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Das Boot #1
Das Boot: The Boat
Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780304352319
The thrilling wartime novel that inspired Wolfgang Petersen's Academy Award-nominated, blockbuster film! Written by an actual survivor of Germany's U-boat fleet, Das Boot is one of the most exciting stories of naval warfare ever published, a tale filled with almost unbearable tension and suspense. In autumn 1941, a German U-boat commander and his crew set out on yet another hazardous patrol in the Battle of the Atlantic. Over the coming weeks they brave the ocean's stormy waters and seek out British supply ships to destroy. But their targets travel in well-guarded convoys. When contact finally occurs, the hunter quickly becomes the hunted, and a cat-and-mouse game begins as the U-boat hides deep beneath the surface of the sea. Soon, claustrophobia becomes an enemy almost as frightening as the depth charges exploding around them.
The thrilling wartime novel that inspired Wolfgang Petersen's Academy Award-nominated, blockbuster film! Written by an actual survivor of Germany's U-boat fleet, Das Boot is one of the most exciting stories of naval warfare ever published, a tale filled with almost unbearable tension and suspense. In autumn 1941, a German U-boat commander and his crew set out on yet another hazardous patrol in the Battle of the Atlantic. Over the coming weeks they brave the ocean's stormy waters and seek out British supply ships to destroy. But their targets travel in well-guarded convoys. When contact finally occurs, the hunter quickly becomes the hunted, and a cat-and-mouse game begins as the U-boat hides deep beneath the surface of the sea. Soon, claustrophobia becomes an enemy almost as frightening as the depth charges exploding around them.
563 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
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5,863 people want to read
About the author
Lothar-Günther Buchheim
36Ìýbooks34ÌýfollowersLothar-Günther Buchheim (February 6, 1918 â€� February 22, 2007) was a German author, painter, and art collector. He is best known for his novel Das Boot (1973), which became an international bestseller and was adapted in 1981 as an Oscar-nominated film.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 308 reviews
September 11, 2016
Probably the most existential and realistic book of submarine warfare from the point of view of a German crew that I have read. It reveals an experience most would rather not have had to live through.
Submarines need buoyancy to function. Salt water makes that extremely difficult because the specific gravity of salt water varies with depth, temperature, the amount of plankton, salinity, even the time of year. (Apparently fresh water is much easier.) Now let’s assume that the specific gravity changes by 1/1000, a small enough amount. If the weight of the sub is 800 tons, the weight must change by 1/1000 or 1600 lbs., not an insignificant amount. The weight has to be increased or decreased as the case may be.
Or let’s say the cook moves a 100 lb. sack of potatoes from the stern forward. That amount of weight has to be redistributed by pumping an equivalent amount of water back to the stern in the trim tanks. You will never think of submarines in quite the same way after you have read the description of their sub in the midst of a storm having to run on the surface for speed (if you could call it that) and to charge the batteries, the boat plunging and heaving through the waves. Can submarines capsize?
This kind of fascinating information adds such verisimilitude to one of the submarine classics to come out of WW II. The author served as a naval correspondent on U-Boots during the war and experienced much of what he then wrote about. I have seen the movie (in German) and listened to the audiobook in addition to reading the book (in English). Not recommended in any form if you have a heart condition.
“All doubts are silenced by the concept of duty.� Think about that.
Submarines need buoyancy to function. Salt water makes that extremely difficult because the specific gravity of salt water varies with depth, temperature, the amount of plankton, salinity, even the time of year. (Apparently fresh water is much easier.) Now let’s assume that the specific gravity changes by 1/1000, a small enough amount. If the weight of the sub is 800 tons, the weight must change by 1/1000 or 1600 lbs., not an insignificant amount. The weight has to be increased or decreased as the case may be.
Or let’s say the cook moves a 100 lb. sack of potatoes from the stern forward. That amount of weight has to be redistributed by pumping an equivalent amount of water back to the stern in the trim tanks. You will never think of submarines in quite the same way after you have read the description of their sub in the midst of a storm having to run on the surface for speed (if you could call it that) and to charge the batteries, the boat plunging and heaving through the waves. Can submarines capsize?
This kind of fascinating information adds such verisimilitude to one of the submarine classics to come out of WW II. The author served as a naval correspondent on U-Boots during the war and experienced much of what he then wrote about. I have seen the movie (in German) and listened to the audiobook in addition to reading the book (in English). Not recommended in any form if you have a heart condition.
“All doubts are silenced by the concept of duty.� Think about that.
November 10, 2021
I'm overwhelmed with horror at what we have done with our torpedoes. Delayed reaction. One stab at the firing lever! I close my eyes to blot out the haunting visions, but I continue to see the sea of flames spreading out over the water and men swimming for their lives.
