Amazon.com
This thorough collection of van Gogh's letters has been assembled with an artful eye and sensitivity to the artist's thinking. The result is an atypical take on Vincent van Gogh that avoids putting too much stress on his troubled mental state and too much straining by the editor to shape a narrative out of van Gogh's epistolary clues. Instead, we see the thoughtful and contemplative side of this creative genius, as well as his concern for the impact his art and life had on those people closest to him.
Customer Reviews:
intimate look into the artistic process.......2006-12-19
this collection of van gogh's letters to his brother Theo both captivated me and broke my heart. Such an intimate look into the vulnerability of the artistic soul. Those who appreciate the artistic process will love this collection of letters. You don't need to be an admirer of Van Gogh's to appreciate this; but you will walk away admiring the man behind the sunflowers.
The greatest letters ever written by an artist.......2005-11-01
Van Gogh is a tremendously powerful letter- writer. In these letters mostly written to his brother we see a great , suffering , soul, a devoted artist tormented and striving. This may all sound like 'cliche' but Van Gogh is perhaps the most conspicuous example of the cliche of the suffering , rejected in- his- life artist who knows great recognition only after death.
Van Gogh is a person of great intelligence, and of a very strong conscience. There are no greater letters I think ever written by an artist.And while they may be filled with a troubled and agonized spirit they too have a great richness of feeling and appreciation of life.
"the best way to love God is to love many things".......2003-02-21
A very fine collection of the letters, with multiple sides of VVG revealed. To read a collection of letters by an artist whose work you know very well is to invite yourself to take a look at him as a person. As a person, I found that I liked him best in these letters when he was struggling with his religion, his art, and his purpose. I'm glad that Roskill didn't make a selection that focused solely on the more famous and theatrical depressions.
I don't agree that this work reveals Van Gogh as a writer. For me, they definitely confirmed his status as a painter. At his best in these letters, he's painting with words.
Which doesn't make it a less interesting read. I found this a good adjunct to taking a look at the work again, it added an extra dimension to experiencing him as a painter.
Well worth the time it takes.
An Intimate Look.......2000-11-03
I bought this book several years ago in a college bookstore. How fortunate these students were to have been able to read and discuss this with others! I have had a long interest in Van Gogh and found this book to be fascinating, an almost voyeuristic look into his short life. I am glad to see that it is available * * and would hope that people now seeing the traveling Van Gogh portraiture exhibit might read it.
De Leeuw has compiled letters covering over 25 years of Van Gogh's life, letters that offer the reader an intimate look into the artist's thoughts and emotions. He writes about his friendships, his family, his attempts at love affairs, his religious beliefs and questions, and most importantly, about his art. These letters reveal him as anything but the anti-social person often portrayed in the past, with the ones about his relationship with his brother Theo being particularly touching.
Van Gogh was a prolific correspondent and an absolutely wonderful writer. His prose is remarkable--he could have been a writer as well as an artist. These letters shed light on the inner thoughts and the inspiration for his art and show him as a person of great passion and compassion.
THIS BOOK SIMPLY INSPIRED ME IN MY ART PATH.......2000-05-25
This is probably the most terrific book I have ever read in my whole life. Before I bought this book I couldn't believe how Van Gogh 's life was so joined to his brother Theo and , after reading this book ,I realized how important could be in your life the presence of such an important person as a brother that support your life's choise as an artist or any other thing which needs strong support and stubborness to be archived. This told,the book offer Van Gogh's mail to Theo disclosing the whole process of Van Gogh artistic development from the early years when he was spending his lonely life ,to his relationship with Sien ,to the days of the great hope (Antwerp,Paris), to the total ruin in Arles and Sain Remi' in south of France. All those letter ends with a greeting from Van Gogh which I consider unique and that I want to borrow for my own: With a hand-shake your faithful Luca.
