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Product Description Battleship Bismarck is a marine forensics analysis and engineering study of the design, operation, and loss of Germany's greatest battleship, drawing on survivors' accounts and the authors' combined decades of experience in naval architecture and command at sea. The investigation has covered fifty-six years of painstaking research, during which the authors conducted extensive interviews and correspondence with the ship's designers and survivors of the Battle of Denmark Strait and Bismarck's final battle. Albert Schnarke, former gunnery officer of DKM Tirpitz, sister ship of Bismarck, aided greatly by translating and circulating early manuscript materials to those who participated in the design and operation. Survivors of Bismarck's engagements actively contributed to this comprehensive study, including Vice Admiral (then Lieutenant) D.B.H Wildish (RN), damage control officer aboard HMS Prince of Wales, who located photographs of battle damage to his ship. After the wreck of the Bismarck was discovered in June 1989, the authors served as technical consultants to Dr. Robert Ballard, who led three trips to the site. Filmmaker and explorer James Cameron contributed a chapter of his comprehensive overview of his deep-sea explorations of Bismarck, illustrated with his team's remarkable photographs of the shipwreck. The result of these nearly six decades of research and collaboration is an engrossing and encyclopedic account of the events surrounding one of the most epic naval battles of World War II. Battleship Bismarck has finally resolved some of the major questions such as, "Who sank the Bismarck, the British or the Germans?" Review "I recall seeing a fantastically illustrated Gutenberg Bible and to me it was elegant. The history of the work was epic, the effort that went into the creation of document and its illustration was magnificent. I felt much the same way when I turned the pages of Battleship Bismarck: A Design and Operational History. And while it is not the Gutenberg Bible, it might well be considered to be the Bismarck Bible, meticulously researched, magnificently printed, and glorious in its illustration and in the vast selection of historical photographs which document possibly the most famous battleship in history." --Virtual Mirage "A fabulous title. It's just so well written. Every element of it is outstanding. From the accounts, from the depth of the research, to the readability, to the presentation, to the whole quality of every element of this title. I cannot speak highly enough of it." -- Scale Modeling Now "The format and production quality of the book are very high. The glossy pages provide for very clear photographs in colour and black and white, which are distributed generously throughout the book. Chapter numbers and headings have stylized ship silouettes. Many tables, maps, and course plots accompany the text. The comprehensive 20-page index is impressive in detail and scope, and very well-laid out for reference purposes. Battleship Bismarck is a heavy book both by weight and serious content." --The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord "The book by Garzke et al. is a massive book that was nearly six decades in the making. It is a complete operational history of the Bismarck, well-illustrated with period photos but also with underwater photography of the wreck, allowing a forensic analysis of the damage." --Seapower "Messrs Garzke, Dulin and Jurens have produced a truly incredible piece of work. Their book looks at more than just the metal, but takes us to the people, leading actors or bit part players in the Bismarck story; who all have an important place…. The attention to detail of the authors is most impressive. They clearly love their subject, but the battle is presented with objectivity as well as a sense of quiet passion. They seek to tell us about every facet to ensure the complete story is told, not just a simplistic account…. Very highly recommended." --War