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Against the Tide: Rickover's Leadership Principles and the Rise of the Nuclear Navy
Against the Tide is a leadership book that illustrates how Adm. Hyman Rickover made a unique impact on American and Navy culture. Dave Oliver is the first former nuclear submarine commander who sailed for the venerable admiral to write about Rickover's management techniques. Oliver draws upon a wealth of untold stories to show how one man changed American and Navy culture while altering the course of history.
The driving force behind America's nuclear submarine navy, Rickover revolutionized naval warfare while concurrently proving to be a wellspring of innovation that drove American technology in the latter half of the twentieth-century. As a testament to his success, Rickover's single-minded focus on safety protected both American citizens and sailors from nuclear contamination, a record that is in stark contrast to the dozens of nuclear reactor accidents suffered by the Russians.
While Rickover has been the subject of a number of biographies, little has been written about his unique management practices that changed the culture of a two-hundred-year-old institution and affected the outcome of the Cold War. Rickover's achievements have been obscured because they were largely conducted in secret and because he possessed a demanding and abrasive personality that alienated many potential supporters. Nevertheless he was an extraordinary manager with significant lessons for all those in decision-making positions.
The author had the good fortune to know and to serve under Rickover during much of his thirty-year career in the Navy and is singularly qualified to demonstrate the management and leadership principles behind Rickover's success.
The driving force behind America's nuclear submarine navy, Rickover revolutionized naval warfare while concurrently proving to be a wellspring of innovation that drove American technology in the latter half of the twentieth-century. As a testament to his success, Rickover's single-minded focus on safety protected both American citizens and sailors from nuclear contamination, a record that is in stark contrast to the dozens of nuclear reactor accidents suffered by the Russians.
While Rickover has been the subject of a number of biographies, little has been written about his unique management practices that changed the culture of a two-hundred-year-old institution and affected the outcome of the Cold War. Rickover's achievements have been obscured because they were largely conducted in secret and because he possessed a demanding and abrasive personality that alienated many potential supporters. Nevertheless he was an extraordinary manager with significant lessons for all those in decision-making positions.
The author had the good fortune to know and to serve under Rickover during much of his thirty-year career in the Navy and is singularly qualified to demonstrate the management and leadership principles behind Rickover's success.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
September 12, 2021
This book grabbed my attention due to my recent infatuation with nuclear power, because Admiral Rickover was more-or-less singlehandedly responsible for the US Navy's nuclear program.
The US Navy's nuclear program is interesting for a couple reasons:
1) It is fully independent; it does not have to follow the regulations of the Atomic Energy Commission / Department of Energy (the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in present day).
2) It has NEVER had a nuclear reactor accident (source) unlike the USSR/Russia's nuclear submarine program, or the nuclear power industry.
This book makes the case that Adm. Rickover laid the cultural foundation that enabled that impressive safety track record, through is management, leadership, and engineering styles. For instance:
- Preferring new recruits for his nuclear program, over experienced diesel submariners (with all the bad habits that came with their experience).
- Thinking about safety (in the sense of radiation shielding and avoiding dumping of radioactive waste, even in the smallest amounts) before there was ever the public expectation to do so - because he knew before the term "social license to operate" existed, his nuclear navy could not afford an accident.
- Creating a culture of accountability through high ownership, challenging training, and continuous improvement.
It's way more of a leadership book than a nuclear book, so my expectations were a bit off but I still really enjoyed it.
Discovered via Ryan Holidays' book newsletter, filled by interlibrary loan from UofT.
The US Navy's nuclear program is interesting for a couple reasons:
1) It is fully independent; it does not have to follow the regulations of the Atomic Energy Commission / Department of Energy (the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in present day).
2) It has NEVER had a nuclear reactor accident (source) unlike the USSR/Russia's nuclear submarine program, or the nuclear power industry.
This book makes the case that Adm. Rickover laid the cultural foundation that enabled that impressive safety track record, through is management, leadership, and engineering styles. For instance:
- Preferring new recruits for his nuclear program, over experienced diesel submariners (with all the bad habits that came with their experience).
