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

Book Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

great insight on what happened on the Bismarck.......2007-08-01

I did like the narrative and it gave me a glimpse into what went on inside the Bismarck and her crew. Many of the photograhs were a first for me. I especially liked Appendix D, "The Rudder Damage: Were all Possibilities of Repair Exhausted?". Apparently the Bismarck was doomed from the start, but this may have been hindsight on the part of the author.

As for Appendix F "A Break in the Code", the tome was written before information was released indicating that the British were indeed monitoring most, if not all, communications of the Kriegsmarine. I refer to the two volumes of "Hitler's U-Boat War" by Clay Blair. The Americans were also monitoring the movements of the Bismarck, possibly in violation of international law.

The only reason I gave the book 4 stars is because the author related his opinions on the politics and his superiors possibly after the war. I wonder how he thought during the war. Too many apologies for the Nazi regime for my taste. I agree that the regime was inefficient. This may have been common among many authors who were involved on the German side looking back.

I would recommend this book in addition to the several books that have been written on the Bismarck in the last few decades.

A standout in the crowded field of historical memiors.......2006-08-17

V. Mullenheim-Rechberg executes brilliantly where others have failed. This is one memoir where the author maintains a confident balance between his own personal history and the larger event in which he took part.

Make no mistake--this is his story, yet one where the ship and its crew reamin the focus. An understanding that he was but one, small aspect of each seems to guide his writing throughout. Moreover, he is careful to call out what he can only qualify as recollection and what he has culled from the established historical record. The result is a practically seamless recounting that should satisfy readers who seek personal insights into the short operational history of the Bismarck and those who crave details on the ship's construction, crew composition, and blow-by-blow accounts of Dennmark Strait and the final attack that lead to its ultimate fate.

His chapter describing the last minutes as the crew abandoned ship take on a downright cinematic feel. The clarity there is of moments he could not shake and of people he would not forget. It's deeply personal, yet he provides both himself and the reader emotional breathing space by weaving in views of the operational action around the ship itself. This intensifies every personally-infused vignette that he presents and ensures that none are lost in the wash of mass human loss.

The author makes particularly handy work of his footnotes, sometimes using them to personally answer some of what he believes are significant misnomers about the ship's history--and his own. The footnotes are clearly -his- space, and he does not hesitate to answer some of what he feels are personal attacks that various other authors have made on his character and conduct. Still, he shies away from pettiness and cheap indignancy here. His tone is measured throughout, and he exactingly cites the sources that fuel his commentary--leaving the reader a chance to further explore the issues. After all, he was a lawyer and diplomat after the war. It shows.

Recommended highly for those who enjoy their history presented in a narrative fashion.

WELL TOLD TRUE STORY OF AMAZING PROPORTIONS FROM THE HIGHEST RANKING SURVIVING OFFICER ABOARD THE BISMARCK.......2006-05-26

FIRST THOUGHTS: EMOTIONAL WAR DRAMA OF LEGENDARY STATUS

The Bismarck, like the Titanic before her, went down on her maiden voyage in the North Atlantic with a great loss of life. Though both ships went on to become legends, the Bismarck was one that went down via the concerted effort of a large portion of the British fleet. Due to its being the flagship of the third reich and symbol of its 'superior' achievement the mission to destroy the Bismarck was a vital necessity to the British and a desperate race for survival for its German crew. In the end, there is little to feel good about the sinking of a vessel with over two thousand men aboard, only 115 whom were saved. Worse still, this tragedy followed the sinking of the Hood by the Bismarck just several days earlier with just a handful of survivors from the Hood. All in all a very nasty business, but an epic piece of real human history.

IN A NUTSHELL:

Battleship Bismarck: A Survivor's Story (Bluejacket Books)
by Burkard Baron Von Mullenheim-Rechberg, is another fine 'Naval Institute Press Publication' and a terrific account of the Bismarck's short life. The author, Burkard Baron Von Mullenheim-Rechberg was first, Captain Lindemann's adjutant and later the gunnery officer in charge of the aft range-finder. His rank was 'Oberleutnant zur See', or the equivalent of Lieutenant, in the US Navy. Von Mullenheim-Rechberg was on board before the beginning and was there after the end to become a prisoner-of-war. Both before and after are included in his expanded accounts in this "THE NEW AND EXPANDED EDITION - 1990".

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT:

Von Mullenheim-Rechberg takes us on-board the Bismarck as he is introduced to his new commanding officer, Captain Lindemann. It is 1940 and he is the Captain's adjutant as fitting out and trials get under way for the newly launched super-dreadnought. These prelimary maneuvers are included in detail. Von Mullenheim-Rechberg does give us insights into his Captain, Lindemann, Admiral Lutjens [fleet commander] and something about Adolf Hitler who did visit the ship. All three men will play an important role in the story that unfolds.

