For six years, Britain and Nazi Germany fought a bitter battle for control of the Atlantic. Allied offensives against Hitler's armies on the continent were conditioned by their bases on the British Isles, which made air strikes and landings possible. But during 1939, the Germans began to 'starve' the British into surrender by cutting off vital supplies of food and equipment from the Allies. This was done with the help of U-boats that tried to sink more cargo ships than the shipyards could produce - even when these actions were suicidal. Over 100,000 soldiers and sailors lost their lives in these battles. In this book, we meet the soldiers at the front and hear civilians talk about everyday life in a world where even the most seaworthy ship can suddenly be hit by a German torpedo.