Cold is the Deep

by George Wallace

1983, The Norwegian A mole is discovered within the ranks of the US Navy, prompting a volatile standoff between two countries on the brink of nuclear disaster.

As Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union reach their zenith, a chilling discovery within the US Navy sends shockwaves through the corridors of power. A mole, deeply embedded within the ranks, threatens not just the delicate balance of global power, but the very fabric of world peace.

Tasked with the critical mission of drawing out the traitor, two submarines embark on a journey of tactical warcraft. As they stealthily navigate the icy waters off the Greenland coast in pursuit of a Russian sub, a sudden confrontation erupts, revealing the stark reality of submarine warfare on the vast, cold ocean stage.

George Wallace masterfully weaves a tale of suspense, loyalty, and betrayal, set against the backdrop of one of history's tensest periods, where the true nature of heroism is tested, and the cost of failure is unimaginably high.

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Praise for Cold is the

“George Wallace has written a thriller that rivals them all.” —John J. Gobbell, author of the Todd Ingram series

“Terrific exposé of the challenges and consequential decisions associated with nuclear submarine operations in the North Atlantic during the Cold War.” —Admiral Jon Greenert, the 30th Chief of Naval Operations

“…Wallace immerses you in the hidden, dangerous, and deadly world of Cold War submarine operations.” —Rick Severinghaus, Editor of The Submarine Review

Genres: Thriller

383 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2025

About the author

Born and raised in Eastern Ohio, Commander Wallace received his commission in the US Navy and a degree in engineering from The Ohio State University. After the obligatory and memorable interview with Admiral Rickover, he was accepted into the nuclear power and submarine communities. He served on two of Admiral Rickover’s famous “Forty One for Freedom”, the USS John Adams SSBN 620 and the USS Woodrow Wilson SSBN 624, during which time he made nine one-hundred-day deterrent patrols through the height of the Cold War.

Commander Wallace served as Executive Officer on the Sturgeon class nuclear attack submarine Spadefish. Spadefish and all her sisters were decommissioned during the downsizing that occurred in the 1990′s. The passing of that great ship served as the inspiration for “Final Bearing.”

Commander Wallace then commanded the Los Angeles class nuclear attack submarine USS Houston SSN 713 from February 1990 to August 1992. During this tour of duty he worked extensively with the SEAL community developing SEAL/submarine tactics. Under his command, the Houston was awarded the CIA Meritorious Unit Citation.

Commander George Wallace retired to the civilian business world in 1995, after twenty-two years of service on nuclear submarines.

Commander Wallace lives with his wife, Penny, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Reviews

[Rory Hodgson · Rating 3 out of 5]

My opinions on this book aren’t a true reflection of it because I think there is such a specific targeted reader for this book, and from limited looking into the author, all of this author’s works. What the book does well, I wasn’t really interested in, and the reason I chose to read the book were the portions that seemed like afterthoughts.

I think most of the plot and details were lost on me because I don’t have a working knowledge of submarines and am not intrigued by them. It’s like those people who love trains: if you love submarines, and the ways they work, and how they track other vessels, you’d enjoy the details of this book. I enjoyed the diary-entry style of the book, and it conveyed well what a patrol would feel like and just how meticulous and aware everyone has to be when on a patrol. The camaraderie of the characters, and I’d assume the camaraderie the author felt while on a submarine, is clearly displayed; however, I have to just go back to the fact that as someone who was looking for a Cold War spy plot, I wasn’t so interested in these. It feels like the authors experiences, and thus what the characters do on a sub and the engineering, math, and physics of a sub, were the most important. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t interested in those aspects. The author does give an explanation of everything that is “submarine knowledge” but it’s brief and only the first time a particular mechanism is introduced, which is a little difficult when you’re trying to recall what something means or does 300 pages later.

The tension of the Cold War is palpable, but the espionage plot line is lacking. Again, I think the tension one might feel, or the author did feel, when on patrol is written well and clear, but I wanted there to be more than tension. There isn’t much more to say about the spy plot because it’s such a little part of the overall plot.

