U-Boat: The German Submarine Campaign and the Allied Counter Attack 1939-1945 by David Jordan fits nicely in the niche between an overly detailed account and one that barely scratches the surface. It leans more toward the detail side but keeps the narrative aspect of the history front and center so the reader is compelled to keep reading.

As a former submariner in the US Navy (and being raised in a Navy family) I have always been partial to books such as this. That said, I am not one of those who is mostly intrigued by the numbers (size, armament, etc) but rather by the strategy and the story of the campaigns. What appeals to me the most in this book is that the details that can sometimes bog down the narrative are largely in the diagrams and photographs, so the reader can refer to them without interrupting the flow of the action.

I am also glad to see that World War I and the importance of it both for submarine warfare and setting the stage for Hitler's rise (Treaty of Versailles) is given consideration. Context is important to any story, fiction or nonfiction, and jumping immediately into World War II would have started the book off with far too many unanswered questions. Instead, we become familiar with how early submarine and anti-submarine warfare developed. We also come to understand the political ins and outs that came with it.

While the history is a very well written history, the wealth of photographs and drawings help to make this a valuable addition to any library. It would look nice on display and, when opened, will reward the reader with both text and images. Highly recommended for military history buffs and those who would like to better understand the early days of the submarine as a vessel of war.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )