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Mark's Reviews > Das Boot: The Boat
Das Boot: The Boat
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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.
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Reading Progress
October 9, 2019
– Shelved
October 9, 2019
– Shelved as:
to-read
December 1, 2020
–
Started Reading
December 15, 2020
–
85.97%
"Lying on the bottom of the strait of Gibraltar, oxygen running put."
page
484
December 16, 2020
–
Finished Reading
December 17, 2020
– Shelved as:
2020
December 17, 2020
– Shelved as:
wwii
December 17, 2020
– Shelved as:
war
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I am very sorry Covid took away your father recently. And I agree with your father that this was quite an exceptional film. It impressed me too.
Philip wrote: "So sorry to hear about your father, but it is indeed these little memories you will carry with you and treasure forever.As to this book, if you've never read it, a good companion piece is Alistai..."
Thank you and I have read HMS Ulysses and it is indeed an excellent book, I am not sure if I read the book before I saw the Bogart movie on the same subject, both are excellent.
Kalliope wrote: "I am very sorry Covid took away your father recently. And I agree with your father that this was quite an exceptional film. It impressed me too."Thanks, the movie is excellent and so is the book, both are great on their own.
I enjoyed reading your review Mark and I'm so sorry to hear about your father.
``Laurie wrote: "I enjoyed reading your review Mark and I'm so sorry to hear about your father."Thank you and you are welcome of course, the book is a longer read but much better though.
Thank you Kay, COVID is a real bastard
Have you ever seen the Japanese classic film Seven Samurai? It's right up there with Das Boot and I think you'd enjoy it too.
Yes have seen it got the dvd somewhere.
An excellent review Mark I loved both the book and the DVD. I'm a great fan of sea stories both in olden times such as the Hornblower series and World War II books and DVDs about submarine warfare. Thank you.
Thank you Leila, I found that There is a lot of love for this book and movie/series.
Just to continue the thread, Erik Larson's Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania does a great job telling that story from both the POVs of both the ship itself and the U-boat that sank it.
Excellent Philip already on my to read list, it will no move up the list like the reread of Alistair McCleans book. Thanks for the tip
I'm really sorry about your father, Mark. These are hard times.
Thank you Petra, times are weird and hard indeed.
Mark, I’m sad for the loss of your father. COVID-19 has taken so many before their time. It sounds like you’ve found a good way to remember him. May I suggest David Black’s books? I stumbled over Gone to Sea in a Bucket through Amazon’s Prime reading and was astounded at how good it was. I’ve now read the whole series plus his stand-alone about John F. Kennedy’s stint in the Solomon Islands during WWII and keep waiting for another book to come out. I highly recommend them for the history, the atmosphere of British seamanship and just the pure enjoyment. The Harry Gilmour series is submarine based and JFK is mainly PT cruiser action.
Thank you for your kind words and I will look into your suggestion
As to this book, if you've never read it, a good companion piece is Alistair MacLean's classic HMS Ulysses, which tells a similar story but from the POV of the surface ships that were targeted.