Book Description
Throughout his life, Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) wrote hundreds of letters, many to his brother Theo. Theo acted as patron, agent, and sounding board to the artist whose life was fraught with poverty, a struggle for recognition, and alternating fits of madness and lucidity. Van Gogh also corresponded with other family members and fellow artists, including his dear friends Paul Gauguin and Emile Bernard. His letters, originally collected by Theo’s wife, Johanna, exhibit Van Gogh’s genius, his depth of observation, and his feelings in their most naked form.
In Vincent Van Gogh these letters have been excerpted, newly translated, and set side-by-side with more than 250 of his drawings and paintings. Van Gogh’s words and art illuminate each other and reveal a portrait of the artist as never seen before. The commentary of H. Anna Suh frames Van Gogh’s work and puts his art, letters, life, and struggles into rich context. The result is this timeless jewel of a collection, unlike any other Van Gogh book that has gone before.
Customer Reviews:
Very nice.......2007-08-22
It is a pleasure to see Van Gogh's original handwriting in his letters, accompanied by drawings and skecthes. Highly recommended.
A Super Van Gogh book.......2007-08-11
I was so pleased to find this book in the library and after readint it I had to own it. I have many Van Gogh books. This one is espeically interesting since the editor minimized her words on the first page of every chapter. The words after that are Van Gogh's words taken from his letters to Theo and various others. I find it extremelly intersting to read what he wrote about his works as he did them. This is a terrific book.
Amazon.com
After more than 1,500 pages of Vincent van Gogh's letters, most of them addressed to his younger brother, Theo, a reader is exhausted by the struggles, arguments, and ultimate suicide of the creator of some of the most coveted paintings on earth, and yet elated by the triumph of art and family devotion over constant sorrow.
However depressing the life of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), his struggle is continually redeemed by lucid, analytical observations on art and artists as disparate as his black-sheep friend Gauguin, Manet, Degas, Japanese prints, and even the American illustrator Howard Pyle. He retains a touching certainty that his early hero, Millet, whose pictures of peasants so moved him, will prove to be the precursor of all that is progressive in art.
This three-volume, boxed set is a replica of the one originally published in 1958 by the New York Graphic Society, a translation from the Dutch of letters painstakingly ordered and preserved by Theo's young widow, Jo, in the early part of the 20th century. It would have benefited from annotations reflecting recent van Gogh scholarship and theory, but nonetheless it remains a remarkable collection of documents, including Jo's well-known memoir and family history. The early drawings are shockingly clunky, without a hint of grace or confidence. This awkwardness never disappears entirely, but evolves into an aura of hard-won authenticity, as if van Gogh were continually grappling with some fundamental, but ineffable, truth.
The symptoms of madness, "an illness much like any other," alienated Vincent from everyone around him. Even his aging parents, he wrote, "feel the same dread of taking me in ... as they would about taking in a big rough dog."
"How much sadness there is in life," he wrote to Theo. But he found the antidote: "The right thing is to work." Work he did, with astonishing single- mindedness. He mercilessly demanded supplies and continual financial aid from his brother, and although we think of their relationship as a perfect union, Vincent wrote with occasional anger, impatience, or even cruelty, once coldly assessing Theo's personality: "The bright side of your character is your reliability in money matters."
