Which Müllenheim-Rechberg Bismarck Book?

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Kyler
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Which Müllenheim-Rechberg Bismarck Book?

Post by Kyler »

Currently Amazon lists two different books authored by Mullenheim-Rechberg about his experience on the Bismarck.
Is there any difference between the two different books? Are the same book just printed differently?

Here's the link for Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_ ... &rnid=1000

Thanks for the help
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tommy303
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Re: Which Bismarck Book?

Post by tommy303 »

I am not familiar with either edition, having instead the German edition. They look to have the same translator, so I would imagine there is little difference between them.

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And saved the sum of things for pay.
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José M. Rico
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Re: Which Bismarck Book?

Post by José M. Rico »

Yes, they are both the same book but from different publishers.

Kyler, haven't you read Müllenheim-Rechberg's book yet? You have to get a copy my friend!!
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Kyler
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Re: Which Bismarck Book?

Post by Kyler »

Jose,

I haven't read it yet and was looking for some books for vacation last week and found Zitterling's book on the Bismarck.
I started reading it while in FL, and the first thing it says is that most of the information comes from Rechberg's account.
Well then I realized I had just wasted $30.00 by buying the wrong book. I wouldn't recommend Zitterling's book since
it is pretty much a shortened version of other peoples accounts. I am not saying its a bad book, but I would rather read
accounts from primary sources.

I am going to order Rechberg's book today
"It was a perfect attack, Right Height, Right Range, Right cloud cover, Right speed,
Wrong f@%king ship!" Commander Stewart-Moore (HMS Ark Royal)
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: Which Bismarck Book?

Post by Karl Heidenreich »

Read the baron. His book contains a lot of useful info, including the issue of it´s upper armored deck.
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RNfanDan
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Re: Which Bismarck Book?

Post by RNfanDan »

Kyler,

Please try to find the original hardbound 1980 edition of this absolutely essential and superb book! If you are able to do so, get one that has the dust jacket intact and in good condition---it features an excellent "wraparound" painting done by Thomas G. Webb (the same illustrator whose paintings adorn the covers of the Axis... and Allied...Battleships books by Garzke and Dulin).

There was a reprinted and expanded version of the book released several years ago, with basically the same content as the original up to a point, but the "expanded" section dealt primarily with the Baron's personal experiences as a prisoner of war and his later life. Personally, I found the new material to be of only minor interest, a bit too disconnected and tangential to the much more familiar and compelling first edition.

With regard to your linked Amazon books, I recommend you forget about the paperback, altogether; any publisher that prints a book emblazoned with an incorrect spelling of the ship's name, does not deserve a single penny of my money!

My opinion, FWIW.
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José M. Rico
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Re: Which Bismarck Book?

Post by José M. Rico »

RNfanDan is right. The first English edition was published by United States Naval Institute in 1980 and focused on the naval operations of the ship and her crew. The expanded edition has some new material, ex. Josef Statz's account is missing in the first edition I think, but it is more about describing the Baron's experiences as a POW in different camps. It also has a political message and it is dedicated "In honored memory of the German Resistance 1933-1945" whereas the first edition was dedicated to "The memory of my fallen comrades aboard the Bismarck and ...."
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