Das Boot: The epic Second World War novel, now an acclaimed Sky One series (W&N Military)

An all time classic. Purchased at bargain price during a sale. If you've seen the 80's film, that is very close to the book, but the book is so much better. Weeks of boredom then minutes of sheer panic.

superb book... seen the film and series. very brave men as are our navy

I returned to 'Das Boot' after a 20 year absence and it proved as compelling a read as I remembered it. The story, seen through the eyes of a journalist on board to write a propaganda article, follows a German U-Boat on a single patrol in the Atlantic at a time in late 1941 when the convey system and Allied technological advances were beginning to turn the tide of battle. The book is thinly autobiographical - the author did actually sail in such a journalistic capacity on a U-boat in that period - although I suspect that the exploits described are an amalgam of the experiences of several U-boats. Certainly the dramatic and poignant ending is culled from an incident with a different boat later in the war. Despite the success of the film adaptation this is not an all action Hollywood blood and thunder story. Indeed at 560 pages the pace can at times be a little slow. Unless you have a particularly technical or nautical mind the lengthy descriptions of the mechanical workings of the boat, especially in the early chapters, can drag. But its worth sticking with it because the length is also the book's strength. It serves well to build and emphasise the boredom, routine, claustrophobia and tension experienced by the crew. You get the impression that this is a deeply authentic picture of a WW2 submariners life, right down to the graphic and earthy descriptions of every day life and conversations on board. There are no heroes and no villains. Just scared but stoical men attempting to do their duty with all the moral ambiguities that sometimes implied. The characters are one dimensional, little or nothing is known about their private lives but this too is, I am sure, consistent with the reality of serving men reluctant to let slip their brittle protective facemask of nonchalent bravado. Politics rarely intrudes into the narrative. This is a book about universal human emotion, duty and endurance in wartime which just happens to have been written from a German perspective, not about ideology or nationality. Few of the crew appear to have any Nazi sympathies and its easy for the reader to identify with them and their plight despite the nature of the regime their efforts were supporting. The translation into American English is a minor irritant at times (some of it is rather lazy - a penalty, for instance, is not a 'goal kick'!) but this remains one of the most apparently authentic Second World War novels I have read.

One of the best books ever written. My opinion, obviously, but the writing is excellent. Really expresses the interminable boredom and frustration and intermittent intense action and fear of death of a submarine. Love this book - great for tucking up on the sofa with.

Classic of the Second World War. Full of stuff any submariner will know and recognise. Bring your dustbin from outside and sit by it with the lid off to get the best effect!

Fabulous piece of writing which I bought in conjunction with the film on DVD. They are mutually complementary and for those who have only seen the movie, I can't recommend this highly enough.

This must be read, but its not a 5-star. The writing is elegant and poetic, but there are PAGES of descriptions about clouds and water; and this is quite illustrative of the novel as a whole. Tense, thrilling scenes are interspersed with long periods of boredom - it serves a purpose because it portrays life on board a sub. For that reason it is a great novel. But it's hard going.

Gripping account of life in all aspects on a U boat. Loved the story. The translation is a little stunted and there are many spelling errors in this version but not detrimental to the book itself