U-571 (Mass Market Paperback)

by Max Allan Collins (Author), Universal Studios (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Hell is Under Water

Their mission was a audacious and daring as it was dangerous. A crew of American sailors in a disguised submarine would rendezvous with U-571--a crippled German U-boat in enemy waters--storm aboard, and capture one of the Nazis' coveted Enigma encryption machines, a device that would allow the Allies to decode secret German transmissions. The planning was meticulous. The secrecy was airtight. Every eventuality was prepared for. Except one.

Now, with their own sub lying in pieces on the Atlantic floor, an unseasoned young U.S. naval officer and a handful of his men are trapped in a limping enemy boat trying to make its way across a thousand square-mile killing zone. Suddenly they are the hunted prey of the Reich's killer ships, and the target of Allied bombers. They have a prize in their possession that can turn the tide of the savage global conflict once and for all. And they have nowhere to run.While on a secret mission targeting the Nazi "Enigma" encryption device, a team of American sailors and marines poses as the German rescue team for a crippled submarine.But before they can grab the device and escape, the real rescue unit arrives and destroys their American vessel. Now they are forced to secretly navigate the malfunctioning submarine through enemy lines. This Dino De Laurentiis production is written and directed by Jonathan Mostow (Breakdown), and stars Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel and Jon Bon Jovi.While on a secret mission targeting the Nazi "Enigma" encryption device, a team of American sailors and marines poses as the German rescue team for a crippled submarine. But before they can grab the device and escape, the real rescue unit arrives and destroys their American vessel. Now they are forced to secretly navigate the malfunctioning submarine through enemy lines. This Dino De Laurentiis production is written and directed by Jonathan Mostow (Breakdown), and stars Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel and Jon Bon Jovi.

About the Author

MAX ALLAN COLLINS, a well-known mystery and suspense author, has written several movie tie-in novels, including the bestselling Saving Private Ryan. He lives in Muscatine, Iowa.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Avon (April 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380812908
• ISBN-13: 978-0380812905
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,501,877 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The War Below, April 2, 2000

By A Customer

This is a superb story about submarine warfare in the Atlantic in WWII. The plot contains one of the most imaginative twists that makes this story so unique. We follow the American crew as they are trapped by fate. The action is excellent and the characters bring the story to life.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't read this fiction - read the true stories instead, August 5, 2000

By A Customer

This book (and film of the same name) is typical Hollywood hogwash - with Americans playing the parts of heroic British sailors, some of whom gave their lives aboard a sinking U-boat having captured the a set of Enigma code books from the Germans. Vote for the truth with your feet - read about the real heroes in books like: 'Enigma: The Battle for the Code' by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore and 'Capturing Enigma' by Stephen Harper, both available from Amazon

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars U-571, Hollywood Fantasy, June 19, 2000

By A Customer

U-571 was a Type VIIC U-Boat that was commisioned into the German Navy on May 22, 1941. U-571 did 11 combat patrols under two commanders (Helmut Mohlmann and Gustav Lussow), and sank 7 enemy ships. U-571 was lost with all hands on January 28, 1944, during an attack by Australian aircraft.

Clearly the novel "U-571" has nothing to do with with the actual submarine U-571! Of course, one cannot expect too much from a novel based on a hollywood screen play. Had the author wanted to write a novel about the British Navy capture of a German Navy Enigma device, he might have used the title "U-110". Or if he wanted to write a novel about the US Navy capture of a German Navy submarine, he might have used the title "U-505". Or he could have written a book about the actual U-571!

Rather than this novel, I would recommend "Run Silent Run Deep" or "Iron Coffins" by Herbert Werner.