THE LAST NINE DAYS OF THE BISMARCK

by C. S. Forester ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 9, 1959

As carefully plotted and interwoven as the days themselves must have been, this imaginary recreation of one of the most dramatic episodes of World War II stands boldly beside any factual rendition and carries conviction in every line. Forester is a master hand at naval battles; witness his inimitable Hornblower yarns. This time he has taken a true story- one of the great gambles the Germans took for domination of the seas; he has used the available, known facts; he has superimposed on this his deep rooted knowledge of men of the sea and their thoughts and speech; and he has traced the story of the Bismarck's incredible effort to outguess the British navy; and the British- shattered, ringed in by enemies, unsupported, but unwilling to concede the possibility of defeat -- are shown seizing on each slender thread of hope, down to the last few gallons of oil, the last few moments of light, the last torpedo- to take the last chance. Luck played with the Bismarck at the start; luck failed her at the end. But this is a story of gallant men on both sides -- and a thrilling tale of a running battle at sea. Fiction? Non-fiction? It's a maverick.

Pub Date: March 9, 1959

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1959

Categories: NONFICTION