The Battleship Bismarck (Anatomy of The Ship) Hardcover – Illustrated, September 18, 2018

The original edition of the Bismarck "anatomy," by Jack Brower, was a terrible disappointment to me. The drawings were cold and clinical, there were no perspective views, and the level of detail was sorely lacking in places. I ordered this book with some trepidation; I was worried it would simply feature the original Brower plans accompanied by new 3D renderings.I didn't need to worry. Not only is this a completely new book, it blows the previous edition out of the water. Unlike last year's revised Yamato "anatomy," the drawings and 3D artwork were produced concurrently, eliminating that book's odd "Frankenstein" feeling. Although there still isn't much on hull structure and machinery (I'm afraid such information has been lost to time), when dealing with the superstructure, armament, deck fittings, and general arrangements the level of detail is absolutely exquisite. I may not be a card-carrying member of The Cult of Bismarck, but every time I've opened up this book I've gotten lost examining some part of this ship. The plans and models depict details as small as the sacrificial anodes attached to the rudders, the little fold-out boat cradle on the forward-most pair of 15cm turrets, the practice loaders between C and D turrets, and all of the instruments on the front wall of the open bridge on the lower mast deck. It's hard to adequately describe how detailed the illustrations are, so hopefully, the attached pictures will give some idea.The star is definitely Stefan Draminski's extraordinarily complex 40 million+ polygon computer model of the ship. As greatly improved as the line drawings are, they're the main visual improvement over the 2005 edition, and will definitely be a huge help for modelers. Along with overall views of the ship and of the superstructure elements, there are perspective views of individual fittings such as vents, ladders, and fire hydrants, internal views of the main and secondary armaments, and 3D perspectives of each hull and superstructure deck. The textures, colors, and lighting are all very nicely done and give an excellent idea of how the ship would have appeared in its prime.Despite being in service for less than a year, "Bismarck" received a number of alterations, subtle and otherwise, and the illustrations are careful to point them out, whether with side-by-side 3D views or scrap views beside the main plans. The main periods depicted are August 1940, late December 1940 and early 1941, March 1941, and at three points in May 1941. This book avoids some of the pratfalls of the revised "Yamato" anatomy; the 3D views are larger and no longer fall into the gutter and the photographs are now in proper black and white instead of garishly colorized. Plans that occupy two pages now have a slight gap rather than disappearing into the binding.I've purchased almost every book in this series, and although I've only owned it for about a week, this one is definitely in my top five favorites, and is probably the most detailed from an external perspective. The only thing missing that was included in the 2005 edition are a few drawings depicting the structural arrangements of the armored bulkheads. If this edition had included those, along with more drawings of the structure and machinery, I would have awarded it an illusory sixth star...but I guess five will have to do!

This book is exceptional in every way. The detailed, color illustrations are the best I have ever seen in any book. The black-and-white line drawings are very detailed and extensive. Virtually every element of the ship, down to the bollards, is shown in colored illustrations. The interior views of the ship are the best and most elaborate I have ever seen of any ship of any kind. Drawings and diagrams annotate all exterior parts of the ship and many of the interior parts, down to items like horns and loudspeakers. The book also provides comprehensive specifications and dimensions and an excellent historical summary. Finally, the paper is high quality, as is the binding and cover. I cannot believe I obtained this book for less than $200. It cost me $26 on Amazon. I would recommend buying two, in case you lose one!

The level of detail in this book is astonishing. I'm not a modeler, but if I were I couldn't imagine a better Bismarck resource than this. There is great information on the ship's guns, armor, propulsion, fire control, etc.

Love it

This book adds to the many resources available to historians, modelers, and those interested in this ship. This is one text in this series that provides almost a complete visual and text inventory of this vessel.

A must for any scale modeler or Bismarck fan! Phenomenal photo and CAD drawing images. The book does not have a ton of text or history, but you can find that in other books. This will aid in visual reference and is perfect for scale modelers.

I have numerous books on the Bismarck!! Stefan Draminski has ,however, done an exceptional book on the Bismarck's technical layout in its 3D illustration!! This book is the epitome of books on Bismarck that illustrates the total ship!! I mean ,to my opinion, the details are breath taking!!! This book will be an instant CLASSIC!!Plus the binding and paper used in this book makes it a treasure that will last for a long time!! A master piece on the subject of the Bismarck!!!

I'm building a 1:200 scale model Bismarck. The instructions are ok but, without this book for reference (Rigging, colors, photos, etc...) I'd be pulling what little hair I have left out!!