There is a tremendous dramatic tension in the third volume of letters, as we see the artist leap ahead in skill and insight, knowing all the while that this is a life that does not go all the way. This collection requires, and rewards, a devoted reader. --Margaret Moorman
Book Description
After more than 1,500 pages of Vincent van Gogh's letters, most of themaddressed to his younger brother, Theo, a reader is exhausted by the struggles,arguments, and ultimate suicide of the creator of some of the most covetedpaintings on earth, and yet elated by the triumph of art and family devotionover constant sorrow. However depressing the life of Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), his struggle iscontinually redeemed by lucid, analytical observations on art and artists asdisparate as his black-sheep friend Gauguin, Manet, Degas, Japanese prints, andeven the American illustrator Howard Pyle. He retains a touching certainty thathis early hero, Millet, whose pictures of peasants so moved him, will prove tobe the precursor of all that is progressive in art. This three-volume, boxed set is a replica of the one originally published in1958 by the New York Graphic Society, a translation from the Dutch of letterspainstakingly ordered and preserved by Theo's young widow, Jo, in the early partof the 20th century. It would have benefited from annotations reflecting recentvan Gogh scholarship and theory, but nonetheless it remains a remarkablecollection of documents, including Jo's well-known memoir and family history.The early drawings are shockingly clunky, without a hint of grace orconfidence. This awkwardness never disappears entirely, but evolves into anaura of hard-won authenticity, as if van Gogh were continually grappling withsome fundamental, but ineffable, truth.The symptoms of madness, "an illness much like any other," alienated Vincentfrom everyone around him. Even his aging parents, he wrote, "feel the same dreadof taking me in ... as they would about taking in a big rough dog." "How much sadness there is in life," he wrote to Theo. But he found theantidote: "The right thing is to work." Work he did, with astonishing single- mindedness. He mercilessly demanded supplies and continual financial aid fromhis brother, and although we think of their relationship as a perfect union,Vincent wrote with occasional anger, impatience, or even cruelty, once coldlyassessing Theo's personality: "The bright side of your character is yourreliability in money matters."There is a tremendous dramatic tension in the third volume of letters, as we seethe artist leap ahead in skill and insight, knowing all the while that this is alife that does not go all the way. This collection requires, and rewards, adevoted reader. --Margaret Moorman
Customer Reviews:
Infinitely fascinating, infinitely heartbreaking.......2007-05-14
I first read this set back in the late 1980s while in college, and I've long wanted to own a set for myself. With the recent discovery of a possible actual portrait photograph of him, I happily purchased a set to refresh my knowledge of van Gogh, who has long been my favorite artist. This collection is unique in the art world, starting when he was about 17 -- well before he started on his career as a painter -- and continues on until his death. It offers an infinitely fascinating peek into his motivations and his thought process.
It is also infinitely heartbreaking to read, since, as all personal letters, van Gogh never conceived of having such fame that all his personal thoughts to his beloved brother would be seen and read by people all over the world. Reading such things as Vincent asking Theo for some money so he can buy some new underwear, because his current set is falling apart, makes me feel like an eavesdropper -- how hard it must have been for him to write it, and how embarassed he would feel to know others can read it so easily. Such inimate things happen over and over again in this collection.
If you are fascinated by the creative process, by van Gogh, or are a student of art history, this collection is for you. It is a testament to Theo's belief in his brother that he saved all these letters, and that he helped fund his brother's passion for painting for ten years. This collection is beautiful, and well worth the price.
Complete Letters of Vincent Van Gogh.......2006-11-06
These are "THE" books to read by anyone who truly wants to know Vincent. He writes about his life and the people in it in great detail, and writes about his thoughts and desires on almost every imaginable subject. These books are a treasure to own.
The torments of creation .......2004-10-25
Other Amazon reviewers have related to the three volume complete letters, with introduction and memoir. I will relate only to the letters of Van Gogh themselves , and that portion of them which I have read. They are surely one of the great documents for anyone interested in the connection between literary and artistic creation. They certainly too are a moving and frightening document of the inner life of a tremendously tormented soul and great artist. There is aside from this focus on Vincent the feeling given in the correspondance of what a considerate, helpful, wonderful brother he had . Just to listen to the rantings of a madman genius which often tend to repeat themselves and which however brilliant must often upset and throw one off one's equilibrium, is a great act of kindness. The friendship of the brothers is a great theme of this work. As for Van Gogh how tormented his soul how rich his creation.Those wavy lines those deeply clear eyes seem to express a kind of horror and fear no other artist can match.