Written in a terse, plain style, this just reeks of authenticity as Buchheim channels his real life U-boat experience into a book that is described as 'a novel, but not a work of fiction'. It's free of nationalist ideology so that the fact that we're travelling with a German U-boat hunting and hunted by Allied convoys and destroyers becomes more or less irrelevant and, in fact, the Commander is quite scathing throughout about Hitler and German war strategies, not least the lack of flight cover.
Stripped back to something personal and individual, what we share is the experience of men at war, regardless of nationality, and the specific details of what it means to go through combat in a submarine - surprisingly fragile in some ways, an iron coffin in others, and while no-one can be shot inside it, it's an accepted fact that men in the engine room will never be able to evacuate safely should the order be given and will die there...
Following a single mission that takes the boat on a tour of the Atlantic and then into the Mediterranean, this is as meticulous about recounting the boredom and lack of activity as it is nail-bitingly tense at the two or three extended scenes of combat: sitting in silence and hearing the exploding depth charges in the darkness as the Commander ('The Old Man' because he's 30 when the majority of submariners were far younger, often teenagers) coolly tries to escape a pursuing British destroyer is up there with the most tense scenes I've read.
But it's the mundane details that will perhaps stick with me most: eyes swollen after a night watch on the bridge; mistaking seagulls for fighter planes; the daily consumption of lemons to ward off scurvy; the way that as a sack of potatoes is used, the balance of the boat has to be compensated for in the water; the length of time it takes to reload torpedo tubes while being pursued by a destroyer set on making a kill; the lack of space, the smells, the relief of fresh sea air when they come to the surface; and the crude sexual gossip and fantasising of a group of young men caught together in unnatural conditions of acute and unending danger. We know from a brief foreword that of the 40,000 men serving on U-boats, 30,000 perished.
This is an excellent companion piece to and an unmissable contribution to the literature of men at war.
December 17, 2020
My father was a sailor and one of the little quirks he had was that he never enjoyed a movie about ships or boats that sunk or something similar. The one movie about the sea it did see with him and he actually enjoyed was indeed "Das Boot" even if he as a former sailor from the merchant fleet had little sympathy for the submarine antics. He was impressed with the day to day showing of the life on this submarine. When he died some weeks ago due to Covid-19 it is these little anecdotes you remember and so I decided to read the book.
Das Boot is indeed a very well written and adventurous book that describes the one trip of this submarine into the Atlantic in all its facets. If you never knew anything about submarines and how they work you'll learn some interesting facts about buoyancy and the workings of this U-boat, daily life and the boring aspects as well. Because it is a German U-boat you'd expect Nazi stuff which does not happen as these are professional soldiers and not Nazi's as such.
This book is certainly one of the best books in its genre and should be read if you got any interest in boats or war. The book remained fascinating and interesting right up to the end.
You are well advised to read this book and I dare you not to be fascinated.
Das Boot is indeed a very well written and adventurous book that describes the one trip of this submarine into the Atlantic in all its facets. If you never knew anything about submarines and how they work you'll learn some interesting facts about buoyancy and the workings of this U-boat, daily life and the boring aspects as well. Because it is a German U-boat you'd expect Nazi stuff which does not happen as these are professional soldiers and not Nazi's as such.
This book is certainly one of the best books in its genre and should be read if you got any interest in boats or war. The book remained fascinating and interesting right up to the end.
You are well advised to read this book and I dare you not to be fascinated.
December 10, 2018
Excellent true account of a young German sailor's time serving on a submarine during WWII.
I can't praise this book enough. This was made into a miniseries which was one of the most hypnotic and thrilling I've ever seen. There was one lighthearted scene where the young sailors lustily sing their favorite song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" that I found hilarious.
I can't praise this book enough. This was made into a miniseries which was one of the most hypnotic and thrilling I've ever seen. There was one lighthearted scene where the young sailors lustily sing their favorite song "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" that I found hilarious.
June 7, 2016
I don't remember how old I was when I saw this movie on TV, but I do recall how I felt. It terrified the piss out of me. But I couldn't look away. I'm not even sure if I saw the whole movie from beginning to end or if the bits I watched just made such an impression on me it feels now in retrospect like I watched it for hours, though I know in reality it couldn't possibly have been that way because of the circumstances surrounding how and when I saw it. It doesn't really matter. I don't ever want to be inside a submarine under water, thanks. I have enough trouble being inside a submarine above the water in the safety of a museum. What if the door doesn't open? No, thanks.
Because of that viewing experience at what was obviously a very impressionable age, I've been curious to see the movie again (which will require some liquor to give me nerve) or to at least read the book. Books are safe, right? If my own imagination gets too intense I can just imagine a fluffy little puppy dog and a rainbow and everything is okay again.