BUT THE STORY DOESN'T END THERE -

A lot happened to the Bismarck its crew, the Hood, and the world in less than a week, and much of it is covered within this volume, first hand.

The real mission of the battleship Bismarck.......2003-05-06

The author, and one time adjutant to Captain Lindermann, the commanding officer of the Bismarck, reveals the real mission of the battleship which is a new concept to most. It was very exciting to read the details from the beginning of the battleship including the sailors and officers, the training, and sailing to the Atlantic. Although it would have been nice if even more details could have been included, but perhaps space and memory prevented it. The author did mention that most of his experiences and service had to be written from memory since he was prevented from recording classified and secret information. Particularly interesting is his description and feelings of being a POW inside the POW camps; his repatriation, a person returning to his defeated homeland, once a proud nation, and how a former POW can fit into the new and recovering society. Lacking many technical details that we would liked to have read about, this is still an excellent book. To be able to read about the battleship from the German side of the ship and war, is invaluable. Excellent book and highly recommended.

The real mission of the battleship Bismarck.......2003-05-06

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Battleship Sailor
Theodore C. Mason
Manufacturer: Naval Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IDDHTA

Average customer rating:

Battleship Sailor
He was there
Fascinating behind-the-scenes look
My Dad was a shipmate at Pearl
An excellent first hand account of the Pearl Harbor attack

Battleship Sailor (Bluejacket Books)
Theodore C. Mason
Manufacturer: Naval Institute Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1557505799

Customer Reviews:

Battleship Sailor.......2007-01-09

This is a very well written book about an enlisted man's life in the US Navy before and during World War 2. It really detailed all aspects of Theodore Mason's time as a Navy enlisted man aboard the USS California. It was interesting and exciting to read.

He was there.......2005-09-28

This is an excellent first-person account of the life of an enlisted man aboard an American battleship before and during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mason, a professional writer, writes from the point-of-view of his youthful self. His writing is organized, logical and unforgiving toward those he feels let him down as a sailor or as a man. One of the best first-person accounts of life in the old Navy, where form was more important than function.

Fascinating behind-the-scenes look.......2004-01-27

This is a great look at life in the Navy just before the outbreak of World War II. Mason provides unique insight to a world that has been obscured by myth and movies over the past sixty years. It really gives a sense of a sailor's life in the old Navy, and his revisitation of the Pearl Harbor attack is simply riveting. A must-read for students of naval history!

My Dad was a shipmate at Pearl.......2003-06-07

My Dad was assigned to the USS California from 1936 until she was sunk on December 7th. The book reads just like the stories he would tell. My Dad past away Nov 2002. He spent 30 years in the Navy and most of the stories he told were when he was on the "Prune Barge". He played football and baseball on the ships team. I always wondered if the sailor Mr. Mason spoke to when he was touring the ship when first assigned was my Dad - he was a MM3 - "snipe" - worked in the engine room. It sure did sound like a response my Dad would give. One of the sailors awarded the Medal of Honor, Robert Scott (Zeke) was my fathers best friend on the California. They were "Battleship Sailors".

An excellent first hand account of the Pearl Harbor attack.......2001-05-12

I really enjoyed this book.There is sure to be a massive wave of new found interest in the suprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the events surrounding it due to the upcoming movie, and anyone who wants to get a feel for what it was really like to be there on the deck of a battleship dodging bullets and bombs, this book is unequaled anywhere. What really makes this an outstanding book is not just the gripping account of the attack itself, but also of the time period just beforehand. Mr Mason does an excellent job of relaying the false sense of security and invincibility that we as Americans held before we were thrown headlong into the most savage and trying war in the history of mankind. Mr Mason's portrait of the life of a sailor in the days of the pre-war "Old Navy" is something to be treasured and preserved especially now that our population of veterans from that period is inexorably fading. I thought that the author could ease off on some of the "50-cent" words, as constantly having to consult your dictionary can interfere with your enjoyment of this book. Overall, a great read, and a must have for anyone interested in Pearl Harbor or naval history.

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Battleship Sailors
Harry Plevy
Manufacturer: Chatham Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

The most famous British battleship of the twentieth century by the men who served aboard.

