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Pursuit: The Chase and Sinking of the Battleship Bismarck (CLASSICS OF NAVAL LITERATURE) Hardcover – January 1, 2000

by Ludovic Kennedy (Author)

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With a new introduction by the author. First published in 1974, this work remains in the forefront of the many books, movies, and television programs about the epic World War II drama played out in the stormy Atlantic. It is a thrilling firsthand account of the hunting down and sinking of the battleship Bismarck, pride of the German Fleet, told by a member of the Royal Navy's destroyer force who participated in the pursuit. The author's own experiences add fire and immediacy to the account that has come to be considered a classic by critic and general reader alike. The world's largest warship when she first sailed into the Atlantic in May 1941, the Bismarck was a serious threat to Britain's survival and her sinking of the beloved battle cruiser HMS Hood with nearly fifteen hundred aboard sent shock waves throughout Britain.

Determined to track her down, the Royal Navy engaged in pursuit, finding the mammoth warship just hours from her safe harbor. The chess-like plotting, the horror and heroism on both sides, the final apocalyptic action have never been portrayed more vividly and objectively--and never with the benefit of such detailed documentation from both British and German sources. A measure of the book's epic qualities is that knowledge of the outcome in no way lessens the tension. When she was sunk just days after her own victorious action with the Hood, the Bismarck took more than two thousand German sailors to the bottom of the ocean and with them the dreams of the German naval high command. For sheer suspense, this book can hardly be equaled. For carefully researched history, it is an admirable example of fine writing. Ludovic Kennedy's introduction to this new edition places the event in perspective for today's audiences.

Print length

252 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Naval Inst Pr
Publication date

January 1, 2000
Dimensions

5.75 x 1 x 8.5 inches
ISBN-10

1557504725
ISBN-13

978-1557504722
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Naval Inst Pr (January 1, 2000)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 252 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1557504725
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1557504722
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.05 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1 x 8.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,608,018 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9,233 in Naval Military History
- #37,719 in World War II History (Books)
- #106,864 in Engineering (Books)

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Ludovic Henry Coverley Kennedy
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Perry Buck

Britain saved its Atlantic lifeline by the sinking of this German surface raider. by

Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2023

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Ludovic Kennedy is a long time journalist and superb writer who brings this thrilling story to life.

Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2022

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A well-written account of the last nine days of the Bismarck.

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Tony Velasquez

Good but dated record of the sinking of the Bismarck

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2009

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Overall, I was very pleased with Ludovic Kennedy's account of the chase and sinking of the Bismarck. I have since seen him interviewed in documentaries about the Bismarck so he is still a reliable source. From a documentation point of view, the main strike against this account is that it was written before the official revealing of the Ultra decryption secret in 1974. So there is no mention of any decripts or how much information was known about the Bismarck's breakout attempt from that area. There are some tantalyzing clues in the narrative though, including Kennedy's referral to the fact that the Bismarck left its home port down to "a high ranking diplomat" who had "a son" on the ship and his signal to know his son's location was somehow intercepted by "an agent." While there were some agents at work inside Nazi Germany at the time, this sounds all the world like an Ultra coverstory of the type that were generally developed to hide the ultimate origin of information coming from Bletchley Park.

Kennedy writes in a very lively clipped newspaper man style which lumps clause after clause together in very brisque statements which each trying to be some sort of great statement. As Kennedy spent most of his professional life as a BBC reporter and presenter, this is to be expected. However, I found this style of writing a bit tiring after a couple of hundred pages... but that is mearly my own predilection.

Finally, this account was written firmly from the British point of view. There are few quotes or statements from Germans, very little about the actual state on board the Bismarck except in passing. The book was written before it was fashionable to seek out the "other side of the story" like they do now with German veterens interviewed as well. This is mostly a product of the times as it was written over thirty years ago and many British WWII veterens were not ready to hear the Germans talking about their side of the story.

Overall, though, this was a fascinating book. Kennedy himself was close to the action at the time, serving on the HMS Tartar. While it has flaws mostly from age and perspective, this is a must read for any professional or armchair student of the Bismarck or WWII German Kriegsmarine.

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Timothy L. Baker

Bismarck

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2020

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Outstanding coverage of the Royal Navy pursuit and sinking of the German Pocket Battleship Bismarck. Great book. Highly recommended.

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TWChop@aol.com

Excellent book. I thoroughly reading it

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2017

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Excellent book. I thoroughly reading it, exciting, great story told marvelously. Also the book is in excellent condition, the price was great, and I would recommend this Seller to anyone who is thinking of buying a book from them

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Vernon Kifer

First rate vendor. Thanks so much.

Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2013

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I'm only leaving feedback for the vendor for now as I just received this book and haven't begun reading it yet.....The book arrived very quickly, it's in very good shape just as the vendor had described. And the packing was very smart so as to protect this classic hardback book with original dust cover. Cheers!

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Papa Myo

A great read by a great author!

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2016

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Already a Kennedy fan, and no one could have told this epic story like him. He transports you there, into the thick of it, where he was, and where you soon will find yourself.

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2015

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I already know the history, nothing much new here (and it is an older book, so why would there be?). Good read anyway. It did provide me some renewed appreciation for Lutjens despite his perceived strategic mistakes. This was a sad story for both sides.

2 people found this helpful

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