an excellent narrative on just one of Hitler's grand and expensive follies. A huge, costly and defective ship which inflicted minor damage and eventually had to be scuttled to save face.
the political wrangling at the end of the ship's life is extremely well described and develops beyond other authors.

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Battle of the River Plate: A Grand Delusion Paperback – Nov. 24 2020
by
Richard Woodman
(Author)
3.9 on Goodreads
48 ratings
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The Battle of the River Plate was the first major naval confrontation of the Second World War, and it is one of the most famous. The dramatic sea fight between the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee and the British cruisers Exeter, Ajax and Achilles off the coast of South America caught the imagination in December 1939. Over the last 60 years the episode has come to be seen as one of the classics of naval warfare. Yet the accepted interpretation of events has perhaps been taken for granted and is ripe for reassessment, and that is one of the aims of Richard Woodman's enthralling new study. 'This author has made it all so very riveting, it really is a book which is hard to put down until finished.' Royal Geographical Society 'Graphic, thought provoking - highly recommended.' Britain at War
- Print length176 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPen and Sword
- Publication dateNov. 24 2020
- Dimensions15.49 x 1.52 x 23.11 cm
- ISBN-101473845734
- ISBN-13978-1473845732
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Product description
About the Author
Richard Woodman is a distinguished, prize-winning maritime author. He served at sea from the age of sixteen, spent eleven years in command, spent six years in operational management and is today an Elder Brother of Trinity House. The author of a number of novels, his historical studies include Arctic Convoys 1941-1945, Malta Convoys 194-1943, The Real Cruel Sea: The Merchant Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic 1939-1943 and a five volume History of the British Merchant Navy.
Product details
- Publisher : Pen and Sword
- Publication date : Nov. 24 2020
- Edition : Reprint
- Language : English
- Print length : 176 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1473845734
- ISBN-13 : 978-1473845732
- Item weight : 308 g
- Dimensions : 15.49 x 1.52 x 23.11 cm
- Part of series : Campaign Chronicles
- 鶹 Rank: #1,290,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #461 in Naval Military History (Books)
- #2,051 in U.S. History of World War II
- #2,109 in World War II (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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- barryReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 18, 2013
5.0 out of 5 stars a grand delusion
Verified PurchaseA very interesting account of this very famous battle.It follows the film closely but is at variance on one crucial point.It would appear from the book that the captain of the graff spee deliberately sought battle with the british cruisers in direct disobedience of his mandate to harry and sink merchantmen and to avoid conflict with war ships if at all possible
- Dr. Peter D. WilsonReviewed in the United Kingdom on June 15, 2014
4.0 out of 5 stars A gripping account
Verified PurchaseThis is a detailed and fascinating account not only of the battle itself, in which the German commerce raider Admiral Graf Spee was critically damaged by a squadron of British cruisers at the start of WW2, but of the events leading up to it. The text is clearly presented and embellished very pleasingly with line drawings of the various ships involved. Less pleasing, to my taste, is the intrusion of heavily emphasised biographic panels that might have been better placed in an appendix. There is a small but interesting collection of photographs, and helpful maps of the raider's cruise. It is perhaps pedantic to complain of sloppy syntax and the odd conspicuous misprint.
The "grand delusion" of the subtitle is apparently the notion that modern warfare could continue to be waged in the chivalrous manner displayed by the German Captain Langsdorff in his dealings with the crews of ships he was required by circumstances to sink. This is exemplified in particular by the extraordinary empathy developed between him and one of his captive merchant captains, although it was only an extreme example of the high regard in which he was generally held by his prisoners. A minor delusion may have been of the special threat to shipping posed by pocket-battleship raiders: as his own supply ship's commander noted, Langsdorff's overall tally, with his magnificent ship and thousand-plus crew, could have been matched by forty men in a submarine.
Despite minor faults, this book is heartily recommended.
- John M. BiavaReviewed in the United States on September 12, 2009
4.0 out of 5 stars A well researched book
Verified PurchaseI have been fascinated by the Admiral Graf Spee since childhood. Many of the mysteries will never be solved because those who would know the truth are long gone. But this book is well written and well researched. It brings forth the facts in a very readable manner. The illustrations are superb.