Schütt, Rüdiger Seefahrt ist not! Gorch Fock - Die Biographie

Who was Gorch Fock (1880-1916), the author of the book "Seefahrt ist not!", really? A militarist and mastermind of Nazi ideology? A hurrah patriot? Or a talented writer and critical observer of unbridled industrialisation? In this biography, Rüdiger Schütt reveals for the first time the man behind the myth. He became a myth: Gorch Fock, born Johann Kinau on Finkenwerder in 1880 and killed in the Battle of Skagerrak in 1916, stands for adventure and manhood, for noble ideals and the struggle for survival on the high seas. His novel "Seefahrt ist not!" made him a bestselling author. Today, ships, schools and beers are named after him. But the National Socialists' appropriation of him had fatal consequences. Glorification on the one hand, demonisation on the other have determined the image ever since.

Some b/w illustrations Darmstadt: WBG (Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft) 2016. 224 pp.