Shadow Voyage: The Extraordinary Wartime Escape of the Legendary SS Bremen

By Peter A. Huchthausen

Book Overview

A fast-paced, little-known story of danger at sea on the eve of World War II On the sweltering evening of August 30, 1939, the German luxury liner S.S. Bremen slipped her moorings on Manhattan's west side, abandoned all caution (including foghorns, radar, and running lights), and sailed out of New York Harbor, commencing a dramatic escape run that would challenge the rules for unrestricted warfare at sea. Written by naval historian Peter Huchthausen, Shadow Voyage tells the epic adventure of the Bremen's extraordinary flight to Germany, which became a life-and-death race with British warships and submarines intent on intercepting her. Revealing new details from naval archives, Huchthausen's riveting narrative captures the great courage and magnanimity of the Royal Navy, the cunning and intricate planning of the Germans, and the tension and ambiguity that preceded the outbreak of World War II. Captain Peter Huchthausen, U.S. Navy, Retired (Hiram, ME), has had a distinguished career, serving at sea and on land as a Soviet naval analyst and as a naval attach? in Yugoslavia, Romania, and the Soviet Union. He is now a consultant and writer, author of the bestselling Hostile Waters and October Fury (0-471-41534-0).

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471457582
• ISBN13: 9780471457589
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Wiley (TP)
• Length: 260 Pages
• Weight: 1.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.5" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

A great book, highly recommended!

In short, this is an extremely well written book about a very little-known story. The escape of the Bremen back to Germany at the outbreak of WWII was a remarkable feat of seamanship, and this book relates the story extremely well. Great book!

Great story of a great ship

This was an exiting and little known story about one of the great liners of the 1930's. If only it had a happier ending!

extraordinary story

great read. story is told in a very interesting manner. this little know subject is brought forth with great storytelling

Extraordinary Bremen

Shadow Voyage tells the story of the escape of the Bremen. The story is interesting and well told. We may not have heard this story before, but there are many stories of WWII that we have not heard or that have vanished into the murkiness of war. It is quite extraordinary to have a story such as this, which is on the surface only of interest to employees of Norddeutscher Lloyd and their relatives, told 60 years later by an American. Thank you, Peter Huchthausen, for bringing these stories to light. Better maps would help us understand exactly where the locations are; thus the reduction of a star here. On a personal note: a crewmember, a purser,from the Bremen was having a picnic at my grandparents house in suburban NY when he was called to return to the ship for the imminent departure that evening. No one ever heard from this fellow again, nor had any idea what happened to him or to the ship. Thanks to this marvelous book, we at least know that he made it home, however briefly. This is a story about ordinary people in extraordinary times.

Fascinating Account of Bremen's dash home

This isa well researched and engageingly written account of the SS BREMEN's flight from New York on the eve of WWII in 1939. The author has researched not only the primary sources such as naval records and log books, but also tracked down and interviewed surviving crew members. We learn of the machinations in New York to delay her departure, of the dedication of her crew and of the growing (but never total) influence of the Nazis. What shines through is the dedicated professionalism of the BREMEN's crew and of their love for their ship. Their tale is well told with the range of sources used adding variety to the telling. A fascinating insight into a little told tale - not least of the British submarine captain who had the Bremen in his sights, and let her go.