Except I realized as I was reading the book that I didn't want there to be a fluffy little puppy dog or a rainbow. I was totally invested in the story and I didn't want to even put it down. My eyes hurt if I read too long that I began to wonder if I was even blinking. It reads quickly, probably because it's hard not to keep turning the pages to see what happens next. I'm not normally that insane about reading, but I was excited by this story. I cared, dammit, this Buccheim guy totally made me care.
I cared about all the sailor talk about whores and penises (penii?) and all the technical jargon that didn't make an iota of sense to me but omg it didn't even matter because it was interesting.
Now I might be ready to watch the movie again. From what I remember the movie stayed pretty true to the novel, but the book loses out on all the German hotness because no one even speaks German really, outside of a few occasions. I seem to remember a lot of really wet, good-looking Germans in the movie. (Ah, so obviously I was old enough to have some sort of sexual attraction when I saw the film, or at least old enough to have imagined they were really hot German guys because looking at now I don't see any particularly hot German guys - though Jurgen Prochnow isn't really much to sneeze at. Note: Watching that trailer just made me have heart palpitations. And now I have to go for a really long walk to get over this feeling that something large is sitting on my chest again.)
The cover of my copy claims Das Boot is "One of the best novels ever written about war". If someone knows of a better one, please let me know. I will totally read it and let you know if I agree. Maybe I haven't read enough war novels but I was plenty impressed by this one.
Note: For extra special effect, I recommend reading this book on either a speeding bus driven by a maniacal Port Authority driver on a route that involves a lot of potholes and curves; make sure to be stuck between a window and a really fat, smelly man so you get the impression of being stuck. That was one of my experiences while reading the book and it really made me feel like I was on a submarine. The only thing really missing was the water and the (possibly) hot German guys.
Because of that viewing experience at what was obviously a very impressionable age, I've been curious to see the movie again (which will require some liquor to give me nerve) or to at least read the book. Books are safe, right? If my own imagination gets too intense I can just imagine a fluffy little puppy dog and a rainbow and everything is okay again.
Except I realized as I was reading the book that I didn't want there to be a fluffy little puppy dog or a rainbow. I was totally invested in the story and I didn't want to even put it down. My eyes hurt if I read too long that I began to wonder if I was even blinking. It reads quickly, probably because it's hard not to keep turning the pages to see what happens next. I'm not normally that insane about reading, but I was excited by this story. I cared, dammit, this Buccheim guy totally made me care.
I cared about all the sailor talk about whores and penises (penii?) and all the technical jargon that didn't make an iota of sense to me but omg it didn't even matter because it was interesting.
Now I might be ready to watch the movie again. From what I remember the movie stayed pretty true to the novel, but the book loses out on all the German hotness because no one even speaks German really, outside of a few occasions. I seem to remember a lot of really wet, good-looking Germans in the movie. (Ah, so obviously I was old enough to have some sort of sexual attraction when I saw the film, or at least old enough to have imagined they were really hot German guys because looking at now I don't see any particularly hot German guys - though Jurgen Prochnow isn't really much to sneeze at. Note: Watching that trailer just made me have heart palpitations. And now I have to go for a really long walk to get over this feeling that something large is sitting on my chest again.)
The cover of my copy claims Das Boot is "One of the best novels ever written about war". If someone knows of a better one, please let me know. I will totally read it and let you know if I agree. Maybe I haven't read enough war novels but I was plenty impressed by this one.
Note: For extra special effect, I recommend reading this book on either a speeding bus driven by a maniacal Port Authority driver on a route that involves a lot of potholes and curves; make sure to be stuck between a window and a really fat, smelly man so you get the impression of being stuck. That was one of my experiences while reading the book and it really made me feel like I was on a submarine. The only thing really missing was the water and the (possibly) hot German guys.
October 13, 2024
Fascinating and terrifying book by Buchheim about a Nazi sub circa 1941 on a patrol. The author actually was in the German navy and served on subs and here, he serves as the unnamed narrator of the tale; simply a navy correspondent tagging along. I find it hard to imagine serving on a sub in WWII (or any war!), but Buchheim brings life aboard the ship to life in vivid detail. The sub, in real life German submarine U-96, was a Type VIIC, the 'workhorse' of their navy. 50 men crammed inside, most 'hot bunking' due to limited space. Limited fresh water meant no baths or showers for the entire cruise, which often lasted over a month.
The story starts in France as the boat's navel base, and Buchheim spends about a fifth of the novel introducing characters/crew on shore as the men party the night before they set out. Drunken conversation and last minute whoring; young men blowing off steam and fear. While the submariners had a high reputation in Germany, life there was short. One out of every three subs never returned from its maiden voyage and the few that made it to 12 patrols actually retired from the service.
