Death in the Baltic: The World War II Sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff - Tapa dura

'In describing the experiences of survivors, whom she has been adept in tracing, the journalist Cathryn Prince gives voices to 'ordinary people who suffered during extraordinary times' — and does so with scrupulous empathy.' - The Spectator

'Reconstructing this forgotten moment in history, Prince weaves together personal narratives, letters, and the diaries of those who perished to give this WWII tragedy its rightful memorial.' - Military History Monthly
 
'The fact this is such a little-known story, finally getting the due respect and coverage, is more than welcome...this is the best and currently the only book to honour the tragedy...' - The Bookbag
 
'Cathryn J Prince has done an amazing job in researching the facts about the Wilhelm Gustloff. Her book is a mix of hard facts, taken from the records that did survive and also interviews with survivors and family members of those who died.' - Anne Cater, Random Things Through My Letterbox
 
'A must-read for anyone wanting to examine the effects of the War on both sides...' - Warfare Magazine
 
'The story of the sinking of the Willhelm Gustloff is still unkown to a majority of non-Germans...It is certainly a grimly fascinating story, not least because of the wealth of human interest that it contains...Cathryn Prince tells the story of the Gustloff briskly and engagingly...making good use of the eyewitness accounts of the survivors' - History Today

In late January of 1945,with the Allied victory imminent,nearly 10,000 German refugees attempted to flee the advancing Red Army aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a cruise liner-turned-escape ship. As the ship set sail in the dark of night, three torpedoes from a Soviet submarine struck the boat, causing catastrophic damage, and throwing women, children, the elderly, and wounded soldiers into the frigid waters of the Baltic Sea. When a few hours later first light broke,over 9,000 people had drowned in one of the worst maritime disasters of all time. For 65 years, both East and West kept this story hidden. The drowned were citizens of the future East Germany and part of the Soviet Bloc. And the German victims inspired little sympathy in the West. In Death in the Baltic, award winning author Cathryn Prince reconstructsthe story of unimaginable horror by drawing on original interviews with ten remaining survivors and newly declassified records. Weaving the personal narratives into the broader history, she finally gives this WWII tragedy its place in history.