Das Boot

The classic Second World War novel that inspired the acclaimed 1981 film

‘Breathless, terrifying U-boat drama . . . a masterclass in economical, tight-space story telling, piling the pressure on both characters and audience’ TIME OUT
‘Riveting’ NEW YORK TIMES
‘Dynamic . . . striking . . . relentless’ KIRKUS

It is autumn 1941 and 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 must brave the stormy waters of the Atlantic in their mission to seek out and destroy British supply ships. But the tide is beginning to turn against the Germans in the war for the North Atlantic. Their targets now travel in convoys, fiercely guarded by Royal Navy destroyers, and when contact is finally made, the hunters rapidly become the hunted.

As the U-boat is forced to hide beneath the surface of the sea, a game of cat-and-mouse begins, where the increasing claustrophobia of the submarine becomes an enemy as frightening as the depth charges that explode around it. Of the 40,000 men who served on German submarines, 30,000 never returned.

Written by a survivor of the U-boat fleet, Das Boot is a psychological, military drama merciless in its intensity, and an epic rendering of the Second World War.

Readers love the WWII classic:

‘An all-time naval classic’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘One of the best books ever written’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Incredible true-to-life story of men serving in a U-boat, told by someone who was actually there’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A pure delight to read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This classic novel of U-boat life in wartime has lost nothing with age. A gripping read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Couldn’t put it down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