Product Description

In advance of Antony Beevor’s new history The Second World War read the book from the bestselling author of Bomber Boys, on the epic hunt for Hitler’s most terrifying battleship – the legendary Tirpitz. Like Operation Mincemeat, this is gripping WW2 storytelling at its best.

The Tirpitz was Hitler’s greatest weapon. The largest battleship in Europe, ‘the Beast’ as Churchill called it was reputed to be unsinkable. Lurking off Norway, it threatened vital convoys to Russia, tied up key British resources and – despite firing its guns only once – cast an almost supernatural shadow over the war effort. Nothing in the Allied armoury could compete. So profound was the ship’s psychological effect that, in 1942, rumour of its presence scattered an Allied convoy, leaving undefended 35 merchantmen, 24 of which were sunk.

The fear the ship inspired would stoke an Allied obsession: to sink the Tirpitz, at any cost. Many men, over many years, would attempt what came to seem almost impossible. In total 13 major operations were launched. Midget submarines planted explosives beneath her hull, with no lasting damage. Bold attacks by Fairey Barracuda dive-bombers had little effect. It was not until 1944 that a daring raid by the RAF, under the command of one of the heroes of the Dambusters raid, finally destroyed this potent symbol of Hitler’s ambition.

Target Tirpitz is a triumphant return to the RAF territory Patrick Bishop has made his own, with Bomber Boys and Fighter Boys. It is the story of a four-year struggle to sink the unsinkable, told through the stories of the many men who risked their lives time and again in perilous missions to sink this monster.

The book is magnificent – accessibly written war-time adventure – and will be snapped up by his fans, and all who have enjoyed Ben Macintyre’s Agent Zig Zag or Operation Mincemeat.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14948 in eBooks
• Published on: 2012-02-02
• Released on: 2012-02-02
• Format: Kindle eBook
• Number of items: 1

Review

Praise for ‘Fighter Boys’:

‘Powerful yet restrained, at times almost unbearably touching.’ TJ Binyon, Evening Standard

‘A superb account of the spirit and character of Fighter Command.’ Martin Fletcher, Independent

‘I know of no more thoughtful nor yet more moving study of their achievement.’ Max Hastings, Sunday Telegraph

Praise for ‘Bomber Boys’:

‘Deeply humane, lucidly written and powerful…refreshingly unpretentious’ Michael Burleigh, Sunday Times

‘This is the best kind of military history’ Daniel Johnson, Evening Standard

‘A terrific book, so riveting, exciting and moving that it must help bring back the Bomber Boys to their rightful place of honour. A true war memorial.’ Montagu Curzon, Spectator

More praise for ‘Fighter Boys’

‘As a vivid chronicle of who the Battle of Britain pilots were, what motivated them, and why they were ultimately successful, “Fighter Boys” is unsurpassed.’ Daily Telegraph

‘A living, breathing monument to the fighter boys.’ Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

‘No one reading this book can possibly doubt the heroism of those involved…there can’t be a finer history.’ James Holland, New Statesman

Praise for ‘3 Para’:

‘Wonderfully compelling…a fast-paced story of incredible bravery that at times reads like a thriller.’ Christina Lamb, Sunday Times

‘Bishop gives a gripping insight into deployment in Afghanistan last year of 3 Para…written with the fluent, rich and engaging fashion typical of the author’s as a journalist.’ The Times

‘Patrick Bishop’s riveting account of 3 Para’s bitter little war…presents an inspiring story of courage, discipline and…selfless comradeship…fast-paced and absorbing.’ Daily Mail

‘Really does put you on the ground with the troops…a tribute to the sheer bravery and determination of 3 Para Battle Group.’ Andy McNab, Mail on Sunday

‘The best reporting I have read on the war in Afghanistan’ Observer

‘By turns, funny, moving, gripping, furious, insightful and terrifying, “3 Para” is as fine a book as you’ll ever read on modern warfare.’ Daily Telegraph

Praise for ‘Ground Truth’:

‘One of the best accounts you will ever read about contemporary warfare: shrewdly observed, action-packed and written with great sensitivity.’ James Delingpole, Mail on Sunday

‘A beguiling and often bewildering account of how this strange war seems to the fighting man and woman… As a view from the ground, often with the author present at key points, Bishop’s books are invaluable’ Evening Standard

‘What makes this sequel stand out as a record of the war in Afghanistan is the author’s ability to encapsulate the personalities of the various officers and men involved, while simultaneously unravelling the complex strategy behind this most confusing of campaigns’ TLS

About the Author

Patrick Bishop is the author of the critically acclaimed and best-selling ‘Fighter Boys’, ‘Bomber Boys’, ‘3 Para’ and ‘Ground Truth’. Previously, he was a foreign correspondent for over twenty years, reporting from conflicts all over the world.