From Booklist
Captain von Trapp's narrative of his wartime U-boat exploits has lurked in German and French for generations and now finds an adequate translator into English in one of his granddaughters. He almost certainly always tried to put his best foot forward, and he emerges from his account as a man of great skill, considerable compassion (even for his victims), and sufficient tact and tolerance to handle the kind of polyglot crews that sailed for the Dual Monarchy. In two submarines, the antique U-5 and the French prize, U-14, he became the highest scoring Austro-Hungarian submariner, despite equipment that was sometimes more dangerous to him and his men than to the enemy. He fought on to the end, knowing that the Dual Monarchy he served so well was crumbling. In the end, he gave the last salute of the title when the imperial flag was hauled down for the last time. Appealing to von Trapp family admirers, of course, and also to naval buffs, regardless of how they respond to music.
Roland GreenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
?This book is the hitherto untold prequel to the legendary von Trapp history. In his narrative Captain von Trapp emerges as a patriot, a compassionate commander, and a self-effacing hero. William Anderson, author of The World of the Trapp Family -- William Anderson
