The Bismark wasn’t just any warship. Its guns were much stronger and more accurate than any others in its day—meaning it could easily sink enemy ships without getting in range of their fire. It was one of Hitler’s most powerful weapons, and the Allied forces had to put it out of commission—before they lost the war. With the fate of the world in the balance, Allied forces chased the Bismark across the stormy North Atlantic—culminating in a thrilling sea battle that changed the course of World War II.
Unfolding with the taut suspense of a blockbuster movie, this book brings the excitement and danger of World War II to younger audiences—and demonstrates William L. Shirer’s mastery as a writer of history and a spinner of tales.
William Lawrence Shirer (1904-1993) was an American war correspondent, historian, and author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich—a definitive account of Nazi Germany that has stood the test of time as a scholarly resource for over five decades. Shirer was the first journalist hired for Edward R. Murrow’s CBS radio team of journalists covering World War II events worldwide, and later became famous for his radio broadcasts from Berlin.
Shirer’s work is gripping for its first-hand immediacy, informed by personal observation, storytelling, and interviews with prominent leaders including Hitler himself. As a member of CBS’s news team, he produced a 30-minute broadcast of live reporting from Vienna, Paris, Berlin, London, and Rome. This was later adopted as the CBS World News Roundup, one of the longest-running programs in news broadcasting today.
Unfolding with the taut suspense of a blockbuster movie, this book brings the excitement and danger of World War II to younger audiences—and demonstrates William L. Shirer’s mastery as a writer of history and a spinner of tales.
About the Author
William Lawrence Shirer (1904-1993) was an American war correspondent, historian, and author of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich—a definitive account of Nazi Germany that has stood the test of time as a scholarly resource for over five decades. Shirer was the first journalist hired for Edward R. Murrow’s CBS radio team of journalists covering World War II events worldwide, and later became famous for his radio broadcasts from Berlin.
Shirer’s work is gripping for its first-hand immediacy, informed by personal observation, storytelling, and interviews with prominent leaders including Hitler himself. As a member of CBS’s news team, he produced a 30-minute broadcast of live reporting from Vienna, Paris, Berlin, London, and Rome. This was later adopted as the CBS World News Roundup, one of the longest-running programs in news broadcasting today.