Three stars because nothing is done poorly, but the things emphasized were just not where my interests rested. I’m certainly not mad I read through it, as it’s a great perspective on something I had no prior knowledge of; however, I think clearly I’m not the target reader and that impacted how much I could enjoy the book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC through "Severn River" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story follows the John Jay, a submarine, on her latest mission and highlights the types of situations that may arise during their long tour. In this instance, it appears that there is a mole that kas supplied information to the Russians regarding "Boomers". Boomers are submarines that carry nuclear missiles and are one of the measures that is a deterrent to nuclear war. John Jay's mission this time is to verify information that was supplied to the Russians and that was the timing and location of where a Boomer would be located. In addition to the John Jay, another submarine, Tigerfish, would be in the background trying to prevent a Russian sub from following the Boomer.

Discover what sort of tricks "Tigerfish" employed to accomplish its task. Find out how usage of a decoy led the Russians to believe that the U.S. had a new application that they were not aware of and what reaction almost happened as a result.

The ending sums it all up well. This is a story that is well worth reading!

[David Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non-stop action and suspense.

Excellent Submarine story with spies, or maybe a spy story with submarines. Either way this is a story filled with nonstop heart stopping action. I was familiar with Geroge Wallace from the Hunter Killer series, so when I started the book, I knew it would be full of action and detailed descriptions of the life of submariners. Furthermore, I expected several well-developed characters, but every character in this book was multi-dimensional and easily believable. Hopefully, this story and its characters will develop into a long-running series.

If you enjoy military based spy stories that include submarines, you should give Cold is the Deep a shot. I’m positive you’ll enjoy this story and the characters you’ll get to know as the story progresses. I received an Advance Reader Copy of Cold is the Deep from the publisher and chose to provide my review.

[Jim Flagg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book for my honest review. This book is about Cold War submarine action. The book has plenty of action sequences to keeping the reader engaged. The story also has a search for an under cover spy. The characters are all excellent and well developed making them very believable. The ending makes me think that there will be a continuation to this story. This is great start if that is the case and I certainly hope it does continue.

[William McLoughlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5. A “boomer” and an attack boat patrol the waters of the cold northern Atlantic in 1983. Back home, a couple of spies leak the patrol locations of U.S. submarines to the Russians. In the nations’ capitals, civilian and military leaders make decisions and direct actions that may send them into nuclear war. A typical good read by the authors. They have obviously “been there; done that.”

[CATHY BARBER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

Like all of George Wallace's works, this is another fast paced well thought out story of the Nuke Sub service. Characters are realistic and easy to like or dislike in some cases. Action is as true as a reader can ask for. Looking forward to his next book. Thank You Mr.Wallace!

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

We finally have a new Tom Clancy for submarine classics. Great technical detail and characters, as well as a realistic plot. Although set a couple of decades prior to today, it rings true with fast paced writing. Highly recommend

[richard hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

a great read

As with all GW books this is an excellent read
If you haven’t read any other of his books you should.
No plot give away ….. a well written fast moving plot with well developed characters.

[David A. Rosow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complicated jargon

Intersting read, but I don’t understand the point of the story and I was bogged down on all the acronyms as the various sub antennas, sonars and towed arrays were utilized.

[Greg Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

As a former submariner in the 1980’s this novel was a blast from the past that roused some old memories. Technically correct and tactically sound wrapped into a good plot. One of the best submarine novels I’ve read in quite awhile.

[Allen Kuhns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great

Another Great Book by George Wallace!! It was a very exciting read, easy to follow and it was really hard to put down Sure wish there was a follow on book to continue the main characters.

[Dick Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the edge of nuclear war and with a traitor in the ranks how will they prevent the end of the world as we know it.

[David Laforest · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non stop action

Cold is the Deep is an excellent read I could not put it down From start to finish the action never stops. Highly recommended

[Mark Easter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read.

[Ed Braly · Rating 5 out of 5]

As real as it gets.

Good reading. Well thought out plot. Realistic enemy encounters and outcomes. Author is very knowledgeable on tactical equipment. Very intriguing.

[jeffrey l komar · Rating 5 out of 5]

sub book

Good read about a possible war breaking out with the Soviet Union. Lots of action and intrigue about submarine operations.