{"title":"Peter Padfield","description":"PETER PADFIELD is a leading naval and military historian whose critically acclaimed works include D?nitz: The Last F?hrer, Guns at Sea, The Battleship Era, Armada, and a multivolume history of decisive naval battles, Tides of Empire.","products":[{"product_id":"war-beneath-the-sea-submarine-conflict-during-world-war-ii-paperback","title":"War Beneath the Sea: Submarine Conflict During World War II - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eA leading naval and military historian presents the first book to cover the major submarine campaigns in all the WWII theaters. Vividly recreates the experience of submarine and anti-submarine warfare from the decision makers in the war offices to the men in the boats. Describes the disappointing performance of the giant Japanese submarines in the Pacific and the narrow margin by which Britain escaped defeat by German U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic. Reveals new information about the capture of the Enigma cipher machine, harrowing accounts of defenseless warriors shot in the water and much more. Contains 16 pages of photographs, many published for the first time. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCritically acclaimed military historian Peter Padfield has created the definitive account of one of the most turbulent--and crucial--chapters of World War II. Sweeping from the frigid waters of the North Atlantic to the steaming South Pacific, War Beneath the Sea is a riveting chronicle of submarine warfare. It is the first book to cover all the major submarine campaigns of the war, describing, in detail, the operations of the British, American, Japanese, Italian, and German submarine and anti-submarine forces. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Beginning with a vivid re-creation of the sinking of the passenger liner Athenia by a German U-boat in September 1939, Padfield's compelling narrative casts an unflinching eye on the devastating consequences of maritime warfare. The often harrowing encounters unfold with urgency and power, balanced by a master historian's keen sense of objectivity and perspective.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e The submariners belonged to an elite corps, young men attracted by new technology, less formal discipline, and prospects of early promotion. For crew members, life aboard a sub was both an emotional and a physical challenge. The extraordinary hardships they endured--as well as their courage--come across with tremendous force.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Exploring the full spectrum of the submarine and antisubmarine warfare experience, this brilliantly detailed account pulls no punches. Facts and figures that stagger the imagination (e.g., between 1939 and 1945, 40,000 men were trained for U-boat service--30,000 perished) are revealed in starkly human terms. Here is the shocking truth behind the failure of U.S. torpedo missions during the war's early years, along with startling accounts of the shooting of defenseless warriors in the water. Here, too, is new information about the capture of the famed Enigma cipher machine (including previously unpublished photographs), and its impact on the war effort. Until this decisive moment, Britain stood within a hairbreadth of defeat by Germany.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e Disturbing questions abound: Did the inflexible attitudes of the Japanese and American military leaders prolong the war in the Pacific? Could the war have been ended before Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Padfield addresses these controversial issues with candor and insight. The result is not only an impressive achievement, but a milestone work in the history of the twentieth century. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Praise for \u003ci\u003eWar Beneath the Sea\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"I am truly filled with awe and admiration...fascinating and a great contribution to the entire lore of submarines.... I wish I had written the book.\" \u003cb\u003e--Capt. Edward L. Beach, USN (Ret.) author of \u003ci\u003eRun Silent, Run Deep\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e \"Peter Padfield is the best British naval historian of his generation now working. [His] book...will now become the standard work on the subject.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eDaily Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e (London)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \"Peter Padfield has produced by far the best and most complete critical history of the submarine operations of all the combatants in the Second World War, at the same time providing vivid narrative accounts of particular actions and events.\" \u003cb\u003e--Lloyd's List (London)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51365990957279,"sku":"9780471249450","price":30.19,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/c1PdBX9aCy9780471249450.webp?v=1789077188"},{"product_id":"battleship-paperback","title":"Battleship - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe battleship reigned supreme at sea from the 1860s to the 1940s, the ultimate symbol of naval power and national pride, queen on the naval chessboard.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a result, strategy and battle tactics changed in response to the mounting of ever larger guns with greater range and penetrative power, and the development of threatening new weapon systems, particularly torpedoes, torpedo boats, mines and submarines.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe author also explores the chilling reality of action with vivid descriptions of major naval battles including the Yalu in the first Sino-Japanese War, Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War, Jutland in the First World War and many lesser known engagements.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBattleship describes the evolution from the wooden man-of-war plated with iron armour to the great steel leviathan of the Second World War, and its ultimate displacement as arbiter of naval power by the aircraft carrier.\u003c\/p\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eBattleship\u003c\/em\u003e: \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Well written and balanced in judgement and makes good use of the primary printed material in the Naval Library... Above all it deserves particular attention for its author's specialised knowledge of the development of naval gunnery and fire control' - \u003cem\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'With crisp scholarship, Peter Padfield traces the development of the battleship from sailing ships much like Nelson's which had been fitted with auxiliary steam engines and had iron armour hung on their sides, to the ultimate: the Japanese battleship, Yamato, a giant of more than 70,000 tons firing 18 inch shells more than 20 miles' - \u003cem\u003eBooks and Bookmen\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePeter Padfield\u003c\/strong\u003e lives in Woodbridge, Suffolk. He worked with P\u0026amp;O and sailed with Alan Villiers in Mayflower II in commemoration of the journey of the Pilgrim Fathers. The Titanic and The Californian won him international recognition as a writer. He is also the author of classic biographies of Hess, Donitz and Himmler and has written widely on the sea, including a work on naval gunnery.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51369350562015,"sku":"9781839012778","price":22.93,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/3nqtW2y0SY9781839012778.webp?v=1789140715"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/peter-padfield.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}