Late in the morning of 27 May 1941, the German battleship "Bismarck" was sunk by the British in a fierce battle that lasted 90 minutes. This account uncovers much new information, from the key strategic decisions of the national leaders, to a blow-by-blow account of the battle.

The fate of Britain and the United States hung in the balance, and all knew that the destruction of the Bismarck would be a dramatic turning point in the war. Noted historians Bercuson and Herwig have uncovered much new information on the Bismarck, including a close examination of classified British and United States diplomatic files, only recently opened, revealing secret diplomatic manoeuvrings between Churchill and Roosevelt. They tell the full story of the Bismarck for the first time, from the key strategic decisions of the national leaders, to the gripping hour-by-hour account of the battle. This is the definitive account of one of the most dramatic and momentous events of the Second World War.