"Schnellboote is a solid English-language examination of an often overlooked component of Germany’s Second World War fleet. Paterson does an excellent job of covering the wide range of theatres that saw the deployment of S-Boats to their waters, highlighting successes, failures, accidents, and upper level interferences equally to present a complete picture of their service from the men on the boats to their command authorities. As such, it provides insight into aspects of almost everywhere the Kriegsmarine was deployed, making this a useful resource for those studying S-boats in particular, the German war effort at sea generally, or those seeking a source to contrast the German fast attack torpedo boat experience against their American PT Boat and British MTB/MGB adversaries."

The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord (Vol. 33, Nos 3 and 4).

As featured in

Ships Monthly

As it says on the jacket, this is a complete history of German fast boats during WWII. The S-Boote, called E-Boats by the British, were formidable small warships capable of high speeds and employed in nearly all the Kriegsmarine’s theatres of war . – Much Recommended.

Read the complete review here.

Firetrench

Development of the Schnellboote (S-boat) was marked by intrigue and deception, with its basic design adopted from a pre-war wooden speed boat. This gripping narrative chronicles the type's history and combat, revealing how increases in size and firepower boosted the offensive strength of an underequipped Kreigsmarine...

...While more applicable to historians than modellers, there are sufficient good-quality black-and-white photographs to make this volume worth considering.

Airfix Model World, June 2017

The author has achieved what he set out to do, but has not attempted to cover the immediate postwar operations that saw at least one S-boot sailing under the White Ensign (possibly now the sole survivor). This is a book not only for the historian but for anyone who wishes to understand the potential of what is now known as asymmetric
warfare.

Warship 2017, reviewed by W B Davies

The history of naval warfare in the Second World War is a well-worn path, and it is refreshing to encounter a work that is significant and adds to our understanding. This is quite simply an outstanding book.

Mariner's Mirror - reviewed by David Bowen

This is an excellent account of coastal forces warfare from a German perspective.

Ships Monthly, September 2016

This recently published work on the operational history of German S-boats is comprehensive and well written. Relatively little on design and development here, as the focus is, as the title notes, on operations.

1250 Scale

A complete operational history.

Warship World - March/April 2016

Covering as it does an aspect of naval operations not previously covered in an accessible form this book is an important addition to the body of coastal forces literature, and should be essential reading for anyone interested in the wars of the 'Narrow Seas'. It is also particularly well written for an operational history and is quite gripping - difficult to put down once you have started!

Battlefleet, Naval Wargames Society Journal