The world war ii sinking of the wilhelm gustloff, in which she recounts the sinking of the former cruise ship turned escape vessel that. Death in the baltic the world war ii sinking of the wilhelm gustloff book. Death in the baltic introduces the reader to survivors as they were in 1945 young women, children, new parents, families in baltic germany and east prussia, worrying about the oncoming devastation from the russians. Buy death in the baltic 1st edition by prince, cathryn isbn. Then he heard a loud bang, which seemed to come from the port. Princes death in the baltic is an account of the worst maritime disaster in history, the sinking of the wilhelm gustloff in january 1945. Nevertheless, the torpedoing of the german cruise ship on jan. I found death in the baltic to be both informative and interesting to read. The third reich is in free fall as the russians close in from the east. In the early hours the next day, seaman silva linde, standing near the bow door of the car deck on routine watch, was struggling to keep his feet in the stormy seas. It is astounding that the sinking of the titanic garners so much attention, yet the fate of the gustloff is relatively unknown. Death in the baltic available for download and read online in other formats. Encounter the name wilhelm gustloff and chances are it will draw a blank. The world war ii sinking of the wilhelm gustloff by cathryn j.
Prince 2014, paperback at the best online prices at ebay. The world war ii sinking of the wilhelm gustloff, is an example of what nonfiction writing should be. I look forward to each new book as this series appears and, as ever, the baltic gambit does not disappoint. The worst maritime disaster ever occurred during world war ii, when more than 9,000 german civilians drowned. Cathryn prince talked about her book, death in the baltic. The only hiccup in death in the baltic is princes misuse of some nautical and military terms throughout the book. The chapters describe the war in the east, the drive for germans to evacuate, the evacuation operation itself, the situation in the baltic, and the sinking and rescue of the ship. The baltic ferry estonia had 989 people on board when it set sail from the estonian capital, tallinn, bound for stockholm on the evening of 27 september 1994. Death in the baltic is the engrossing story of a tragedy that should never have been forgotten. Unfortunately, the weaknesses often outnumber the strengths in death in the baltic.
It is based on interviews conducted across the continent from tecumseh, ontario, to las vegas. The torpedoing of the wilhelm gustloff in the baltic in 1945 took an estimated 9,400 lives. Pdf death in the baltic download full pdf book download. Read death in the baltic the world war ii sinking of the wilhelm gustloff by cathryn j. Nevertheless, death in the baltic is a very american book. Stirling, national bestselling author of the given sacrifice.
Death in the baltic the world war ii sinking of the wilhelm gustloff by cathryn j. Prince recounts an important but little known aspect of world war ii. Former christian science monitor reporter prince a professor, a president, and a meteor. The world war ii sinking of the wilhelm gustloff, by cathryn j.
In her 80th birthday year, baltic presents the first major uk survey of pioneering feminist artist, author and educator judy chicago. Prince has preserved their memory and improved our sense of history. It was the first leg of a death march north, continuously missing liberation by days and sometimes hours. Death in the baltic tells a gripping, invaluable story. This book provides an excellent overview of the beforeduringafter aspects of a significant tragedy that is still quite mysterious. Death in the baltic is a wellwritten, wellresearched, and gripping account of a horrific tragedy that needs to be remembered, as all tragedies of world war ii should be. It is believed over 9,000 perished in the cold baltic waters with only 1,200 surviving. Prince if you ask any given person what the worst maritime disaster was in history, of those who could bring one to mind you would probably hear about the titanic, or even the lusitania. The latter is evidence of the limited amount of research that went into this book, at times relying on dubious journal and online articles, when it comes to the background and history of the second world war and, more specifically, the eastern front. The worst maritime disaster ever occurred during world war ii, when more than 9000 german civilians drowned.
Same applies mutatis mutandis to poland and germany, for that matter. Evoke the names titanic or lusitania, and pitiable images spring to mind of massive loss of life at sea. Yet there are signs of careless editing, and also an odd omission that gave me some reservations about the book. Book signing with cathryn prince and death in the baltic. In the kings marauder, his frigate hms reliant has a new captain, hes living at his fathers estate at anglesgreen, among spiteful neighbors and family, and hes recovering from a wound suffered in the south atlantic. The worst maritime disaster ever occurred during world war ii. Those still alive when the marchers reached the coast were forced into the baltic sea and shot.
On october 15, 20, cathryn prince, author of death in the baltic, recounted the story of the worst maritime disaster of world war ii, when more than 9,000 german civilians drowned. Incorrect book the list contains an incorrect book please specify the title of the book. Gritty realism, lovecraftian villains, and boffo action scenes. However, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that the book represents something of a missed opportunity. Shipwrecks baltic sea history 20th century germans prussia, east poland and russia.
The world war ii sinking of the wilhelm gustloff, in which she recounts the sinking of. This is a minor quibble though and on the whole the work is a compact and very readable account of an often forgotten story. Einsatzgruppen the einsatzgruppen operated under the administration of the schutzstaffel ss killing of jews in ivanhorod, ukraine, 1942. Cathryn prince breaks the silence around the devastation many german civilians suffered at the end of the war. Both well written and researched, the book provides a dramatic account of one of the most horrific maritime disasters in history. The story of the worst maritime disaster in historyand it wasnt the titanic. Rich in detail, drama, and tragedy, princes gripping narrative skillfully interweaves the traumatic events of the final weeks of the war with moving stories of survivors of a maritime disaster which claimed more lives than the sinking of the titanic. Buy death in the baltic by cathryn prince from waterstones today. The loss of the flagship of hitlers strength through joy cruise fleet cost many more. The world war ii sinking of the wilhelm gustloff by cathryn j prince online at alibris. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. A meditation on death and extinction 2016, which has not been previously shown outside of the us. It is a shame to be as critical as this, for death in the baltic should certainly be welcomed for bringing the story of the wilhelm gustloff to a wider audience.
She is also the author of burn the town and sack the banks. Death in the baltic, the world war ii sinking of the. In death in the baltic, awardwinning author cathryn prince reconstructs the story of the one the worst maritime disasters ever when 9,000 german refugees drowned fleeing the red army. Elie wiesel, holocaust survivor and winner of the 1986 nobel peace prize, describes in his book night 1960 how he and his father, shlomo, were forced on a death march from buna auschwitz iii.
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