Average customer rating:

Battleship Sailor
Theodore C. Mason
Manufacturer: Navel Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NTEGOO

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Battleship Sailor
Theodore C. Mason
Manufacturer: Naval Inst. Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LBVGXI

Sailors of the Battleship Navy A Pictoral Calendar For 1982

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Sailors of the Battleship Navy A Pictoral Calendar For 1982
N/A
Manufacturer: Annapolis: United States Naval Institute. (1981).
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ROHE1W

Sailors of the Battleship Navy; a Pictorial Calender for 1982

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Sailors of the Battleship Navy; a Pictorial Calender for 1982

Manufacturer: United States Naval Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: 0870210408

Trapped at Pearl Harbor: Escape from Battleship Oklahoma

Average customer rating:

The U.S.S. Oklahoma during the Pearl Harbor raid.
A "must read" for you and your kids
A good story, and very well told

Trapped at Pearl Harbor: Escape from Battleship Oklahoma
Stephen Bower Young
Manufacturer: Naval Inst Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

The U.S.S. Oklahoma during the Pearl Harbor raid........2004-02-08

The author-Stephen Bower Young-served as a gunner on one of the main turrets of the battleship U.S.S. Oklahoma. He was aboard the ship when she was torpeodoed during the surprise Japanese attack. This story is about his personal experiences during the December 7, 1941 attack and the escape from the ship when it rolled over.
Young offers recollections about the life aboard the battleship and the sailors he served with. Many of these sailors would not survive the attack (448 died).
The majority of the book was about the attack and the subsequent escape. I was most interested in Young's successful escape, when other sailors drilled holes into the bottom of the ship so those trapped could escape. A most interesting read.

A "must read" for you and your kids.......2001-06-04

This book is absolutely spellbinding. Once you open this book, you won't be able to put it down. The impact of this first-hand account of being trapped inside the capsized hull of the battleship USS Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor is resounding. Buy it for yourself but share it with anyone upon whom you wish to impress the courage of what has come to be called the Greatest Generation. The next time you hear someone complaining about how tough they have it (perhaps your kids or grandkids whining about not having the coolest sneakers or the latest Nintendo), give them this book to read. Perhaps the reality of how pampered our current lifestyle really is will sink in. I suspect this book will also help you put your own problems in perspective as well.

A good story, and very well told.......1999-09-19

The author recounts his days in the pre-WWII navy with candor and affection. Honest without being coarse or too sentimental, he talks of his experiences and shipmates, good and bad. The account of USS Oklahoma's sinking and his later rescue is thrilling. I read it in one sitting.

Average customer rating:

Uss California (Bb-44
Pat Martin , and Erik Parrent
Manufacturer: Turner Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

These memoirs of a renowned American biologist deal with his traumatic childhood in Nazi Berlin, his young adulthood in Illinois, his first postwar return to Berlin in 1946 as a scientific advisor to the US Military Government, and his participation in California in the exciting early scientific breakthroughs in the development of molecular biology that transformed the 20th century life sciences. The red thread of these memoirs is the author's failed love affair with a young German actress he met in Berlin in 1946 on the day his story opens and saw for the last time in 1950 on the day his story closes.

Customer Reviews:

Stent's Early Memoir: Nazis, Women ..........2001-05-23

This very readable and forthright autobiography covers the first 26 years of life of one of the leading American molecular biologists. The rich fabric of its story is told in part in beautiful letters. His recollections reflect both, a lifetime of incisive analysis and the mellow philosophical perspective of a septuagenarian. This multifaceted memoir can be read at varying levels of depth, reaching from the unencumbered experience of a middleschool student to the sophistication of a postgraduate, and it adresses a multitude of aspects of social and intellectual life. Though chockful with historical detail, it presents common and personal occurrences and opinions with humor, irony, even satire, and it is at least in parts breathtakingly thrilling. The first part of the book describes the author's upbringing in a partially assimilated, reform Jewish family. Starting out as an unexpected and spoiled addition to two older siblings, Stent evokes the social and cultural life enjoyed by well-to-do femilies in the German capital Berlin during the 1920s Weimar regime. Bereft by the tragic illness and death of his doting mother, the boy is increasingly consternated, isolated and frightened by the rapidly unfolding official anti-Semitism of Nazi Germany, and he is imprinted with the terror of the Nuremberg progromes and the 1938 Kristallnacht. With father and siblings already abroad, the 14-year-old and his stepmother embark on a dangerous, illegal escape that leads them to safety. Having finally reached Chicago, the adolescent, essentially on his own and pitifully poor, completes his schooling and strives for a college education. The cultural change left him totally unprepared for dealing with coeds, in whom he is now greatly interested. He starts out more or less undetermined in his search for a woman and a career, and he learns to grab and eventually finagle opportunities. As member of a government technical branch, he returns in 1947 to Germany and his beloved , now war-torn Berlin, but having the power of both an American uniform and American cigarettes. Back home in the US, he struggles with the excitement and intellectual challenge of reseaarch, its potential fame, and the parternalistic sociality inherent in a research career. The latter's cost is deferment of a mature sex and love life. This dilemma and his racial victimization affirm his self-perception as a "lucky self-hater." Despite his passionate sexuality, he is in his relationships with women enotionally unresponsive, undecided, or at times (he says) a cad. Unwittingly, he victimizes the "other" but, in the final analysis, again himself. The last part of the book sets forth the beginnings of molecular biology, in which Stent participated as an early member of Max Delbrueck's groupon bacteriphage research. Though lacking literature references, the book's historical data appear to have been verified during the author's 1985-1991 research fellowships. Stent's autobiography is more thoughtful than James Watson's "The Double Helix," of which Stent has been a renown critic. Stent perceives science as a sociocultural activity and addresses both its lofty ideals and its flaws. A major topic is anti-Semitism and the arrogance that feeds into it. Stent conveys to his readers an understanding of its many faces and of the sociocultural evil of any racism. By pointing out the splinter in his own, the victim's, eye, he proves that it is humanly almost impossible to be totally free from racism. Biophysicist Stent does not embrace the reductionism prevailing in molecular biology. He seems to warn of its dangers to the emotional development and humanization of budding scientists. Knowing that modern physics contradicts the subject-object separation time-honored in biological thinking, he commits himself in his memoir to being both. My favorite piquantery among the many in his recollections is a play with an allusion of his first name with Wagner's Gunther. It leads to a summary, rather self-deprecating evaluation of his scientific merits (pp.15-16). Scientific papers begin customarily with a summary of the salient points: here, the image of the great "hero" scientist will be rejected. Rather, Stent wants to be perceived, warts and all, as the protagonist of his bittersweet story.

