Historical fiction book · Curated
Das Boot
Lothar-Günther Buchheim · historical fiction
Series: Das Boot
In the autumn of 1941 a German U-boat commander—the Old Man—and his crew leave the French coast for another Battle of the Atlantic patrol, hunting supply ships through storms while destroyers and depth charges hunt them. Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s 1973 novel (English translation) is World War II military historical fiction of that boat: a war correspondent aboard, weeks underwater, and a crew the Atlantic is more likely to keep than to send home.
Why read it: A widely searched war novel—the Buchheim title readers look up by name (and the Petersen film), and a U-boat counterpart to The Winds of War already on the shelf (not a Fortress sequel).
About this historical novel
Das Boot by Lothar-Günther Buchheim is historical fiction set around 1941 in the World War II era period with key settings including the Atlantic, Bay of Biscay, La Rochelle, France. In the autumn of 1941 a German U-boat commander—the Old Man—and his crew leave the French coast for another Battle of the Atlantic patrol, hunting supply ships through storms while destroyers and depth charges hunt them. Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s 1973 novel (English translation) is World War II military historical fiction of that boat: a war correspondent aboard, weeks underwater, and a crew the Atlantic is more likely to keep than to send home.
On HisFic we tag it under 5. Military & war and 1. Literary historical fiction so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include war, the sea, duty, claustrophobia, and survival. A widely searched war novel—the Buchheim title readers look up by name (and the Petersen film), and a U-boat counterpart to The Winds of War already on the shelf (not a Fortress sequel).
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Plot summary
In the autumn of 1941 a German U-boat commander—the Old Man—and his crew leave the French coast for another Battle of the Atlantic patrol, hunting supply ships through storms while destroyers and depth charges hunt them. Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s 1973 novel (English translation) is World War II military historical fiction of that boat: a war correspondent aboard, weeks underwater, and a crew the Atlantic is more likely to keep than to send home. A widely searched war novel—the Buchheim title readers look up by name (and the Petersen film), and a U-boat counterpart to The Winds of War already on the shelf (not a Fortress sequel).
Subgenres
Eras
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Regions & places
Europe
the Atlantic · Bay of Biscay · La Rochelle · France
Themes
- war
- the sea
- duty
- claustrophobia
- survival
Tags
war · classic · series