{"product_id":"1919-u-boat-202-war-diary-german-submarine-wwi-von-spiegel-first-uk-edition-1","title":"1919 U Boat 202 War Diary German Submarine WWI von Spiegel First UK Edition","description":"Historical Significance\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePublished immediately after World War I, this uncommon 1919 first British edition presents one of the earliest widely read first-person narratives of German submarine warfare. Rather than reconstructing the conflict decades later, Lieutenant-Commander Freiherr von Spiegel places the reader aboard a Great War U-boat—through night attacks, minefields, enemy nets, destroyer pursuits, submerged emergencies, and the confined daily existence of its crew.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVon Spiegel was an experienced Imperial German Navy submarine commander. Although “U-202” was used as a literary designation and no German submarine bearing that number served during World War I, the narrative drew upon his experiences commanding the real SM U-32. This makes the book both a compelling naval account and a revealing example of how the German U-boat campaign was presented to contemporary readers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst published in Germany during the war, von Spiegel’s account became an extraordinary popular success. This 1919 London edition, translated by Royal Navy Captain Barry Domvile, offered British readers an unusually immediate view of submarine warfare from the opposing commander’s perspective while the conflict remained a recent memory.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eU Boat 202: The War Diary of a German Submarine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy Lieutenant-Commander Freiherr von Spiegel of Peckelsheim\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTranslated from the German by Captain Barry Domvile, Royal Navy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLondon: Andrew Melrose Ltd., 1919\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginal cloth hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e170 pages\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst British edition\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe narrative includes:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn the War-Path; The First Shot; A Night Journey; A Dangerous Encounter; The Horse Transport; Surrounded; A Rich Prize; A Night on the Bottom of the Sea; Through the Minefield; For Dear Life; In the Enemy’s Nets; Hunted for Many Hours; Storm; and Homeward Bound.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCondition\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginal publisher’s cloth hardcover with the title and subtitle printed directly on the front board. No dust jacket. The exterior shows considerable age-related wear, including discoloration and staining to the cloth, fading and rubbing along the spine, bumped and worn corners, and wear at the spine ends. The pages and text-block edges are age-toned, with scattered foxing and occasional marks. A former owner’s name is written inside the front cover.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe binding remains intact and the text is complete and readable. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description for this more than century-old copy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA scarce original edition with particular appeal for collectors of World War I naval history, Imperial German submarines, early U-boat warfare, and firsthand military narratives.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSKU V\/3","brand":"Second Chapter Book Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67706110247160,"sku":null,"price":250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0859\/1025\/7912\/files\/fd24af47-ace8-4d4f-9569-c6410e47df15_733b79b8-3b05-417d-b761-75936802510e.jpg?v=1792225401","url":"https:\/\/secondchapterbookco.com\/products\/1919-u-boat-202-war-diary-german-submarine-wwi-von-spiegel-first-uk-edition-1","provider":"Second Chapter Book Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}