Lost Subs: From the Hunley to the Kursk, the Greatest Submarines Ever Lost-And Found

by Spencer Dunmore, Jonathan Blair (Photographer), Brian Skerry (Photographer)

As millions have come to know from such immensely popular books and movies as "The Hunt for Red October and "U-571, the world of submarines is secretive...and dangerous. On the ocean floor lie over a century and a half of subs, lost both in war and in peace. Now, for the first time, the individual stories of these sunken ships are woven together to create an amazing history of underwater warfare and exploration...and the price that hundred of subs and thousands of sailors have paid. In gripping text and powerful photographs (including state-of-the-art contemporary underwater images), "Lost Subs chronicles the fate of some of the most famous subs in naval history--from the sinking of the Confederate Army's sub "Hunley to the recent loss of the Russian nuclear submarine "Kursk. With a wealth of archival material, modern deep-sea photography, and stunning paintings by renowned "Titanic artist Ken Marschall, this definitive illustrated history brings to life the museum of submarines resting in their underwater graves and the submariners on "eternal patrol." And it vividly re-creates the missions to explore and raise many famous sunken subs, including the "Hunley and the "Kursk--missions sometimes as fraught with peril as any wartime duty. Filled with mystery, drama, and daring, and as current as today's headlines, "Lost Subs is a powerful, true thriller.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Maritime, Military Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[GoldGato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know what it is about submarines, but they frighten me. How brave are the sailors who live their lives under the sea, always in danger of never seeing the sun again. Just one mistake or one ill-timed move and the sub is lost to all.

This book does a full review of all submarine disasters, starting with the American Civil War. It includes the disaster of the Thresher, which was "crushed by some giant, unseen hand", after a basic welding failure doomed the crew of 129 men to a watery grave in 1963. The next American submarine catastrophe occurred in 1968, when the Scorpion failed to return to base. No one knows for certain if it was torn apart by a hot torpedo or if it was a silent casualty of the Cold War.

And speaking of the Cold War, the book ends with an entire chapter devoted to the Kursk, that Barents Sea sinking in 2000 that kept an entire planet hoping for a miracle that never came...thanks to Russian Navy ineptitude.

There are dozens of photographs, including many showing the current resting state of these lost subs on the ocean floor. After reading this, I wouldn't even be able to do the old Disneyland ride.

Book Season = Winter (cold dark waters)

[Chris Tschirhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good piece of WWII Flying fiction. Really enjoyed this.