# Book identification help - US Submarine mission (non-fiction) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468 "2012-02-01T21:57:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/1 "2012-02-01T21:57:34Z")
I apologise in advance for the extraordinary vagueness of this question but I figure there can’t be _that_ many books in the genre. Basically a long time ago I read a review of a non-fiction book written from the perspective of a US submarine crew member _(most likely an officer)_ basically detailing what its like to go on a typical multi-month duration tour. It was written in the 1980’s at the earliest and something tells me its much more modern than that. It looked really interesting and I had it booked marked but can’t find the link anymore. Help much appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/2 "2012-02-01T22:44:33Z")
Doubt this is it, but [**Big Red**](http://www.amazon.com/Big-Red-Submarine-Thorndike-American/dp/product-description/0783895178), is an account written by a journalist embedded aboard the U.S. Ohio class ballistic missile submarine, U.S.S Nebraska. It is an interesting account. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/3 "2012-02-01T22:52:30Z")
Was it perhaps Tom Clancy’s [Submarine?](http://www.amazon.com/Submarine-Tom-Clancy/dp/0425138739) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/4 "2012-02-01T22:59:16Z")
Never mind. Missed the dating. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/5 "2012-02-01T23:52:31Z")
Probably not the one you’re looking for, but [Blind Man’s Bluff](http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Mans-Bluff-Submarine-Espionage/dp/006097771X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328139621&sr=1-1) is an excellent account of American submarine espionage during the Cold War. It includes a chapter on the tapping of a Soviet underwater telephone cable in the Sea of Okhotsk by the _Halibut_. My father served on a sub in the early 50’s and has a connection to the _Cochino_ (the first chapter in the book). ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/6 "2012-02-02T00:38:05Z")
> [@Gray\_Ghost](#): > > Doubt this is it, but [**Big Red**](http://www.amazon.com/Big-Red-Submarine-Thorndike-American/dp/product-description/0783895178), is an account written by a journalist embedded aboard the U.S. Ohio class ballistic missile submarine, U.S.S Nebraska. It is an interesting account. Actually I’m fairly sure that _is_ it, although it seems to be getting very mixed reviews on that Amazon link which is concerning. Still for £1.50 for a second-hand copy _(on the UK site)_ I’ll be ordering a copy. That brings up something else, I’m somewhat wary of ordering books from sellers based in America from the UK Amazon website, it kind of seems too good to be true that they’re going so cheap and suspect hidden costs or a catch somewhere. Am I just being paranoid? > [@ExTank](#): > > Was it perhaps Tom Clancy’s Submarine? I’ll be picking that one up as well, thanks! > [@Bumbershoot](#): > > Probably not the one you’re looking for, but Blind Man’s Bluff is an excellent account of American submarine espionage during the Cold War. My father served on a sub in the early 50’s and has a connection to the Cochino (the first chapter in the book). Have it, read it, enjoyed it, good choice. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/7 "2012-02-02T01:37:57Z")
If you enjoy those, here’s another to add to your list: [The Terrible Hours](http://www.amazon.com/Terrible-Hours-Greatest-Submarine-History/dp/B000HWYXVS/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_5) ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/8 "2012-02-02T03:23:05Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > Actually I’m fairly sure that _is_ it, although it seems to be getting very mixed reviews on that Amazon link which is concerning. Still for £1.50 for a second-hand copy _(on the UK site)_ I’ll be ordering a copy. > > That brings up something else, I’m somewhat wary of ordering books from sellers based in America from the UK Amazon website, it kind of seems too good to be true that they’re going so cheap and suspect hidden costs or a catch somewhere. Am I just being paranoid?.. 🙂 Nope, I’ve seen it in the Clearance section of my local half-priced books, so I’ve no doubt that’s what it probably goes for. IMHO, it’s worth it, for that. It’s pretty straight forward, and laudatory. If you’re expecting a critical analysis of the U.S. submarine force, you’ll be disappointed, but as a “what’s it like to sail in a steel pipe with 80 other men for 2 months?” travelogue, it’s pretty good. I wonder what Doper **robby** thinks of it? (Wasn’t he a bubblehead?) Adding on to other posts: I also recommend, as **sco3tt** and **Bumbershoot** do, the books: The Terrible Hours and Blind Man’s Bluff. Very good reads. I like As an addition, the book _Das Boot_ was based on, (I think it was The Boat, but not sure.), is extremely good and well worth your time. Great read as to what it was like to sail in an iron coffin. I’m trying to think of the memoir of one of Rickover’s butt boys, a guy John something or other who was in charge of many of the projects dealt with in Blind Man’s, and I can’t think of it. It’s not a bad book either. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/9 "2012-02-02T03:48:53Z")
I was disappointed in both _The Terrible Hours_ and _Big Red_, due to the pedestrian style of the authors, but if you’re interested in subs they’re worth a read. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/10 "2012-02-02T16:57:51Z")
I devoured the WW2 sub books _Submarine!_ by Ed Beach, _Wahoo: \_ and _Clear the Bridge!_ by Dick O’Kane, _Thunder Below!_ by Eugene Flukey, and _Silent Victory_ by Clay Blair. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/11 "2012-02-02T17:38:32Z")
The best one for WW2 is George Grider’s _Warfish_. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/12 "2012-02-02T18:08:31Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The best one for WW2 is George Grider’s _Warfish_. :eek: _runs off to Amazon_ ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/13 "2012-02-02T19:10:47Z")
This book, about the USS _Nautilus_’s historic 1958 trip under the North Pole, is also worth a read, I hear: [http://www.amazon.com/Nautilus-90-North-Military-Classics/dp/0830640053](http://www.amazon.com/Nautilus-90-North-Military-Classics/dp/0830640053) ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/book-identification-help-us-submarine-mission-non-fiction/611468/14 "2012-02-02T21:35:10Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > This book, about the USS _Nautilus_’s historic 1958 trip under the North Pole, is also worth a read, I hear: [Nautilus 90 North (Military Classics Series): Anderson, William R., Blair, Clay: 9780830640058: Amazon.com: Books](http://www.amazon.com/Nautilus-90-North-Military-Classics/dp/0830640053) Here’s another post war non-fiction I’ve always thought looked interesting, but I never got around to reading it: > **[Around the World Submerged: The Voyage of the Triton (Bluejacket Books): BEACH,...](https://www.amazon.com/Around-World-Submerged-Voyage-Bluejacket/dp/1557502153)** > > Around the World Submerged: The Voyage of the Triton (Bluejacket Books) \[BEACH, Estate of Edward L.\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Around the World Submerged: The Voyage of the Triton (Bluejacket Books)