Iron Coffins

By Herbert A. Werner,

Book cover of Iron Coffins: A Personal Account of the German U-Boat Battles of World War II

Book description

The former German U-boat commander Herbert Werner navigates readers through the waters of World War II, recounting four years of the most significant and savage battles. By war's end, 28,000 out of 39,000 German sailors had disappeared beneath the waves.

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

3 authors picked Iron Coffins as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Brilliantly told and deeply tragic, Iron Coffins recounts the Battle of the Atlantic from the firsthand perspective of one of the few surviving German submarine captains.

Herbert A. Werner’s service took him on multiple tours, including the Mediterranean and various battlegrounds in the Atlantic, where he sank ships, dodged sub hunters, and watched the Third Reich crumble, all the while as his personal losses and wartime guilt mounted.

Being claustrophic, the title immediately caught my attention. I tried to imagine what it would be like to live in such small quarters and not being able to escape if you had a panic attack, especially while being under attack with depth charges. It takes a very special person to want to serve in a submarine. This is a fascinating autobiography written by a German U-Boat captain who survived the war to share his personal experiences in the German U-boat force in World War II. He is only one of a handful of U-boat captains that survived the war to…

No such list could be complete without the inclusion of this book written by a U-boat commander of the later war years. Werner’s autobiographical story gives a genuine taste of what it was like, though it is not without its controversies. There is criticism of his factual inaccuracies, but people must understand that this book paints a picture, it is not a textbook. Werner’s opinions may not always completely chime with my own, but he was there. I was not. I have the benefit of hindsight, historical distance, and conversations with some of the men that he did not see…

From Lawrence's list on U-boats that aren't Das Boot.

Want books like Iron Coffins?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Iron Coffins.

Browse books like Iron Coffins

Book cover of Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II
Book cover of Sharks and Little Fish: A Novel of German Submarine Warfare
Book cover of The Hunt for Red October

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,487

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in submarines, naval warfare, and the Atlantic Ocean?

Submarines 35 books
Naval Warfare 38 books