Vincent Van Gogh correspondence.......2002-06-30
This beautiful set of Van Gogh's letters starts with an introduction by his nephew (Theo's son) and a biography of Vincent Van Gogh by his sister-in-law , Theo's widow. It is a special set of books. The boxed set is very beautiful and I have it on display in my living room. I was fortunate enough to have seen the Van Gogh exhibit in Amsterdam ..., (and to have seen the Van Gogh exhibit when it came to the U.S. over 30 years ago. ...). I feel the artist's extraordinary family did so much to bring his art and writing to us, including this lovely book set. I thought the ... price was most reasonable considering what I got, and it made my trip to Holland even more special!
If you have the time..........2001-12-11
I've seen Van Gogh's paintings many times in various museums and I find him one of the most fascinating characters in the history of art. Vincent's letters correspondence with his brother Theo are both revealing and transformative. Vincent writes as he painted--with great passion as he tries to communicate his inspirations, insights and frustrations to his dear brother Theo. The result of reading them is that they make you, the reader, see things in a new light.
This three-volume compendium is essentially everything you'd ever want to know about Vincent and then some. Frankly, for me though it was too much. To wade through Vincent's endless letters and replies was more work than pleasure. Though I didn't feel comfortable settling for any of the abridged collections that various biographers have published recently.
The only one of such books that I would recommend is "Stranger on the Earth : A Psychological Biography of Vincent Van Gogh" by Albert J. Lubin, which is a fascinating and, thankfully, shorter insight into Vincent's fascinatingly fragile personality.
Customer Reviews:
Van Gogh, a man worth getting to know........2006-12-19
In his early years as an artist, Vincent Van Gogh vividly related his concept of art to his brother Theo in two separate letters from July of 1882, numbered 218 and 221. In this book of Vincent's letters, translated by W.H. Auden, these letters can be more carefully read than if I were to paraphrase or quote bits and pieces here. His letters are a portal into the mind of a great artist and a misunderstood man. While there are more complete books of Van Goghs writings available, this collection gets to the core of Vincent as a man and as an artist.
Vincent was not some wacko who cut off part of his ear and shot himself from insanity, he was rather, a deeply caring man, a genius who observed life so far over the heads of the so-called art experts that they could not see his vision. I did not become a lover of Vincent's art work until after I had read this book of his letters and was able to see more clearly what he was conveying on canvas. I have admired Auden as a poet for many years and this translation of his is far more readable than other translations I have read since. For anyone who has ever admired Van Gogh's paintings, this book is a must read, but for anyone who has seen them and not appreceiated his perception of the world, read this book and you will change your mind and your heart as well. You might even come to understand and love this great man's artwork. JJ
An excellent selection of letters.......2006-10-20
The British poet WH Auden has compiled a wonderful selection from Van Gogh's letters. Auden makes his selection..."What," I asked myself, "is the single most important fact about Von Gogh?" To that there seemed only one answer - "That he painted pictures". Hence the selection focuses on those letters which contain his reflections on the art of painting and the problems of being a painter. Other letters, eg to his father and brother, are included as they throw light upon Van Gogh's career as a painter. Also included are descriptions of VG by his acquaintances, 40 illustrations and a brief biography by his nephew. Of interest to artists as well as admirers of Van Gogh's works.
Average customer rating:
- Vincent Up Close & Personal
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Van Gogh on Art and Artists: Letters to Emile Bernard (Genius of Vincent Van Gogh)
Vincent Van Gogh
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
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Binding: Paperback
 Van Gogh, Vincent
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The Letters of Vincent van Gogh (Penguin Classics)
ASIN: 0486427277 |
Book Description
These letters, written between 1887 and 1889, are among the most important and relevant sources of insight into van Gogh's life and art. 23 missives, accompanied by reproductions of a number of his major paintings and facsimiles from his letters, radiate their author's impulsiveness, intensity, and mysticism. Chronology. Select Bibliography. Index. 32 full-page black-and-white illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Vincent Up Close & Personal.......2003-10-30
What an enlightening opportunity to be a fly on the wall reading letters from probably the most verbal of all the famous painters. Imagine, as a bonus, getting "the rest of the story" from the massive number of letters van Gogh wrote to his brother, Theo. This was an amazing labor to gift us who buy this book to learn what van Gogh thought about other painters who also became famous, how he painted, painting processes he engaged in, and sometimes what troubled him and how he spoke about his "episodes" to others in his circle. I felt I had secret access to van Gogh as I read his thoughts about relationships he had with other masters and his feelings about other painters in his time.
