurt the pride of British sea-power by restricting German Navy to inflict loss on Roal Navy in order to have the door of negotiating with Britain still opened; It is also not without surprising to know that even during the Nazi Regime both Catholic and Lutheran service still continued unrestricted as before in German Navy; that many Navy personnel still could freely criticize Nazi Regime but be immune from any persecution; it is all the more stunningly surprising to know that during the WWII there were even some Jewish blood Naval officers fighting on German side! Overall, I highly recommend this book because it is a very valuable historical book that any professional historians and history-lovers should not miss.

This book was well written, translated and so forth. It's very easy to read and engaging. Giving a personal, narrative account of the German navy throughout the first half of the 20th century from the person who was probably the most qualified source in the world for that, it is a very useful source for any study of the Kriegsmarine.
However, in terms of getting a good behind-the-scenes picture of the high command and party leadership, it falls short. Räder is a very gentlemanly narrator and skims over unpleasant details. For example, when the war-minister Blomberg married a prostitute, he simply says he made a "very questionable marriage" going into no further detail. He refers to the homosexuality litigations brought against General Fritsch as "moral turpitude" and, again, explains no further.
Despite this sterility, the book is not dry to read, and, given it's undaunting length for a book of it's type (412 pages), it's a worthwhile look into one of the less-publicized (and surprisingly less Nazi) aspects of the Third Reich.