The story of the German light cruiser SMS _Emden_ has been the subject of over a dozen books since her destruction at the hands of the Australian light cruiser HMAS _Sydney_ on 9 November 1914. Accounts of _Emden_s raiding activities, her loss on the Cocos Islands, and the escape of her landing party have also appeared in official histories and books on the First World War at sea. No English-language book, however, has pieced together a comprehensive account of the action and the events before and after.In this detailed and riveting new book, Wes Olson has made extensive use of a wealth of first-hand accounts from letters, diaries, memoirs and German survivor statements to produce a detailed reconstruction of the battle at Cocos. By breaking the one-and-a-half-hour action down into ten-minute blocks an accurate, chronological and credible picture has been created, and the extensive use of quotations gives the story a unique vividness.But the book is much more than the account of one naval battle. _The Emden_s activities as a raider at the beginning of the war are outlined; the significance of the departure of the first ANZAC troop convoy, and _Sydneys_ involvement explained. The Cocos raid and the landing of von Mckes party and the dispatch of _Sydney_ to investigate are covered, and Captain Glossops controversial decision to open fire on the wreck of the _Emden_ is analysed. And drawing on the reports produced by Sydneys surgeons, the book presents a facet of naval action often overlooked namely the effect of high explosive shells on the human body.Employing the wealth of archival and photographic material, as well as the numerous first-hand accounts of the German, British and Australian participants, the author has written a work that takes the reader right to the centre of the action and brings alive the immediacy and horror of naval warfare for those who took part.

The cruiser SMS Emden was part of the German East Asia Squadron based at the Tsingtao in China during the First World War. Designed to be a commerce raider, attacking Allied merchant shipping rather than fleet battle action, she achieved much more than that under the command of her swashbuckling commander Kapitän zur See Karl Friedrich Max von Müller. From the outbreak of hostilities she began to attack the shipping lanes, vital to the Allies, sinking and capturing over 20 vessels in the first few months. She then surprised and sank a Russian cruiser and a French destroyer in the audacious raid on Penang before heading for the Cocos Islands to wreck British naval assets there. Unfortunately for the Emden and her crew, they were hunted down by the more powerful HMAS Sydney and the raider was forced to run aground. The epic efforts of the Emden and her crew are herein brought to life through the memoirs of her First officer, Kapitänleutnant Hellmuth Von Mücke. Following the end of the Emden the majority of the surviving crew were captured, but Von Mücke led a group all the way back to Germany in the commanded schooner Ayesha – this epic journey is told in a companion book the “Ayesha”.

First published in 1996. The First World War was the single most important event of the twentieth century. This volume concentrates on non-U.S. aspects of the conflict. Organized alphabetically, its more than 600 detailed entries offer information and insight on such subjects as the causes of the conflict, major battles and campaigns, weapons systems (including military aviation, chemical warfare, the submarine, and the tank), and the terms of the peace. Some 350 biographies provide information on the roles played in the conflict by generals, admirals, and civilian leaders. There are also biographies of individuals who were shaped by the war, such as Charles De Gaulle, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin; essays on each of the countries involved in the conflict; new appraisals of such subjects as military medicine and artillery tactics; and essays on such diverse subjects as art, literature, and music in the war. Each entry has references for additional reading, and a subject index provides easy access. The volume is an excellent reference source for scholar and neophyte alike.