As a painter, I loved learning about van Gogh's painting technique, color choices, and thought processes. I learned first hand what van Gogh was thinking when he painted individual paintings I have seen many times, the ideas, the color combinations, the places he loved.
Even though I had read many books about van Gogh and many more that contained information about him, after reading this book, I felt I had an intimate knowledge of him, really knew him, even felt mentored by him.
You don't have to be a lover of art or artist to gain tremendous insight from this book. Anyone curious about people, interested in exploring the mind of a genius, and especially those interested in personality traits and individual psychology would find this book a treasure trove.
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Cartas A theo/ Letters to Theo (Biografias Y Testimonios / Biographies and Testimonies)
Vincent Van Gogh
Manufacturer: Adriana Hidalgo Editora
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 9879396316 |
Customer Reviews:
A taste of the heart mind and soul of one of mankind's major artists.......2006-08-31
I read this text as a Dover book. The introduction by Douglas Lord was excellent explaining how friends were Van Gogh an important element in his creative life. In the twenty- three letters to Bernard he acts as a friend in advising him on artistic matters, and also in speaking about his own artistic practice. The tormented soul of Van Gogh is present in these letters as his anguished and pained effort to render fully in his painting the worlds of inner imagination and outer perception. Lord emphasizes Gogh's being a northern artist overwhelmed by the sharp clear light of Provence.
The letters do not compare in the depth of detail and range of reflection of Van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo, but they do give a taste of the heart, mind and soul of one of modern mankind's major artists.
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- The Bismarck Chase
- No "new light" for me & questionable photo interpretations.
- An easy to read description of the battle(s) of the Bismarck
- Essential new analysis of the loss of HMS Hood
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Bismarck Chase: New Light on a Famous Engagement
Robert J. Winklareth
Manufacturer: US Naval Institute Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1557501831 |
Book Description
One of the most famous naval engagements of World War II--the sinking of the British battlecruiser HMS Hood by the German battleship Bismarck--took place in the Denmark Strait in 1941 and people have been arguing about it ever since. In this book a professional defense analyst uses computer modeling to support his original and highly credible explanation of what happened.
Customer Reviews:
The Bismarck Chase.......2003-09-04
New Light on a Famous Engagement, bills itself as an updated and accurate analysis of the epic Atlantic sea chase of May 1941. The primary emphasis falls upon the Battle of the Denmark Strait where HMS Hood fell to gunfire from the mighty German battleship, leaving but three survivors, and HMS Prince of Wales was forced to turn away under fire. Unfortunately, the basis for this 'comprehensive analysis,' as Mr. Winklareth calls it, consists primarily of the author's reinterpretation of photography and an insistence that Prinz Eugen always remained to starboard of Bismarck during the battle.
Disposing of this latter point first, after action Kriegsmarine reports specifically evaluated the role of Prinz Eugen during the battle and discussed the dire consequences the heavy cruiser faced as she steamed ahead of and to port of Bismarck, exposed as she was to heavy British gunfire. The action reports of Prinz Eugen and subsequent staff commentary do not support the authors' assertions in the least. Equally damaging to the author's case is the corollary that Prinz Eugen would therefore be able to photograph the portside of Bismarck during the battle.
Moving to the assertion that various pictures taken aboard Prinz Eugen have been reversed, possibly as the result of his mistaken belief noted above, the author advances this as further evidence to support his contention that Bismarck and Prinz Eugen followed parallel courses during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, with the heavy cruiser always to starboard of Bismarck. Aside from the mortal contradiction presented by the primary materials noted above, this assertion requires a great deal of imagination to accept.
