The Boat (Das Boot) by Lothar-Günther Buchheim

• Title:  The Boat (Das Boot)
• Author:  Lothar-Günther Buchheim
• Purchased from:  Lot of paperback books won at Weschler's Auction in Downtown DC.
• Started:  7/24/09
• Finished:  8/3/09

 
You may recall that I mentioned Run Silent, Run Deep had reminded me of my love of WWII submarine video game simulations.  When I finished reading that book I started playing Silent Service II again, and then started playing an old DOS (but more recent than SSII) Pacific Submarine game called Silent Hunter.  While playing that I started reading The Boat.  I had seen the movie before, years ago, and really liked it but had never read the book.  The book was much more detailed, slower through the first half, but overall significantly better than the movie (and I loved the movie).  The raunchy German sailors and their sex stories, the overwhelming boredom on the Atlantic, the near destruction by the destroyers hunting them, and then the sad, sudden ending.  Such a good book.  I may prefer to play video games based on the Pacific campaign, but I think for books and movies the Eastern Front is my favorite.