It was a novel. It was set on an American nuclear missile submarine. There was something that happened (maybe a chemical spill?) that caused most of the crew, including the captain, to begin developing mental problems. One officer (maybe the executive officer) was immune to the effect for some reason and he was becoming aware the captain was behaving increasingly strangely. But the crew was going along with the captain. As the captain unraveled, he began talking about launching a nuclear attack against Russia.
The Gold Crew, by Thomas N Scortia and Frank M Robinson?
Maybe. But I can’t find a synopsis of that book so I’m not sure.
The plot is spoilered here:
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/3070088-the-gold-crew
It includes:
He comes to find out that a specific blue paint emits toxic fumes that make people go crazy and try to kill each other; he then discovers that this same paint was used during the refit to paint the interior of the Alaska, as well as the ‘fact’ that the XO is taking medication that would have gotten him booted off the Alaska if not discharged from the Navy, it was such strong medication. So now he is worried about what the XO might do onboard the boat. Oddly enough, the XO’s medication is what helps him stay sane on a naval vessel rapidly descending into madness, insanity, and paranoia.
From the OP I was thinking “this is The Fifth Missile, except that was a TV movie”. The paint fumes is directly out of the movie.
Then I check, and I see The Fifth Missile was based on The Gold Crew,
Of course you could just ask ChatGPT to “summarize the plot of The Gold Crew” and it will make up an entirely fictitious fiction:
The Gold Crew (1980) by Thomas Hoover and Richard Compton is a Cold War techno-thriller set largely aboard a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine.
Plot Summary
- The Premise
The story follows the USS Barracuda, a ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) on patrol. The sub carries 16 nuclear missiles and is part of the U.S. Navy’s “Gold Crew” rotation system (where two alternating crews man the same submarine).- The Crisis
During patrol, the submarine’s captain, Admiral Thomas Knowlington, secretly suffering from psychological instability, becomes convinced that nuclear war with the Soviet Union is inevitable and that it is his duty to start it.- The Mutiny
Knowlington seizes control of the Barracuda and orders preparations to launch the submarine’s missiles. A portion of the crew, loyal to him or too fearful to resist, follow his orders. But another faction of the crew realizes what is happening and mutinies, trying desperately to stop him.- The Struggle
Much of the novel revolves around the tense, claustrophobic battle of wills and wits inside the submarine:
- The captain and his loyalists try to carry out the missile launch sequence.
- The opposing crew members sabotage systems, fight back, and attempt to prevent Armageddon.
- Communication with the outside world is limited, adding to the isolation and tension.
- Resolution
After brutal fighting aboard the Barracuda, the mutineers succeed in preventing the launch. The rogue captain is defeated, but only at terrible cost.
It’s definitely sounding the The Gold Crew. Thanks everyone.
That summary is amazing. Almost everything is wrong. It’s like it is combining a couple different books (The Barracuda was an entirely different rogue sub story). It would be hard for a human to make a summary that wrong. Even a 4th grader doing a book report having only read the jacket blurb would be more accurate.