What a nail biter! The next five sections of the book describe in vivid, uncensored detail the mission; the 'frigging around' cruising the Atlantic on orders, contact with the enemy flotilla, pursuit by destroyers, a harrowing North Atlantic storm, etc. I really liked how Buchheim provided such an explicit account here, with even the 'Old man' (e.g., captain) of the ship pissing on the brass right and left. Lots of deep speculations-- what to do with survivors of the torpedoed ships? Surprisingly, very little hate on board; these were men simply on a mission, outside of a few Hitler Youth types (who got all kinds of scorn on board). Great read if you like military history, or just in the mood for something really different. 4.5 stars!
The story starts in France as the boat's navel base, and Buchheim spends about a fifth of the novel introducing characters/crew on shore as the men party the night before they set out. Drunken conversation and last minute whoring; young men blowing off steam and fear. While the submariners had a high reputation in Germany, life there was short. One out of every three subs never returned from its maiden voyage and the few that made it to 12 patrols actually retired from the service.
What a nail biter! The next five sections of the book describe in vivid, uncensored detail the mission; the 'frigging around' cruising the Atlantic on orders, contact with the enemy flotilla, pursuit by destroyers, a harrowing North Atlantic storm, etc. I really liked how Buchheim provided such an explicit account here, with even the 'Old man' (e.g., captain) of the ship pissing on the brass right and left. Lots of deep speculations-- what to do with survivors of the torpedoed ships? Surprisingly, very little hate on board; these were men simply on a mission, outside of a few Hitler Youth types (who got all kinds of scorn on board). Great read if you like military history, or just in the mood for something really different. 4.5 stars!
September 18, 2019
Excellent book and excellent film, one of the best, most realistic and accurate WWII novels out there that show the war from the German side fairly.
Want to read
October 3, 2020Movie review :
It is a highly acclaimed German film about life aboard a German submarine during World War II. I watched it with a fair bit of anticipation
However,for me it didn't quite live up to the hype.The director's cut is far too long.Yes,there is a sense of the terror and claustrophobia aboard a subamarine,but for me,it's not an outstanding film.
The best thing about it is the ending,it is ironic.
3 stars for the film.
It is a highly acclaimed German film about life aboard a German submarine during World War II. I watched it with a fair bit of anticipation
However,for me it didn't quite live up to the hype.The director's cut is far too long.Yes,there is a sense of the terror and claustrophobia aboard a subamarine,but for me,it's not an outstanding film.
The best thing about it is the ending,it is ironic.
3 stars for the film.
February 15, 2015
This book is about 550 pages long, and for the first 300 pages I was wondering what it was all about and why I was wasting my time. A hundred pages just described the sea. Another hundred pages gave details of the submarine. The third hundred pages described a never-ending storm (spoiler: it does end).
After that, though, the book is great. The tension is incredible. I felt actually sorry for the characters, and glad that I wasn't them. The ending was fittingly unhappy for a war book - I felt no joy or relief, only a general sense of "what a fucked up situation." Perhaps the book could have left the first 300 pages out, or perhaps the last half was only so good because of the incredibly long build up.
After that, though, the book is great. The tension is incredible. I felt actually sorry for the characters, and glad that I wasn't them. The ending was fittingly unhappy for a war book - I felt no joy or relief, only a general sense of "what a fucked up situation." Perhaps the book could have left the first 300 pages out, or perhaps the last half was only so good because of the incredibly long build up.
September 27, 2013
I'd give this book 5 stars except it was about 200 pages longer than necessary. After awhile I heard enough of all the colors of the sky and sea. However after learning that the author is an accomplished artist, his obsession with color made more sense.
I recommend The Cruel Sea as a companion read to Das Boot. The Cruel Sea shows the war from the other side - the English sailors trying to track down and kill the U-boats. I'd also suggest Shadow Divers about the search for the identity of a mystery U-boat sunk off the coast of Massachusetts.
I recommend The Cruel Sea as a companion read to Das Boot. The Cruel Sea shows the war from the other side - the English sailors trying to track down and kill the U-boats. I'd also suggest Shadow Divers about the search for the identity of a mystery U-boat sunk off the coast of Massachusetts.
