Command Decisions: Langsdorff and the Battle of the River Plate

Description

This new treatment of the Battle of the River Plate concerns Kapitan sur Zee Hans Langsdorff's command of the Panzershiff Graf Spee, written from his point of view. The story of his mission is divided into coherent segments, each with a narrative orientating the reader, followed by an examination of the command decisions and the factors considered. The many problems Langsdorff faced are ruthlessly exposed. He made mistakes, but the book does nothing to diminish his reputation as a brave and honourable naval officer. ILLUSTRATIONS: 16 pages of b/w images

David Miller has had seventy books published on subjects ranging from Richard the Lionheart, through the samurai, to U-boats and the Battle of Waterloo. His great love is the sea - his father was a naval officer - and this book is the outcome of many years' study of Captain Langsdorff, one of the most admired officers of the German Second World War Kriegsmarine.

The Battle of the River Plate must be one of the best known naval engagements of the 20th century. There have been plenty of books about the battle, but this one focuses on her Captain, Hans Langsdorff, portrayed by the author, David Miller, as a 'decent, honourable and compassionate man' and a professional naval officer. Miller gives a sympathetic but clinically analytical study of the pressures facing Langsdorff, a man who always behaved with great integrity. Perhaps this book should be subtitled the 'loneliness of command'. It is a superb analysis of a man under great strain during war, and a stimulating read. Scuttlebutt This is a welcome addition to the bibliography of the Battle of the River Plate. WARSHIPS INTERNATIONAL FLEET REVIEW Readers may judge that Miller's account makes up for the failure of another recent book on the same battle to analyse Langsdorff's decision making fully. This is a welcome addition to the bibliography of the Battle of the River Plate. Warships