"Read this book not just for the description of war activities but for the unique perspectives of economic, political and diplomatic forces."

The NYMAS Review, July-August 2022

I don’t know what it is about books about the U-Boat war in history, but I always find the subject so fascinating and interesting, I suppose with U-Boats it’s because they are undersea and so like out of sight and out of mind. This is an excellent book and you can tell so much research and investigation has gone into writing this book, so great work by the author Hans Joachim Koerver. This book tells the story in a way of the Kaiser as a leader trying to goad the Americans into a conflict, the book looks at the diplomacy and strategy of this battle in the Atlantic. Eventually, President Wilson would give into the baiting and would eventually enter the war on the sides of the allies. This book is an intriguing one and an enjoyable read, the text in the book is supported by some great images that really do help the book. I really enjoyed this book and would happily recommend it to others.

Read the full review here

UK Historian

"As mentioned, the text is interspersed
with numerous photographs and charts
that supplement the content. Readers
will find the book to be an enjoyable
and engaging work...the work should be read by those
who seek to gain a broader understanding of the First World War at sea and the
importance of U-boats in that conflict."

The Naval War College Review, Vol. 74

"Superbly researched book."

Navy Daze - The Ton Class Association

Featured on The Naval Review

The Naval Review

"...an absorbing work for those interested in both the Great War and early submarine-based strategic theory. Perhaps more important, it is an excellent illumination of a multiclass, militaristic, and diplomatically inept state trying to adapt to the realities of modern war and the exploitation of new technology—and catastrophically failing."

Naval History - June 2021 issue

"Exhaustively researched and written by a German historian, the book focuses on the U-boat action against the United States in particular. Not only operations and tactics are covered, but all are placed in a larger geopolitical context."

Seapower

"This is highly recommended work that should find its ways on the bookshelves of twentieth-century European and naval historians alike."

The Northern Mariner

This is a well-written, fully researched and accessible account of the German gamble that brought the USA into the First World War and I have no hesitation in recommending it to all interested in naval history.

World Ship Society - Marine News, February 2021

This book is recommended to members with an interest in World War One without qualification. It is in fact, essential reading.

Mariners Mirror

… must be read by anyone interested in understanding the First World War at sea. It is a truly great book worth every penny of its price.

Navy News

Review by Keith Taylor

Highly recommended as a refreshing slant on naval warfare in WWI. Thanks to Pen and Sword for this review sample.

Cher Ami from the International Plastic Modellers Society

This is a fascinating, well researched and well documented look at the First Battle of the Atlantic, painting a very different picture to the view from Britain.

Read the full review here

History of War

'The Kaisers U-boat assault on America', describes the US president Woodrow Wilsons dilemma in 1916. Despite his protests to the German Ambassador in Washington, German strategy to allow its U-boats to sink all ships' included passenger liners trading with Britain was unchanged. American lives were lost when the SS Lusitania,]was torpedoed of Cork with loss of more than 130 lives, men, women, and children included American passengers. This was followed but other 'big fat ships., Liners SS Laconia, and Sussex noted in the U-boats log as armed cruisers. Although more American lives were lost Woodrow Wilson policy was only to act against Germany if it carried out overt action against the USA.

Another point which didn't escape him was he war in Europe generated an economic boom with full employment and a positive US trade balance while Britian's gold reserves and foreign was falling away and there was a growing possibility that Britain's inability to pay its debts was a growing possibility. The British Chancellor of the Exchequer tone was more positive. By June 1917 Britain would be bankrupt! If that happened world trade would collapse followed by the whole of European finance.

In those critical early months of 1917 three American ships in ballast, fell victim to U-boat attacks. On March 16 SS Illinois was stopped, shelled, and sunk. On the same day, the American City of Memphis was stopped of the Irish coast and sunk by gunfire. The American SS Vigilancia, flying the American flag was torpedoed off the Irish coast on March 17 and sank in ten minutes. With headlines in all American newspapers, the German overt act forced Woodrow Wilson to declare a state of war with Germany.

Hans Joachim Koerver's 'The U-boat Assault on America' is a deeply researched and absorbing account of the use of U-boats during World War l and explains the diplomatic quandary, strategy and economic aspects which eventually forced President Wilson to join Britain's side in the awesome European war.

Richard Gough, Military author and historian

If Germany's Great War gamble... is the subtitle of this fascinating piece of military history - only it backfired, and caused President Wilson to declare war on the Germans and turned the tide in favour of the allied forces. Terrific.

Books Monthly

This book is a fine assessment of German actions in progressively increasing the role of submarines. One is taken by the difficulty of the situation pressing the Germans. The USA was acting as lender in chief (and arguably asset stripper in chief) to Great Britain and wore the badge of neutrality with some discomfort. Germany had sustained significant losses on the Somme that predicated the retreat to the Hindenburg Line and prepared an understanding that the German Imperial Armies could not sustain another Somme.

So, what was Germany to do? The allied disinterest in a half-hearted peace initiative by Germany reduced further the German options so that the decision to conduct unrestricted submarine warfare became a necessity. In short it was a gamble that the British could be either bankrupted or starved of resources before the Americans could become effective combatants in the land war. Such are the gambles of total war. This book is a full assessment of the naval context although it could have given more weight to the problems on land that made the decision inevitable. That said it is otherwise a comprehensive and very worthy addition

Michael McCarthy. Battlefield Guide

Michael McCarthy