By Nick Hewitt. This is a dramatic and little-known story of the First World War, when the actions of a few bold men shaped the fate of nations. He tells the dramatic story of the German commerce raiders that threatened Britain’s global sea routes during the opening months of the First World War. Drawing on official records, personal accounts, and contemporary reports, he reconstructs a worldwide campaign of pursuit that stretched across the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and Southern Oceans.
The book follows the exploits of famous raiders such as Emden, Karlsruhe, Königsberg, and Admiral Maximilian von Spee’s East Asia Squadron, whose daring operations disrupted Allied shipping and forced the Royal Navy to launch an unprecedented global hunt. From isolated island anchorages to the great naval battles of Coronel and the Falkland Islands, Hewitt vividly recreates the tension, uncertainty, and excitement of this worldwide maritime conflict.
Rather than focusing solely on individual ships, Hewitt explains the strategic importance of commerce warfare and the immense challenge faced by the Royal Navy in protecting imperial trade routes while pursuing elusive enemy cruisers across the world’s oceans. Combining tactical analysis with compelling storytelling, he demonstrates how these early naval operations influenced the wider course of the war.
By 1914 Germany had ships and sailors scattered across the globe, protecting its overseas colonies and showing the flag of its new Imperial Navy. After war broke out, there was no hope that they could reach home. Instead, they were ordered to attack Britain’s vital trade routes for as long as possible.
Under the leadership of a few brilliant, audacious men, Germany unleashed a series of raids that threatened Britain’s war effort and challenged the power and prestige of the Royal Navy.
The next year saw a battle of wits which stretched across the world, drawing in ships and men from six empires. By the end, “the Kaiser’s Pirates” were no more, and Britain once again ruled the waves.
The author, Nick Hewitt, worked as an historian for Imperial War Museums and is a member of the Society for Nautical Research. Hewitt has contributed to numerous publications, and his first book, Coastal Convoys, was published in 2008.
Hardback, 256 pages, 25 illustrations