Book Description

A quick reference resource that provides clear and concise information on Case Management, and also serves as a study tool for those involved in preparing for case management certification.

Customer Reviews:

A prep and study guide for the BIG exam!!!.......2007-07-09

This was the basic book that I used to prepare and study for the CCM exam. It is a total career change for me and I think this book enabled me to pass the CCM exam. It will be a good reference if/when I land a new job,

On target study guide!.......2007-06-20

The first time I took the CCM exam I failed by a couple of points. I bought this study guide because it covered a lot of the questions on the exam. The guide included a lot of hospital case manager issues that I was not familiar with as well as payor sources. I am convinced this study guide helped me to pass the exam the 2nd time around.

A Case Manager's Study Guide for CCM Prep........2007-02-26

Highly recommend. The format is easy and test questions are at the end of each chapter as well as an explanation as to WHY this is the correct answer. In addition, there was a CD of over 600 questions of test questions including in my edition that is extremely valuable to reinforce your knowledge base. Easy to read and understand.

NEW AND TIMELY PURCHASE.......2006-03-17

I received the new book promptly; plus, it was at a great price.

Terrific help.......2004-11-08

Very helpful, the only resource I used for the exam. Will sell my copy, no marks and CD in perfect condition. contact me at thegeo98@sbcglobal.net

Average customer rating:

Real Cajun flavor

An absolute favorite

Healthy southern cooking...

Lowfat Cuisine

My favorite cookbook!

A Trim and Terrific Louisiana Kitchen
Holly Berkowitz Clegg
Manufacturer: Wimmer Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Plastic Comb

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Customer Reviews:

Real Cajun flavor.......2006-05-04

This is one of my very favorite cookbooks. I received it as a gift in 1993, even signed by Holly!!! It is marked up and stained on many pages. You can't go wrong with this cookbook if you want to eat healthy and still have lots of flavor. I recommend the Chicken Fricassee....it even impressed a real cajun cook....my mother in law!!!

An absolute favorite.......2004-11-22

I received this book as a wedding gift in 1997. Just about every recipe that I have tried has been wonderful. The White Chili is a great change from Tortilla Soup and the pasta recipes are very easy and light. This is a wonderful addition to your cookbook collection.

Healthy southern cooking..........2003-08-25

No, that is not an oxymoron! I was raised in Louisiana and Texas and I am very picky about "home cooking." This book has delicious and light recipes that are easy to make. My entire family loves the food from this book. I find myself reaching for this one over and over again. The stuffed artichoke tastes just like you get in New Orleans!

Lowfat Cuisine.......2002-07-26

I am very delighted with the purchase of this cookbook. Due to health reasons within the last few years, I have been adding lowfat cooking to my menu. Holly provides some very lowfat and tasty recipes anyone will enjoy. The Heavenly Cheesecake was a sweet treat to my whole family. A good lowfat cookbook to add to anyone's cookbook collection! I recommend it.

My favorite cookbook!.......2001-06-27

This cookbook has been our favorite for the last couple of years. At first glance, the recipes appear to be too simple to be exciting, but somehow they pack a lot of complexity and flavor into a few ingredients. It is the PERFECT cookbook for everyday after work cooking, but there are also plenty of recipes that you will want to serve your guests too. Their grilled flank steak recipe is a standard at every summer party I throw, and it gets rave reviews every time.

Southern Cuisine: A Trim & Terrific Louisiana Kitchen an Easy and Lighter Lifestyle

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Southern Cuisine: A Trim & Terrific Louisiana Kitchen an Easy and Lighter Lifestyle

Manufacturer: Holly Berkowitz Clegg
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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