In the first eight months of 1942; German submarines sank nearly 400 Allied freighters and tankers along the U.S. Atlantic coast with a loss of more than 5;000 merchant seamen and sailors―twice the number of fatalities at Pearl Harbor. This book helps readers understand the complexities of the long Battle of the Atlantic by examining those disastrous early days of war and following the U-boats into action.The book traces the voyages of five U-boats to their destinations as they sink twenty-five ships unmolested by the U.S. Navy; which failed to follow through on British intelligence warnings. It also provides a compilation of personal stories from crewmen and officers of U-123 and from the Allied sailors and merchant seamen cast adrift in lifeboats by the U-boat's torpedoes. A bestseller when first published in 1990; it is now back in print as a trade paperback.
#223784 in Books NYRB Classics 2006-10-10 2006-10-10Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x 1.30 x 5.26l; 1.45 #File Name: 1590172183624 pages
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. +By john R.A book from a good historian writer. Sometimes has the British tendency to pick on the French while forgetting that the Brits were just as bad; or sometimes worse; colonists. Nevertheless the author relies on chronological facts in an excellent way for this last struggle of France's attempt to preserve a colony. I was there in Great Kabylia; conscripted two and half years in the marines; during the later part of the war. We rebelled in vain against De Gaulle and his mignons imposing stupid edicts towards the native population.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Not an easy read with a lot of foreign names and places ...By Bucky BadgerNot an easy read with a lot of foreign names and places that were challenging to remember but; nonetheless; is very informative. If you are like me in that you have very little knowledge about the French-Algerian War you will come out of the book affected by the extraordinary events that took place. I also highly recommend checking out the movie Battle of Algiers. The movie was made 3-4 years after the war ended and includes a disk in which some of the actual participants in the war are interviewed. The movie really helps make the book even more moving. The events in the book are especially relevant to those that have since and continue to take place in that part of the world - the elusive matter of how to get a timely and fair treatment of a situation before violent actions cascade out of control.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Solidly told history of the conflictBy Scott WhitmoreA solidly presented look at the conflict between Algeria and France leading to the former nation's independence in 1962; in turns fascinating and frustrating -- not because of the author's efforts; although I will list a few quibbles below; but rather because of the lessons unlearned.In the preface to the 2006 edition; Alistair Horne relates that; at his staff's request a copy of A Savage War of Peace: Algeria 1954-1962 was sent to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfield in 2005. This would be around the time the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal was dominating headlines around the world; and Horne thought -- at least -- reviewing the French experience with torture in Algeria may prove useful. Unsurprisingly; given a propensity for arrogance that is the downfall of an otherwise brilliant mind; Rumsfield's response was courteous but uninterested.That the Secretary of Defense's staff wanted him to read the book is not surprising. Much as Bernard Fall's Hell In A Very Small Place: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu became a hot commodity in the hands of U.S. policy and military types in Washington and Vietnam during the Battle of Khe Sanh in 1968; so too was Horne's tome mined for information that would prevent a disaster during our failure to win the peace in Iraq following the 2003 invasion.A direct comparison between Algeria and Iraq simply can't be made; however there are several striking similarities between the conflicts which Horne summarizes in the 2006 preface and careful readers will find for themselves throughout the text. History doesn't often repeat itself verbatim; but some themes are universal enough that careful study by later leaders should lead to the avoidance of pitfalls.This conflict was indeed savage; with all the hallmarks of terrorism and brutality we have become all too familiar with in this day and age: Bombings; many aimed solely at civilians in both Algeria and France; assassinations; extensive collateral deaths of civilians during military operations; and the organized torture of suspects and prisoners.I was just six months old when the French flag was lowered for the final time in Algiers; so I found it interesting to learn more about this time period. Much was going on; from Dien Bien Phu and the Suez Crisis in 1956 (both had ramifications for the French military in Algeria) to the building of the Berlin Wall and its concomitant Cold War fears.Horne presents information in a non-linear way; shifting focus between the French and rebel FLN; but he carefully retraces his steps to cover bypassed events of importance. The first of three parts; which provides the exposition and context for the conflict as well as initial actions; is a bit of a slog. Once the stage is set however; the second (1954-1958) and third (1958-1962) parts of the book move crisply.Two other quibbles I had are the frequent use of French phrases; mostly in quotes; and a muddled conclusion. It is perfectly understandable that a book on a conflict where both sides used the same language would include statements in that language; and there is certainly something to be said for using verbatim quotes in the original tongue. However; in those instances I would suggest including an English translation; I don't speak French and it was annoying to frequently shift from the text to Google Translate to ensure something important was not missed.The book has been revised twice (1996 and 2006) since being originally published in 1977; and the final chapter which summarizes the conflict and addresses post-war Algeria certainly bears the most obvious scars of these updates; with abrupt shifts in tone and content. It is as if rather than a complete re-write the decision was made to simply tack on new information.As a side note; it was fascinating to read the three prefaces as each provides a snapshot of editorial style for the period. The original from 1977 is quite heavy and scholarly; with numerous sub-clauses while the later revisions are successively more direct and streamlined. I'm not sure if this is a function of the author or editor; but it was interesting to me.
