****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I have been an amateur military historian for 30 years, my degree is in history, and I teach secondary history; with that being said...I have read countless books on WW II naval warfare, with a specific interest in the Kriegsmarine. I was aware of U-862, her epic voyage, and her commander and his accomplishments. Most U-boat books, mention this in a sentence or so. In this book the reader learns more about KK Timm, the only naval commander in any navy to have had engagements in every ocean during WW II. The reader also learns about the crew and the farthest traveled U-boat of the war, U-862. It amazes me that this U-boat left Europe in late 1944, when Germany's fortunes were sliding, and then made it all of the way to Australia and New Zealand to operate in early 1945, while a world away Germany was being crushed on both sides by the Allies. Her successful voyage seems surrealistic given that Germany was collapsing on the other side of the world. This book also does a fine job of examining the somewhat stunted cooperation between the Japanese and Germans during the war. This does not read like a regular WW II book on naval combat. Yes, that element is definitely there, but the biggest elements of the book are the adventure and human elements of U-862's voyage. It reads more like a sea adventure than a war book at times, which I liked. I would not recommend this as a "starter" book on U-boats during the war, because it is so specific. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a basic knowledge of WW II and desires to learn more about a fascinating boat, captain, and crew during a little known episode of the war, or any person who likes sea adventure books. I'm very glad I bought this and I'm happy it's back in print because I waited a long time to get this and was not disapointed :)
