The Last Gentleman-Of-War: The Raider Exploits of the Cruiser Emden

Based on German, French, and English sources, this World War I saga of the German cruiser Emden provides a colorful portrait of a lost era of naval warfare and a lasting tribute to a legendary merchant raider. Though dauntless in pursuit of enemy ships, the Emden treated captured crews with great courtesy and is remembered today as the last man-of-war that adhered to a chivalric code of conduct. The bold and gallant raids against Allied merchant ships in the Indian Ocean earned the Emden the admiration of friend and foe alike. In a single raid it sank a Russian cruiser and destroyed a French torpedo boat and all told is credited with capturing or sinking nineteen merchant ships. Emden cleverly eluded Allied warships until its spectacular career was cut short in 1914 during a fierce engagement with an Australian cruiser off the Cocos Islands. Even the British lamented Emden's demise with a popular newspaper praising the captain as a courageous and resourceful man and predicting the ship to live on in history. This account of the ship's high-seas adventures will fascinate readers of all ages.