This account of the U-boat campaign in the World War I represents the official British history of the war against the German submarine attack on shipping. From a few fragile craft, the U-boats grew to become the greatest menace to Britain's survival. By 1917, the UK was close to starvation. The adoption of the convoy system slowly turned the tide. Both experts in the field, Gibson and Prendergast were best suited to produce such a book. The foreword is written by Earl Jellicoe. "The German Submarine War" brings to life the great struggle for mastery of the shipping lanes that was the war at sea from 1914 to 1918.