In reviewing Mr. Winklareth's interpretation of these photographs there are numerous discrepancies overlooked either for sake of convenience or out of miscalculation. Additionally, the first thing confronting the reader is the poor quality of the photography reproduced within the book. With the author considering these photographs as the basis for uprooting the historical record, he should have provided the best prints possible for his readers. One may legitimately question that if these were the best prints the author could manage for his own research, it may answer quite a number of questions.
Fortunately, there are available for study fine copies of these same prints in various texts which the reader can use for comparison. And by carefully comparing the photographs it appears that the author has managed to rearrange the photography out of sequence, as opposed to actually presenting a proper sequence himself.
One may notice that photograph 10-2 (in the authors' book) shows the flash and shock wave of Bismarck firing her guns at the British. Having reversed the photograph to show Bismarck her moving from left to right in the picture, if the author is to be believed and considering that she was traveling south down the strait, then Bismarck must be firing to starboard. This is not possible at all. To be perfectly blunt, this means that the author himself has mistakenly reversed the picture and that Prinz Eugen, in order to take the picture, was indeed traveling off Bismarck's port side, something we were assured never happened.
Likewise, clearer prints of the authors' photograph 10-6 show the forward armored plates of Bismarck's main turrets and her after fire control radar aerial facing the camera. Since the author has again printed the photograph to show Bismarck traveling south from left to right, it follows that she must be firing to starboard. At the risk of sounding redundant, with the British capital ships to portside of Bismarck throughout the engagement, this interpretation cannot possibly be correct.
Finally, the nature of the weather can be gauged by reference to the background in each photograph. It is quite obvious that the same cloud formations do not appear in the photography showing Hood and Prince of Wales to the east compared with those of Bismarck to the west. If the reader accepts these observations, then all of the photographs have been reversed by the author during his research and analysis. This constitutes a stunning error of incredible magnitude because it completely undermines the premise of his book.
The remainder of the book is devoted to a repetitive and sometimes monotonous description of the development of the modern battleship, followed by a brief description of the rise of the Kriegsmarine under Hitler. Bismarck is then introduced and the reader is provided a rather pedestrian account of her sortie and loss. Of particular disappointment are the brief and lackluster accounts both of Victorious' Swordfish torpedo attack and Bismarck's subsequent manuever which allowed her to briefly escape the tightening British noose.
As perhaps further indication of the author's poor research concerning the movements of Bismarck and Prinz Eugen during the Battle of Denmark Strait, the depiction of events surrounding Bismarck's dramatic torpedoing by Swordfish from Ark Royal is equally flawed. And given the sources listed in the bibliography as available to his efforts this is a startling error for the author to commit.
The photography contained within the book is well printed with the exception of, as amazing as it sounds, the critical pictures supposedly providing the evidence for recasting events in the Denmark Strait. And quite aside from being based on demonstrably incorrect facts, various charts throughout the book are generally oversimplified and without geographical reference, thus rendering them wholly inadequate.
There are many fine books concerning Bismarck, among them Russell Grenfell's "The Bismarck Episode," Ludovic Kennedy's "Pursuit" and, of course, Baron von Mullenheim-Rechberg's "Battleship Bismarck." Robert Winklareth's "The Bismarck Chase" cannot begin to compare with these superb volumes. As a poorly researched and deeply flawed work, Mr. Winklareth's book is definitely not worthy of recommendation under any circumstances.
