The German pirate : his methods and record

The book opens with a stark portrait of the sea as a demanding arena where sailors from all nations once shared a code of mutual aid. It then turns to the dramatic rupture of that tradition when German submarines entered the fray, casting their crews in the role of modern “pirates.” Through contemporary quotations and a sober foreword, the author sets the stage for a detailed look at the early years of unrestricted U‑boat warfare.

What follows is a carefully assembled collection of incident reports drawn from British Admiralty records and survivor testimonies. Each entry recounts a specific encounter—such as the sinking of the Dutch steamer Gamma or a string of British trawler attacks in February 1917—presented with minimal commentary, letting the stark facts speak for themselves. The narrative offers listeners a clear window onto the tactics, regulations, and human cost that defined the German submarine campaign up to late 1917.