- Thinking about safety (in the sense of radiation shielding and avoiding dumping of radioactive waste, even in the smallest amounts) before there was ever the public expectation to do so - because he knew before the term "social license to operate" existed, his nuclear navy could not afford an accident.
- Creating a culture of accountability through high ownership, challenging training, and continuous improvement.
It's way more of a leadership book than a nuclear book, so my expectations were a bit off but I still really enjoyed it.
Discovered via Ryan Holidays' book newsletter, filled by interlibrary loan from UofT.
January 1, 2019
I found this extremely interesting and if even only half is true (I have no idea), it was really cool. So much so that I plan to re-listen to this at the first opportunity. I have never heard of Rickover and am in awe of what he accomplished. For anyone who is interested in learning more about submarines, I definitely recommend this. 4 stars because I learned a lot, but not 5 because I wanted some more in depth information about scenes that just seemed to fizzle without an answer or explanation about what happened.
October 27, 2018
Rickover was a pivotal man to the history of both the US Navy and today's industrial-technical world. While it was inevitable that naval forces would harness nuclear power, it was not inevitable that the development and deployment of such technology would remain accident-free. Yet today, unlike Russian/Soviet and Chinese experiences with naval nuclear power, the US Navy fielded (and continues to field) without accident hundreds of nuclear reactors with many millions of operational hours. This achievement is directly related to the culture, methods and means Rickover built and instilled into the US Navy's nuclear power program - often against the direct resistance of the Navy's leadership and the fleet itself. Oliver's book explores Rickover's philosophy, relates them to Oliver's lived experience and casts them as lessons leaders can learn to improve their own skills and the success of their teams. With this book, Oliver adds to the catalog of superb leadership tutorials written by naval officers (e.g. David Marqeut's
Turn The Ship Around
). Against The Tide will be a satisfying read no matter the interest your bring to it.
November 17, 2017
Admiral Rickover was a very unique and driven man. His management and leadership shaped the U.S. nuclear navy. RADM Oliver explored his first hand experience working for Rickover and how his leadership style led to the cultural change in the navy.
The book provides a great mix of experience with reflection on the methodology. On a personal level, as a member of the nuclear navy, I could relate to the experiences perhaps, more than most. I do however, recommend the book to those that are interested in the man (Rickover) and his methods.
The book provides a great mix of experience with reflection on the methodology. On a personal level, as a member of the nuclear navy, I could relate to the experiences perhaps, more than most. I do however, recommend the book to those that are interested in the man (Rickover) and his methods.
July 2, 2021
For the most part the book was really fascinating and a wonderful and insightful look at one of the unsung heroes of the Cold War. My main main W Edwards Deming made an appearance which was a further testament to the importance of his work. Some would argue, rightly I believe, that our nuclear submarines won the Cold War. This book makes a great case for that.
The thing that bothered me about this one is the author trying to cement himself in history by tying his wagon to Rickover. Nobody would read a book about him so he slips his little stories into a book about one of the greatest military minds of all time. Sneaky stuff.
Overall a great read about a lesser known aspect of modern military history.
The thing that bothered me about this one is the author trying to cement himself in history by tying his wagon to Rickover. Nobody would read a book about him so he slips his little stories into a book about one of the greatest military minds of all time. Sneaky stuff.
Overall a great read about a lesser known aspect of modern military history.
August 6, 2017
Excellent description of Rickover and how he managed to affect cultural change in an organization quite resistant to change--the U.S. Navy. Oliver discusses what could be boring insights on managing people and process with irreverent insights, such as "Finally, return to rule one: never relax around a badger or an admiral" or "No matter how capable, deserved or well-entrenched a particular leader, another claimant is waiting just off-stage, impatient for their moment in the spotlight.
He also takes you briefly through the history of the US nuclear submarine force and does an excellent job of describing just enough for you to understand the significance of technical changes, without overwhelming you with the specific details. Highly recommended and a book I will probably try to re-read in a few years, along with Bob Gate's manifesto on management.
