The Iron Sea

"Simon Read's The Iron Sea is a wonderful, rip-roaring account of one of the greatest hunts in history - the pursuit of Hitler's warships. You'll feel the lash of salt spray, the thunder of depth charges, the immense tension of the chase. A superb addition to the annals of naval WWII history."

"Prepare to journey back in time to the perilous early years of the Second World War, where Britain's lifelines depended on the destruction of four mighty German surface ships. Simon Read brilliantly retells the stories of the hunt for Hitler's warships in a single volume, which is crisply researched and brimming with vivid prose."

"Winston Churchill's greatest fear in World War II was of losing the battle of the Atlantic and Britain being starved into surrender. I felt tingles down my spine when I read of the feats of so very many ordinary men and women from so many walks of life who sank Hitler's battle fleet, and stopped that from happening.... Read's Iron Sea, with its scholarly research and scintillating prose style, will leave you full of pride for that extraordinary generation and their staggering achievement."

"Simon Read's The Iron Sea is a riveting fast-paced drama about the havoc Hitler's surface fleet caused the Allies in World War II. Expertly researched and finely written this is a major new contribution to WW2 military history. Highly recommended!"

"In The Iron Sea Simon Read brings readers straight into the heart of the tumultuous battle to control the Atlantic. Swarms of dive-bombers, lines of torpedoes cutting through inky black waters, the shrill cries of officers and sailors, the plumes of smoke and fire--all come viscerally to life in this narrative thriller."

"Drawing on firsthand accounts from Allied and German sources, Read recreates the demise of each German warship in gripping, often poignant, prose. WWII buffs and naval history fans will be spellbound."

"A vivid and detailed analysis... The fast-paced narrative draws on a solid foundation of primary sources and moves easily from meta-themes of strategy to the experiences of the sailors and airmen of Allied and Axis powers... an engaging history recommended for all U.S. history and WWII collections"

“[A] pulse-pounding narrative . . . A suspenseful, well-wrought account of battling ships at sea and grave wartime conditions.”

“In The Iron Sea, Simon Read takes readers into true stories of anti-Nazi swashbuckling adventure . . . It’s well worth the read. An enjoyable testimony, the Iron Sea will appeal to military history readers, both expert and casual. It reminds us that the defeat of this greatest threat to humanity was not easily won.”

“In prose both gripping and stylish, Simon Read captures the feverish intent on both sides to lay claim to the Atlantic, a battle that sent thousands to their icy deaths and lasted almost throughout the war.”

"The Iron Sea puts the reader right at the heart of events. Whether it is the flier in the belly of an RAF bomber braving flak over Kiel, the commando plunged into the horrific violence of Operation Chariot, or the sailor on the salt-crusted deck of a destroyer in the North Atlantic, The Iron Sea gives a no-punches-pulled account of what it was like to be there."