No "new light" for me & questionable photo interpretations........1999-11-18
I ordered this book because it reportedly shed 'new light' on the tactics of the combatant vessels in the Denmark Strait action. Readers with a knowledge of WWII naval history will find some errors in the text, such as HMS Sheffield being described as a "heavy" cruiser and Yamato's overall length being reported as 840' instead of 863'. I found the author's interpretation of the photos of the Bismarck/Hood action to be unconvincing. It was claimed that these were being presented in the correct sequence "for the first time". Photos 10-2 to 10-6 appear to me to be in the wrong sequence, and were printed with a mirror image left-right transposition when compared to the same or very similar photos in other sources. The sequence indicated by examination of the distinct cloud patterns appears to be 10-6, 10-4, 10-5, with 10-2&3 taken almost simultaneously. Most of these action photos have appeared elsewhere in smaller and less grainy format and indicated the Bismarck's guns were trained to port (i.e. on the SAME side as the Prinz Eugen, from where the photos were taken) and on an AFT bearing. According to the text and charts in 'The Bismarck Case' the photos should show the guns trained abeam (if not slightly ahead of the beam) toward the Prince of Wales and AWAY from the photographer aboard the Prinz Eugen (which was supposedly on the opposite side of Bismarck from the Prince of Wales when these photos were taken). I have never read that Bismarck and Prinz Eugen pursued a straight course throughout the battle and all books in my collection show a turn to starboard, followed by one to port as 'revealed' in this book. However these turns were charted as occurring later in the action in my other source books. There is evidence for a later turn to starboard than postulated by the author when the photos are reviewed in the different right-left orientation given in other published sources. Baron Von Mullenheim-Rechberg's 'Battleship Bismarck: A Survivor's Story' and Paul Schmalenbach's 'Kriegsmarine Bismarck' in 'Warships in Profile Vol.2' contain 'The Bismarck Chase' photos 9-1, 9-3, and 10-2 to 10-6 or very similar shots and both authors (who were there!) indicated Bismarck had turned to starboard (westward) of the Prinz Eugen and away from the British ships during the period which encompasses 10-2 to 10-6. The bow of Bismarck is shown to the left of the photos in those sources instead of to the right as in 'The Bismarck Chase'. The photos in Mr. Winklareth's book are purported to have been taken after a second major course alteration, toward the British ships on a course of about 200 degrees. Although the book gives a fairly good account of the battle and the Bismarck's brief career, I did not feel any 'new light' had been shed, and did not agree with the author's conclusions.
An easy to read description of the battle(s) of the Bismarck.......1999-11-17
Being a lover of mysteries, I was hoping that this book addressed the almost daily bad orders of Admiral Lutjens. But it only addresses a few of them and even then finds excuses for them. However, for a nutshell account of the Bismarck's last days, it is an excellent book and should be in any naval historian's library. But I am a purist and take more credence Baron Burkard von Mullenheim-Rechberg's account of the battles since he was there and was one of the fortunate few survivors to be plucked out of the water. I was also disappointed that another crucial encounter of the Bismarck was never mentioned that actually aided in "his" screening from British RADAR. Overall, the book is a good summary of fact for fact without going into a lot of conjecture and second guessing. I was able to read it in one afternoon and found it enjoyable regardless of any misgivings I had.
Essential new analysis of the loss of HMS Hood.......1999-09-22
There are so many books about the short and dramatic life of the battleship Bismarck, but none has really tried to answer the question of the tactics of Admiral Holland and Captain Kerr when they apparently chose to attack on a disadvantageous course. Why did they put the lightly-armoured HMS Hood in the van and at an angle of approach which increased her vulnerability to plunging fire whilst halving the effectiveness of her main armnament?
Robert Winklareth has analysed photographs of the engagement and naval records to posit a new hypothesis, suggesting that the German ships took a different course from that which has previously been assumed. This may well be the explanation for the British tactics, as they strove to gain advantage over their opponents
Of course there are many other unanswered questions about Bismarck, both in the days before Hood was sunk and in the three days following until she met her demise. Hopefully succeeding authors will now be encouraged to apply the same attitude of enquiry as Winklareth has here
This is a refreshing new book and deserves a place on the bookshelf of all open-minded naval historians. The excellent illustrations and charts allow the reader to re-check the author's thesis, as all works of this kind should. I unreservedly recommend it
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