The Battle of the Atlantic cost 30,000 allied merchant seamen their lives. This history traces the complete history of the battle, looking at all aspects of the conflict: in the air; on the water and below its surface. It tells the story from both sides, including first-hand accounts of individual participants, both Allied and German. It also looks at those behind the scenes: the politicians, the strategists, the scientists, the code breakers, and most remarkable of all Admiral von Donitz, the mastermind of Germany's U-boat campaign.