The warships of the World War II German Navy are among the most popular subjects in naval history, and one of the best collections is the concise but authoritative six volume series written by Gerhard Koop and illustrated by Klaus-Peter Schmolke. Each book contains an account of the development of a particular class, a detailed description of the ships, with full technical details, and an outline of their service, and are heavily illustrated with plans, battle maps and a substantial collection of photographs. The first five volumes of this much sought after series are now available in paperback, with the sixth volume German Light Cruisers of World War II, planned for release in the fall of 2014. The first volume in the series is devoted to the Bismarck and the Tirpitz, the German Navy's most famous warships of World War II. Each was superbly equipped and carried the highly effective armament of eight 15 inch guns. Not only did they pose a very real danger to the ships of the Royal Navy, but they were also a serious threat to Britain's transatlantic trade. This volume traces the development of the class from inception to destruction and provides detailed technical specifications for the ships with notes on design and layout as well as their service histories. This lavishly illustrated book is a complete and indispensable guide to these two extraordinary warships.