# ID this military thriller **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [August 17, 2025, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-military-thriller/1022152 "2025-08-17T01:46:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-military-thriller/1022152/1 "2025-08-17T01:46:18Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-military-thriller/1022152/2 "2025-08-17T01:54:47Z")
_The Gold Crew_, by Thomas N Scortia and Frank M Robinson? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-military-thriller/1022152/3 "2025-08-17T02:05:52Z")
Maybe. But I can’t find a synopsis of that book so I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-military-thriller/1022152/4 "2025-08-17T02:49:41Z")
The plot is spoilered here: [https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/3070088-the-gold-crew](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. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-military-thriller/1022152/5 "2025-08-17T02:54:10Z")
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, ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-military-thriller/1022152/6 "2025-08-17T03:09:34Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-military-thriller/1022152/7 "2025-08-17T03:38:54Z")
It’s definitely sounding the _The Gold Crew_. Thanks everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2025, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-this-military-thriller/1022152/8 "2025-08-17T03:42:19Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > it will make up an entirely fictitious fiction: 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.