Peter Padfield

A 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.

Submarine Conflict During World War II

War Beneath the Sea

"Peter Padfield is the best British naval historian of his generation now working. [This] book . . . will now become the standard work on the subject."––John Keegan "A fascinating and great contribution to the entire lore of submarines."––Capt. Edward L. Beach, USN (ret.), author of Run Silent, Run Deep War Beneath the Sea is the definitive account of one of the most turbulent—and crucial—chapters of World War II. This is the first book to cover all the major submarine campaigns of the war: British, American, German, Japanes, and Italian. Padfield′s suspense–filled battle accounts vividly capture the tension and challenge of war beneath the sea. PETER PADFIELD (England) is a leading naval and military historian. He is the author of Guns at Sea, Armada, Tides of Empire , and Donitz: The Last Furher .

In June, 1813, Captain Philip Broke od the Royal Navy sent a challenge to equal combat to the American Captain Lawrence. It was the climax of years of waiting for a chance to distinguish himself and it succeeded an unbroken list of five American single-ship victories. The author describes the action as recorded in contemporary documents and survivors' accounts.

Broke and the Shannon

A grimly compelling study of Hitler's SS and Gestapo chief who masterminded the attempted extermination of the Jewish race in Europe. Peter Padfield explores Himmler's mind through his diaries, letters, ordinances and speeches, and suggests that the roots of his sadistic career lay in his appearance and physique which fell far below that of the 'Aryan' warrior idealized by the Nazis; his complementary fantasies of being hard and ruthless were realized through the systems of repression and mass murder he created and controlled. A believer in the myth of a former 'Aryan' master race unpolluted by interbreeding with inferior peoples, he took charge of resettling eastern Europe with a new 'Aryan' aristocracy. His SS men were selected for 'racial' appearance and pure ancestry, and were encouraged to propagate with similarly select women. A politician of guile, he amassed such power that at the end he was the one man who could have toppled Hitler before Germany went down to defeat. That he shrank from this is the measure of his essentially subordinate character. "Padfield stalks an elusive figure and defines him better than any effort to date." Chicago Tribune "The biography is a convincing collection of evidence that serves up sometimes numbing detail in a clear, unobtrusive style." Washington Post "A thorough, conscientious and compulsively readable investigation." A.L. Rowse, Sunday Telegraph

Himmler

'Fresh and valuable... Mr Padfield knows what he is writing about...with a knowledge and devotion displayed by no previous writer.' Times Literary Supplement 'This is not just another book on the Titanic but a fascinating revelation.' Birmingham Post 'The fascination of a closely reasoned detective story, and every landlubber should be able to follow it.' Daily Telegraph 'The story compels.' The Times 'An angry, exciting, vivid book. It may shake or shock, but never bore... decidedly one to remember.' Lloyds' List 'Admirable piece of detective work and reasonable speculation.' Books and Bookmen 'A dramatic and excellently told story.' The Book Society 'Mr. Padfield is justified in questioning the findings of the Mersey Inquiry.' Capt. Stephen Roskill, The Sunday Telegraph 'Mr. Padfield's book succeeds in clearing Lord's name of culpability.' Capt. S.W.C. Palk, The Navy 'It is a pity that Captain Lord did not live to read this splendid vindication... Padfield's magnificent analysis.' New Zealand Herald 'The night was clear and the sea was smooth. When she first saw the rockets the Californian could have pushed through the ice to the open water... and so have come to the assistance of the Titanic. Had she done so she might have saved many if not all of the [more than 1,500] lives lost.' This damning censure was handed down to Captain Lord of the Californian by the British Court of Inquiry into the loss of the Titanic. Lord was refused an appeal and was never charged under the Merchant Shipping Act for such a clear dereliction of duty, so never had an opportunity to defend himself. This book, first published in 1965, two years after Lord's death, was the first to question his censure. The evidence given in Court had convinced the author, Peter Padfield, that the Californian was never close enough to the Titanic to recognise her distress signals or attempt rescue. Twenty years later he was vindicated by the discovery of the wreck of the Titanic some 20 miles from the Californian's logged position that night. He remains convinced that the Inquiry was 'rigged' and Lord scapegoated to preserve the reputation of British liner companies and the responsible government department, the Board of Trade.

Peter Padfield

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