He also takes you briefly through the history of the US nuclear submarine force and does an excellent job of describing just enough for you to understand the significance of technical changes, without overwhelming you with the specific details. Highly recommended and a book I will probably try to re-read in a few years, along with Bob Gate's manifesto on management.
December 14, 2018
Fantastic book looking into the leadership principles of a controversial Naval figure. Oliver highlights an example of a man that spent 25-years in the U.S. Navy before he found his true calling in engineering and nuclear power. Rickover had many foes that opposed him, but he also had a great number supporting him. He overcame great odds and challenged a dyed in the wool culture dominated by the surface fleet. Rickover is a good example of someone that was dedicated to a honorable and noble cause. A man that set high standards and demanded the same from others.
December 20, 2024
TL:DR, Rickover was a gigantic asshole, but that’s what you need to get shipyards to stop screwing your program
November 9, 2025
Two things need to be separated - the extraordinary life and achievements of Admiral Rickover and this book.
This is a mediocre book, it needed a good editor - the attempt to be both a biography of Rickover and a management book means it achieves neither to any competent degree, Dave Oliver often goes off on meaningless tangents and then tries to shoehorn the 'management lesson' in at the end.
What is interesting about the book is Rickover, a truly remarkable individual who recognised the huge strategic advantage - but also operational challenges that nuclear submarines could offer the US in the cold war. Namely near limitless, untraceable reach for the US nuclear deterrent that the soviet union couldn't match. He was visionary in recognising this and advocating it.
the second remarkable element was how he integrated it into the US navy, despite not being destined for the top tier (introverted, awkward, never seen combat and more engineer that fighter) he was able to lobby, cajole the creation of the US navy's nuclear programme, get it under his control instill critical cultures (recognising safety in the nuclear world long before science demontrated how deleterious the effects of radiation could be) and created a entirely new officer corp that aligned leadership, safety with very deep engineering prowess. The entire submarine corp required equivalent of 1-2 years of engineering education to operate.
what makes this book so frustrating is how little it actually covers Rickover, he feels like a distant figure the whole time, we often don't know his motives, his tactics, how he came to his vision or even have a sense of him.
This is a mediocre book, it needed a good editor - the attempt to be both a biography of Rickover and a management book means it achieves neither to any competent degree, Dave Oliver often goes off on meaningless tangents and then tries to shoehorn the 'management lesson' in at the end.
What is interesting about the book is Rickover, a truly remarkable individual who recognised the huge strategic advantage - but also operational challenges that nuclear submarines could offer the US in the cold war. Namely near limitless, untraceable reach for the US nuclear deterrent that the soviet union couldn't match. He was visionary in recognising this and advocating it.
the second remarkable element was how he integrated it into the US navy, despite not being destined for the top tier (introverted, awkward, never seen combat and more engineer that fighter) he was able to lobby, cajole the creation of the US navy's nuclear programme, get it under his control instill critical cultures (recognising safety in the nuclear world long before science demontrated how deleterious the effects of radiation could be) and created a entirely new officer corp that aligned leadership, safety with very deep engineering prowess. The entire submarine corp required equivalent of 1-2 years of engineering education to operate.
what makes this book so frustrating is how little it actually covers Rickover, he feels like a distant figure the whole time, we often don't know his motives, his tactics, how he came to his vision or even have a sense of him.
May 13, 2020
Admiral Oliver offers a very well written account of Admiral Rickover's tremendous influence on the US Navy. Rickover was all that Oliver presents and in hindsight, what he accomplished with nuclear submarines was quite amazing. I saw it for myself.
My main quibble - and it's personal to me - was Oliver's frequent characterization of the nuclear submarine force's officer cadre as comprising the whole. There is no mention of the enlisted men (there were no women on subs at that time). He writes as if the officers did everything back aft. In some instances, the oversight is blatant as he says that everyone selected for nuclear service was personally interviewed by Rickover. No, only the officers were. Oliver does a disservice to the petty officers and chief petty officers that were (are) the true backbone of the US Navy nuclear power program. It is they who implemented Rickover's vision and made (make) safe operation of a nuclear reactor a reality.
