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Remembered Today:

Book on Zeebrugge Raid


Marilyne

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Dear all, I'm going to the Def Library tomorrow to get myself some books on the Zeebrugge raid.

They have FOUR... but as tilme flies too fast and I have others on my little reading list, I will only take 2... question is of course which one... that's why I'm asking you for advice...

 

Philip WARNER's "The Zeebrugge Raid"

Barrie PITT's "Zeebrugge: 11 VCs before Breakfast"

Deborah LAKE's "The Zeebrugge and Oostende raids 1918"

Christopher CHANDLER's :"Zeebrugge: the greatest raid of all"

 

Honestly complies me to tell that I do have my doubts about the last one... the guys seems to have specialised in writing about pop-stars and Arthur Conon Doyle, so he's not a WWI scholar it seems...

 

All input is welcome before I hit my favourite place in Evere tomorrow...

 

M.

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Marilyne,

 

Have to confess I have not read any the above.

But can recommend 'Zeebrugge 1918 - The Finest Feat of Arms' by Paul Kendall.

 

Mike.

Edited by MikeyH
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Thanks Mike.

Unfortunately, the Kendall book is not one the library has for lending... that's what's limiting the request in the first place...

 

M.

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Marilyne,

 

I was researching Zeebrugge for an article a few months ago and the Admiralty Librarian selected a small stack of books for me. Unfortunately - none of the books you list was in that stack :wacko: so I haven't read them. But for what it's worth:-

 

The Philip Warner dates from 1978. I can't say it grabs me, looking at Amazon.

Barrie Pitt - 1959 (At least I can safely say that Pitt's is a classic. If it is one of the modern illustrated editions it should be worth taking).

Deborah Lake - 2002, and makes use of many first-hand accounts. Author ex-RAF.

Christopher Sandford - 2018, but I share your reservations.

 

If I was doing this I would go for Pitt and Lake who should complement each other nicely. 

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Thank you !!! 

 

Pitt and Lake it is!!! 

 

M.

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Fingers crossed...

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The Pitt IS in my “To read” pile, and has been for some years. Will be interested in what you make of it.

Hazel C.

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The WARNER book does have a list in the back of the men who took part in the raid. As to how complete it is I don't know. But I have had occasion to check some names as seen on medals & every one checks out as having been there. As I recall the names I checked were all from the 4th Marine Bn. I enjoyed the boo very much when I read it.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 15/10/2018 at 00:13, hazelclark said:

The Pitt IS in my “To read” pile, and has been for some years. Will be interested in what you make of it.

Hazel C.

 

Hazel, 

 

before I forget you ...

The Barrie Pitt book is an eyeopener on the Zeebrugge raids. It goes into details of the naval operation to a point where a land-rat as me had to consult a navy-colleague at some points, but it gives a very good idea of the operation and the strategic thinking that went on behind the operation itself. 

A great book, that the one by Deborah Lake can only complement, being more recent. 

 

If there is one thing to comment: a complete lack of axiological neutrality... everyone is of course "very gallant" and "fantastic" and "so brave" and bla de bla... and the German clearly the bad guy. Normal, yes... and it's completely in style for the period. Lots of books of the 50s and 60s have the same tone. Today one would say: stick to the facts and eventual quotes when talking about character but I guess it's just the time. It's interesting reading like that. 

 

One thing lackingn though is the German side: how did they react, what did they know??? I hope the Lake book will answer that. 

 

M. 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

If you were only getting one of these books, which one would you get, please?

 

The 2015 paperback version of the Lake book is available through Pen & Sword in one of their sales, and sounds good to me - but is it worth it?

 

Thank you.

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5 hours ago, The Scorer said:

If you were only getting one of these books, which one would you get, please?

 

The 2015 paperback version of the Lake book is available through Pen & Sword in one of their sales, and sounds good to me - but is it worth it?

 

Thank you.

 

Just finished the Lake book. 

It's good in the sense that it goed further than Barrie went... and also to the other side. But she's incredibly critical of Keyes and in a way describes the operation more as a "blundering along" trying to make the best of it than a well prepared operation. But of the two, I learned more from Lake than Barrie. 

 

Hope this helps. 

 

M.

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That's interesting, because looking at Keyes's report Zeebrugge and Ostend operations (Naval Staff Intelligence Department M.05907/18, M.05881/18) the operation seemed to me pretty well planned considering that winds and tides don't take orders from Admirals. 

 

Mind you I'm only a civilian - what would I know? ;)

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Thank you both, that's very useful.

 

It's still on the "To Buy" list, but I also see that there are fairly cheap new copies of the Pitt and Warner books on Amazon as well, so they'll have to come into consideration!

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The Paul Kendall title mentioned above is the one I didn't have time to read when I was doing some research - which probably means it has important information that I missed!

 

sJ

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  • 3 weeks later...

Wow, that's very impressive!

 

Mind you, I'm also struck by the people who contributed to Captain Carpenter's book. I realise that a VC gives you some influence, but to get those three to contribute must surely have been some feat.

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