August 1, 2023
As someone who gets claustrophobic quite easily, and who isn't a big lover of the sea - a knee high paddle is my ceiling, its murky depths out there you can forget it - then this book read like a 570 page panic attack. Its tension at times was like being held in a chokehold, making it by far the most stressed out I've ever been in regards a WWII novel. The writing isn't anything spectacular but its gritty realism - Buchheim’s own experiences as a war correspondent aboard a German U-boat obviously helped - cannot be faulted. It's not really strong in the characterization department, and is focused more on the general day to day life for the crew aboard their vessel, as well as lengthy descriptions of both the weather and the sea - the boat getting thrown about like a toy during a raging storm would be enough to make anyone seasick. I believe apart from the ending which is wholly fictional, and a few other things here and there, a lot of the events captured in the novel are 100% accurate. Buchheim does ramble on in regards the overall environment - from squalid living conditions to the effects boredom had on the men - but this only escalates further just what life was really like on a U-boat trapped out at sea -zero excitement and adventure. If that's what made them sign up then that would only come in dreams. That's if they could actually get any sleep, because I know I wouldn't that's for damn sure. It's too long yes, but then I'd much prefer this to it being too short. Had I already seen the film then I doubt I would have it, so glad I went with the book first.
October 1, 2012
This important book is not about nations or ideologies. It is not about what side was right or wrong in WWII. It is about regular men in the throes of war, fighting for their families, their comrades, and for their very lives. Das Boot does not glorify war. On the contrary, it highlights the fact that we are all human and are all basically the same on the level of the individual. It illustrates that one of the horrors of war rarely mentioned is that the outcome is often decided by brute force, regardless of right, wrong, or ideology. The individual is caught in the middle, merely doing his best for what he believes is right.
Das Boot follows one German submarine on one patrol in the north Atlantic during WWII when the war is beginning to turn. We live in close quarters for weeks with the fictional crew of U-96, a Type VIIC-class U-boat. We feel the stifling claustrophobia of a WWII era submarine, the boredom of fruitless searches for the enemy, the tedium and fright of a month-long Atlantic hurricane, the thrill of the hunt, and the abject terror of the hunter becoming the hunted.
The intensity of Das Boot is something I have rarely experienced in a book. I found myself reading late into the night, huddled with the silent crew at impossible depths, listening to the creaking, the dripping condensation and the popping rivets of U-96 while awaiting the next depth charge attack. You can feel the sweat, you can taste the salt, and you can feel the shattering explosions rocking the control room.
75% of German submariners during WWII died on patrol, which makes Das Boot one of the very few surviving accounts of what that brutal life was like. Lothar-Günther Buchheim spent time on German subs during the war as a correspondent, and this fictionalized testament is a very valuable document of life "on the other side." In the U.S. most WWII accounts paint German fighting men with a very broad brush. Buchheim takes on a very controversial and difficult task by humanizing them. There are no heroes or false bravado here. The crew has a Christmas tree on board. They talk about their families, their sweethearts and their childhoods. They get their hands dirty and yearn to see the sky once again.
It may be true that victors write the histories, but it is important to remember that real people serve on both sides in any war. Highly recommended.
Das Boot follows one German submarine on one patrol in the north Atlantic during WWII when the war is beginning to turn. We live in close quarters for weeks with the fictional crew of U-96, a Type VIIC-class U-boat. We feel the stifling claustrophobia of a WWII era submarine, the boredom of fruitless searches for the enemy, the tedium and fright of a month-long Atlantic hurricane, the thrill of the hunt, and the abject terror of the hunter becoming the hunted.
The intensity of Das Boot is something I have rarely experienced in a book. I found myself reading late into the night, huddled with the silent crew at impossible depths, listening to the creaking, the dripping condensation and the popping rivets of U-96 while awaiting the next depth charge attack. You can feel the sweat, you can taste the salt, and you can feel the shattering explosions rocking the control room.
75% of German submariners during WWII died on patrol, which makes Das Boot one of the very few surviving accounts of what that brutal life was like. Lothar-Günther Buchheim spent time on German subs during the war as a correspondent, and this fictionalized testament is a very valuable document of life "on the other side." In the U.S. most WWII accounts paint German fighting men with a very broad brush. Buchheim takes on a very controversial and difficult task by humanizing them. There are no heroes or false bravado here. The crew has a Christmas tree on board. They talk about their families, their sweethearts and their childhoods. They get their hands dirty and yearn to see the sky once again.
It may be true that victors write the histories, but it is important to remember that real people serve on both sides in any war. Highly recommended.
September 25, 2018
I remember seeing the movie years ago. While I didn’t really enjoy it probably because of the subtitles; subtitles are not a good reason for young people to watch a movie. Definitely a case of the book being better than the movie.
