Memoirs: Ten Years and Twenty Days

by Karl Dönitz and Admiral Karl Doenitz

Book Overview

"Commander of the U-boat fleet, Supreme Naval Commander, and finally Hitler's successor in the last days of the Third Reich, Grand Admiral Karl Doenitz (1891-1980) has been condemned as a Nazi and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0306807645
• ISBN13: 9780306807640
• Release Date: March 1997
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 560 Pages
• Weight: 1.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Excellent

This has been one of a number of books in either biography or memoirs categories of the elite or main players from World War 2 that I have read and again this is excellent reading. The book gives details of his earlier career in the German Navy during World War 1, inter war years then through to World War 2 and his days as the last leader of the Third Reich - covers everything from torpedeo development / failures, submarine development or advancement to counteract Allied advances in anti submarine warfare, uboat losses and the aces, the constant pressing to enlarge the uboat fleet and gain a naval air arm - this book is well written, easy to follow and certainly not something you will get bored with.

Once You Start You May Never Stop

My friend lent me this book. It was my first book on the naval aspect of the Second World War. I figured after the hundreds I had read on the land and air element I should start to look into the naval war. I could not put this book down, I devoured it. I have been gobbling up submarine books since that day. Wow! First you have to be awed by the fact that this is a book written by the man that became the successor to Hitler. Second, its the best way to get the big picture of the U-boat campaign from the German viewpoint. Doenitz wrote this before he found out about allied successes in breaking his naval codes. There are many fascinating stories here, about individual submarine actions, convoy battles, raids, rescue missions. Great stuff that you could make into great movies some day. You really get a good sense of how close the Germans were to winning the war. Thankfully, and Doenitz goes into it, the Third Reich did not take the U-boat arm seriously until it was too late. Whew! Doenitz was charged with war crimes after the war and jailed. Specifically for conducting unrestricted submarine warfare. Like every nazi that seems to write after the war - he defends himself by saying that being at the front he was not aware of everything going on back at home. Truth? Maybe, maybe not. But you cannot stop yourself from sympathizing with the man who was left holding the bag in May of 1945. We forget that the Allies waged unrestricted submarine warfare against the Japanese from the beginning. Doenitz has written that some American admirals were sympathetic after the war, and tried to get him acquitted. Very interesting story. A must for every World War Two reader.

A fantastic book!

As a student of history, I found this book to be an excellent source for WWII history. Not only does he discuss the battles and the commanders, he also discussed the realities of war, and dealing with Hitler. A must read for anyone interested in WWII.

Excellent Overview of U-Boat War

This is an excellent summary of the U-Boat war from the man who ran the German side of the conflict. He admits his errors frankly. His writing style is direct and factual. An outstanding book for any student of World War II.