THREE SONS FOR THE KAISER: A German Family's Sacrifice in the First World War

1-251640

Recounts a German family's tragic sacrifices and personal experiences throughout World War I. Philipp Gercke and his three sons all served, but only Philipp survived. He had been a rising star in the Imperial Navy and a close associate of the Kaiser. Waldemar, the youngest son, was among those spearheading Germany's early, so-called 'war of movement'. He was mortally wounded on the Somme on the last day of 1914. Georg, the middle son, joined one of Berlin's student reserve regiments, and later died at Verdun. The eldest son, Hermann, had three ships sunk under him in the Baltic. In 1917, he volunteered for U-boat service, and his boat was sunk off Gibraltar in May 1918. Draws on Philipp's memoirs, family letters, and author's own research. Contains 30 mono illustrations.