I couldn’t imagine living on a submarine during wartime cooped up with the same faces day in day out until the end of the voyage if the boat even survives. What is handy is the cast of characters listed at the beginning. There are a lot of people to remember. Otherwise it’s easy to get lost
I couldn’t imagine living on a submarine during wartime cooped up with the same faces day in day out until the end of the voyage if the boat even survives. What is handy is the cast of characters listed at the beginning. There are a lot of people to remember. Otherwise it’s easy to get lost
November 25, 2017
Submarine war novels are not usually my kind of thing and this one was possibly a couple of hundred pages too long, but ‘Das Boot� was worth reading. It is always so easy to understand the horror of war on an intellectual level, but ‘Das Boot� takes you further and engages you in the terror of war. You actually get to feel the claustrophobia, the desperation, and the feeling of helplessness under fire. I never watched the movie, but may do now.
August 18, 2020
Stopped halfway. Too much of a diary detailing too many mundane events. So I watched the second half of the movie in order to find out the ending. Even with a lot of skipping, the movie proved to be as disastrously boring as I had feared, having watched a few clips at the time it came out.
January 12, 2023
Das Boot is a beautifully written book. The book has gained some criticism over its exceptionally detailed descriptions of the weather and prolonged suspension of the plot, but I feel these features aid the reader in understanding the nature of being a submariner. Buchheim was an artist after-all and this perspective is evident throughout this novel.
Buchheims detailed depictions of the vast sea and ethereal weather create such an awe inspiring contrast to the confined claustrophobic features of within the boat. Similarly, the intense focus on visual descriptions and feelings contrast so effectively with the short and impactful descriptions of unimaginably terrifying events for a submariner.
This book is wonderfully contrasted and creates a full and satisfying read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to have a glimpse into the isolated and fearful yet freeing world of being crewed on a U-Boat in WW2.
Buchheims detailed depictions of the vast sea and ethereal weather create such an awe inspiring contrast to the confined claustrophobic features of within the boat. Similarly, the intense focus on visual descriptions and feelings contrast so effectively with the short and impactful descriptions of unimaginably terrifying events for a submariner.
This book is wonderfully contrasted and creates a full and satisfying read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to have a glimpse into the isolated and fearful yet freeing world of being crewed on a U-Boat in WW2.
January 19, 2019
Although this book is fiction, the author served in the German Navy during World War II on various ships including submarines. I read this many years ago when I was in high school, and at the time thought parts describing the functioning of the submarine tedious. Now, I find those parts much more interesting. The movie 'Das Boot' was based on this book. It seems like the crew of this sub goes through more horrors of war than most, however it does a great job of putting the reader in the experience. As I was reading the book this time round, I realized the dialogue seemed to have a British tone. I determined this is probably because the translator was British. Just as fascinating as the book, the bio of the author probably deserves it's own book. Mr. Bucheim was well known as a painter and artist as a teen, and worked as an illustrator for newspapers and magazines before the war. During the war, after serving on several ships, he eventually became a naval correspondent. After the war he opened a workshop for handicrafts and an art gallery. He collected an impressive collection of German Impressionist paintings. In addition to his novels on the German navy, Mr. Buchheim also wrote several books on Expressionism and monographs on several well known artists and started his own art publishing company.
January 1, 2012
I have a hard time reading novels from the German perspective on WWII. They usually all contain the same type of apologist rhetoric ("Nazi's suck! We're just fighting for the Fatherland, We don't really hate the Jews, Why I have a Jewish friend/I slept with a Jewish girl once blah-blah-blah", etc.). It's generally expressed in the first few pages so the reader knows that *these boys* are ok. It's grating every time I read it. Das Boot is no different. Having said that, this was a good, intense and gritty sea story. It humanized ze Germans and it was full of sturm and drang. However, I was never really able to weep for the boys on the boat throughout their trials and tribulations. Worth a read though if you're in the mood for something WWII-y and North Atlantic-y.
January 2, 2019
Had a fascination for submarine stories. If starting subject re-read would start here.
At the Portland of my childhood, just after WWII, there was a dockside Navy submarine ... images of being inside, shudder included.
***
Also think of the Cuban Missile Crisis submarine ending:
Later, Wilson notes: “The decision not to start world war three was not taken in the Kremlin or the White House,� Wilson wrote, “but in the sweltering control room of a submarine.�
***
... partly inspired by 12-year school friend/teammate becoming nuke sub officer during Vietnam years.
***
At the Portland of my childhood, just after WWII, there was a dockside Navy submarine ... images of being inside, shudder included.
***
Also think of the Cuban Missile Crisis submarine ending:
Later, Wilson notes: “The decision not to start world war three was not taken in the Kremlin or the White House,� Wilson wrote, “but in the sweltering control room of a submarine.�
***
... partly inspired by 12-year school friend/teammate becoming nuke sub officer during Vietnam years.
