Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

Three Days in September.
The last trip of the Athenia 1939.

320 pages, hardcover.

She was the first ship in the Second World War sunk by a German U-boat,in the Athenia were 1000 passengers on the way from Glasgow to Montreal, including American tourists, Polish and German Jews, and others persecuted by the Nazis. U-30 held the ship was a troop transporter and shot - 118 passengers drowned.
Verlag: Publisher:  Mare

1 April 2009
Hello Cay, 

What a nice suprise when a copy of DREI TAGE IM SEPTEMBER hit my mailbox yesterday.

My thanks for your thoughtfulness, never would I have dreamed that some of my work on AHOY would translate into a book emanating from Germany.

Unfortunately I do not read German as  I would love to read your work.

I do have a German son-in-law married to my second daughter ANNE, and Amelia my 21 year old grand daughter, and Rupert her 18 year old brother, both have learned to speak German, so I will ask them to look at your book for me.

I wish you every success in promoting and selling your work on Athenia, is it likely to get an English edition?

Again my thanks for your kindness.
Mac 
Best regards.
 
Mac.

For John Perryman.
Dear John,

On my web site AHOY, Mac's Web Log at URL: http://ahoy.tk-jk.net  is a section The Athenia Pages, it carries a number of personal accounts of survivors from the sinking of the ship on day one of WW2.

I have just received from Germany a copy of a book by author Cay Rademacher" Drei Tage IM September Die letzte Fahrt Athenia 1939." which translates to something like "Three Days in September The last trip of Athenia 1939."

The author included a card which reads:

" 21/03/09. Dear Mac, I am a woman journalist and historian and have written a book about the Athenia in 1939. I interviewed survivors and used many historical sources- including material published on your wonderful web site. Let me please send you this book in gratitude for all those testimonials you made public.

Your site is recommended on page 315.

Greetings from Germany.
Cay. "

My problem John is that this book is written in German, and I do not have a command of that language.

Do you have any facility at Sea Power or through any of your contacts to translate this gift?

Of course as you are well aware Athenia was the first casualty of WW2 on the very first day of that conflict, and has great historical significance.

Any help you be able to offer would be very much appreciated.

Kindest regards.
Mackenzie Gregory. 
Lieutenant Commander RAN R.td

April 07, 2009

Hello Mac,

Many thanks for your kind words. My publisher is negotiating the English-language rights. But personally I am not very optimistic about it, because British and (though in a lesser degree so) American publishers tend to be very reluctant towards non-English naval histories, not to mention non-English naval histories on a British subject. But who knows?

Greetings from Germany!
Cay