***
August 30, 2022
Interesting to see what I perceive as a generational response to the book. Just picked this up again, and the quality of the writing is mesmerizing. Some of the (I presume) younger readers quail about the attention paid to "nothing" or mundane details, yet I am amazed at how well (even after translation to English, in fact the translator may be the true hero of the piece) the author describes the sky the water, and all aspects of life on the boat without being repetitive or trite. The conversations among the crew - especially "Subject Number One" which was indeed German slang for sex - are as off colour as they are realistic. I can only guess that Buchheim kept very meticulous diaries and reconstructed much of the book from his detailed first hand impressions. I am not a fan of naval history but nonetheless found this book riveting.
May 16, 2021
Ale urwał! Ale to było dobre!
Alaaaaaaaaarm!
Plan był prosty. U-Boot miał za zadanie zaatakować konwój wroga, zadać jak najwięcej obrażeń i samemu nie dać się zniszczyć. Pięknie brzmiało to w kwaterach dowódców, gdzie nikt nie myślał o przerażonych, brudnych, uwięzionych w metalowej puszce marynarzach. Oni mieli wykonywać rozkazy, a gdyby się nie udało � w stoczni wykonywano nowy statek, werbowano nową załogę. Nikt nie zastanawiał się, co przeżywali ludzie ginący w tej podwodnej trumnie.
Dawno, dawno temu, jak jeszcze miałam telewizor, obejrzałam sobie "Das Boot". Teraz przyszedł czas na książkę. Lothar-Günther Buchheim w czasie II WŚ zgłosił się na ochotnika do niemieckiej marynarki wojennej, więc miał pojęcie o czym pisał. Pierwowzorem do książki jest rejs U-96, w którym Buchheim uczestniczył jako korespondent wojenny. Tej klaustrofobicznej atmosfery, którą stworzył autor, nie da się opisać � to trzeba samemu przeczytać. Polecam również film, jest fenomenalny. Jürgen Prochnow, Klaus Wennemann czy Erwin Leder � genialne kreacje bohaterów.
Tiefer!
9/10
Alaaaaaaaaarm!
Plan był prosty. U-Boot miał za zadanie zaatakować konwój wroga, zadać jak najwięcej obrażeń i samemu nie dać się zniszczyć. Pięknie brzmiało to w kwaterach dowódców, gdzie nikt nie myślał o przerażonych, brudnych, uwięzionych w metalowej puszce marynarzach. Oni mieli wykonywać rozkazy, a gdyby się nie udało � w stoczni wykonywano nowy statek, werbowano nową załogę. Nikt nie zastanawiał się, co przeżywali ludzie ginący w tej podwodnej trumnie.
Dawno, dawno temu, jak jeszcze miałam telewizor, obejrzałam sobie "Das Boot". Teraz przyszedł czas na książkę. Lothar-Günther Buchheim w czasie II WŚ zgłosił się na ochotnika do niemieckiej marynarki wojennej, więc miał pojęcie o czym pisał. Pierwowzorem do książki jest rejs U-96, w którym Buchheim uczestniczył jako korespondent wojenny. Tej klaustrofobicznej atmosfery, którą stworzył autor, nie da się opisać � to trzeba samemu przeczytać. Polecam również film, jest fenomenalny. Jürgen Prochnow, Klaus Wennemann czy Erwin Leder � genialne kreacje bohaterów.
Tiefer!
9/10
September 6, 2021
It all made a lot more sense when after reading the final page I turned to the 'About the Author' and discovered that Buchheim was a talented and successful painter, and his mother a water-colourist. I have never read so many different descriptions of the colour of a sky or an ocean before as in the first half of this book. If you think there are only a handful of ways to describe the colour of a sky, Buchheim would like a word with you. And then combine that with how that particular colour of sky also clashes with the colour of the sea that day? Forget about it. Buchheim is tireless in his ability to illustrate it. He writes with the eye of a painter.
In all seriousness though, this book is actually exhilarating. Even when we are just standing on the bridge looking out at an empty sea, keeping a close watch on the waters and skies for the feared Tommies. I took a little while to get fully immersed in the book it due to the clunkiness of some of the dialogue and the rapid pace the characters are introduced in the first chapter, but once we are on the boat the tension and claustrophobia jumps right out of the page and continuously ramps up for the entirety of the book. You feel the fear of the characters and descend into madness with them.
In all seriousness though, this book is actually exhilarating. Even when we are just standing on the bridge looking out at an empty sea, keeping a close watch on the waters and skies for the feared Tommies. I took a little while to get fully immersed in the book it due to the clunkiness of some of the dialogue and the rapid pace the characters are introduced in the first chapter, but once we are on the boat the tension and claustrophobia jumps right out of the page and continuously ramps up for the entirety of the book. You feel the fear of the characters and descend into madness with them.
August 21, 2018
For some reason I've become fascinated with submarine warfare during WWII. The Smithsonian Chanel has been running a series call Hell Below. I've also recently read a few non-fiction of accounts of submarines in action. Of course, for me and many others the best film about subs is Das Boot. I've seen it several times and think it's one of the greatest war movies ever made. So I was curious to try the book, upon which the movie was made. The plot and characters are very similar and some of the action. But what this book did for me was give me a real sense of what it was like to be so vulnerable. There are several scenes of depth charge attacks that gave me chills. There is one scene not in the film which had my heart beating faster. For some the myriad descriptions about how submarines work and information about currents and navigation may be a bit much. Though in the spirit of the story these things are worth knowing. In reality this fell just short of five stars but since there is no 4-and-half star review I gave it five.
Shelved as 'filmed'
May 1, 2013Wolfgang Peterson made two films, Das Boot and Stalingrad; the other stuff is cockle-shit. Stalingrad is one of the most brutal films I’ve ever seen. Das Boot is your best bet at a cinematic experience of claustrophobia. I’ve seen(/own) both versions of Das Boot currently marketed, “The Directors’s Cut� which clocks in at 209 minutes and “The Original Uncut Version� (293 minutes). Im grossen und ganzen, you do want those cuts cut; you’ll at least be spared an unnecessary several extra minutes spent on the love story. The shorter feels more filmic; the longer more mini-series-esque. Either one, but verdammt, Mensch! see it now!!!
I’m tempted again to ask about this ‘coming to America� problem, an ideological problem. Why did von Trier’s Riget turn into tripe in King’s hands and why did Peterson’s films turn into Harrison Ford-grade ass cheese when he shows up in Holywood?
I’m tempted again to ask about this ‘coming to America� problem, an ideological problem. Why did von Trier’s Riget turn into tripe in King’s hands and why did Peterson’s films turn into Harrison Ford-grade ass cheese when he shows up in Holywood?
May 23, 2015
I'm really torn on how to rate this. I knew it was a classic going in and decided it was about time I got around to it after reading Dead Wake by Erik Larson. I imagine that the purpose of the book was to show how awful the experience was the officers assigned to U-boats. The author did a fantastic job of giving a detailed blow-by-blow of daily life under a variety of circumstances from attack to counterattack, from calm seas to storms, from departure to arrival. Here was my problem: it was so incredibly detailed that it became monotonous. Page after page talking about how they had to stay submerged because of a storm that lasted for weeks. The sheer length of each scene was torturous; I enjoy reading well-detailed and descriptive prose, but this was a whole new level. To the author's credit, it made me feel truly immersed in the unpleasantness of such a life. However, the scenes dragged on interminably to the point that it made me want to stop reading and give up.
September 20, 2019
A novel with detail such as that written by Tom Clancy and Arthur Hailey, "Das Boot" immerses (pun intended) the reader in a WWII German U-boat. The boredom, the hunt, the terror, the punishment are all deeply (pun intended) felt by the reader. I thoroughly enjoyed Buchheim's story, and recommend it.
Want to read
July 17, 2024(May 12 2022)
A few days ago I finished watching the movie from 1981 for the first time (it was the director's cut, so it was 3,5 hours long. It took me a few days, ok?), and I thought it was absolutely brilliant, 5/5. Definitely one of my top 5 favourite movies. I will read the book sometime in the future.
A few days ago I finished watching the movie from 1981 for the first time (it was the director's cut, so it was 3,5 hours long. It took me a few days, ok?), and I thought it was absolutely brilliant, 5/5. Definitely one of my top 5 favourite movies. I will read the book sometime in the future.
July 27, 2020
The movie is good, but the book is better at covering the whole experience. Freezing cold duty stations, boiling hot watches. And boredom.
April 14, 2019
I think the movie spoiled me, but the The Boat novel wasn't as good. Yes, it was grim, hellish, and at times an enjoyable read, but for some chapters and sections it was tedious and lacked the character depth I was hoping for.
February 18, 2021
3,5 Sterne
Sehr authentisch, keine Frage, aber auch sehr weitschweifig und an manchen Stellen für meinen Geschmack fast zu detailverliebt (vor allem was Körperflüssigkeiten angeht). Trotzdem bringt das Buch sehr gut rüber, wie es gewesen sein muss, auf so engem Raum auf Gedeih und Verderb zusammengepfercht den Krieg mitmachen bzw. erleben zu müssen.
Sehr authentisch, keine Frage, aber auch sehr weitschweifig und an manchen Stellen für meinen Geschmack fast zu detailverliebt (vor allem was Körperflüssigkeiten angeht). Trotzdem bringt das Buch sehr gut rüber, wie es gewesen sein muss, auf so engem Raum auf Gedeih und Verderb zusammengepfercht den Krieg mitmachen bzw. erleben zu müssen.
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