A second quibble is over Oliver's occasional self-aggrandizing. While I'm certain that anyone who rose to the rank of rear admiral as a nuclear submariner did some great things, it could be dialed back a bit. The book is about ADM Rickover, after all.
Other than those two things, this is one of the best books about nuclear submarines I've read.
My main quibble - and it's personal to me - was Oliver's frequent characterization of the nuclear submarine force's officer cadre as comprising the whole. There is no mention of the enlisted men (there were no women on subs at that time). He writes as if the officers did everything back aft. In some instances, the oversight is blatant as he says that everyone selected for nuclear service was personally interviewed by Rickover. No, only the officers were. Oliver does a disservice to the petty officers and chief petty officers that were (are) the true backbone of the US Navy nuclear power program. It is they who implemented Rickover's vision and made (make) safe operation of a nuclear reactor a reality.
A second quibble is over Oliver's occasional self-aggrandizing. While I'm certain that anyone who rose to the rank of rear admiral as a nuclear submariner did some great things, it could be dialed back a bit. The book is about ADM Rickover, after all.
Other than those two things, this is one of the best books about nuclear submarines I've read.
August 22, 2021
I have family in CT where Rickover's name is still revered and cursed. Rickover was hardass, explosive, unrelenting, unforgiving, fair, and exactly right to build and run the machines that if mismanaged kill the crew, poison the sea, or start a chain of events leading to the destruction of the world. That is not an exaggeration. If he was running the surface nuclear reactors the first time anyone in the control room participated in idle chit chat he would have scrammed the reactor on the spot, fired everyone and started over retraining a new group. If it happened again he would just have the plant closed for good. No one was good enough for him and that wasn't entirely unreasonable for the job.
December 24, 2021
Rear Admiral Oliver was one of the lucky senior officers to have worked directly with Admiral Rickover for many years. His first hand accounts of Rickover’s actions and application of his principles are outstanding and compelling, but leave much to the reader to draw their own conclusions.
While Oliver does have a short chapter at the end about a handful of highlights regarding Rickover’s leadership, he could have spent more time drawing conclusions on what his personal experiences meant for the industry and how they could be applied elsewhere. The short questions he asks at the end of each chapter are insufficient to really let the reader learn from and make use of the important principles he learned over his years in the service.
Overall it was an interesting and quick read.
While Oliver does have a short chapter at the end about a handful of highlights regarding Rickover’s leadership, he could have spent more time drawing conclusions on what his personal experiences meant for the industry and how they could be applied elsewhere. The short questions he asks at the end of each chapter are insufficient to really let the reader learn from and make use of the important principles he learned over his years in the service.
Overall it was an interesting and quick read.
May 10, 2021
As someone who is currently in the nuclear Navy, this was super interesting to read. It confirms a lot of what I have learned and seen in action at my job but in an easily accessible way. Admiral Rickover is held in high regard at Naval Reactors for how much impact he had on changing the Navy and insisting on a culture of safety. It puts into perspective the role that I play every day to help keep our Navy running smoothly. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about how the nuclear Navy came into existence and how it has been run since.
June 16, 2022
I enjoyed the book and Rickover's staunch principles and beliefs that made the Nuclear Navy what is is today. No nuclear accidents on his watch, hand on guidance that provoked the best leadership that there could be in the Nuclear Navy and a no nonsense authority I would want in Rickover's position. The read is fast and full of great history that gave me a sense of what and who Rickover was. By no means was Rickover flawless but he did have a tremendous grasp of where he wanted to lead and how to get there.
May 4, 2023
The beginning of the book provided a lot of unique stories and nuggets of knowledge that can be applied to leaders in any organization (I had a lot of highlights early on!) Later in the book, the topics start to get repetitive (good and bad) and the stories got more long winded. I enjoyed learning about Navy and submarine culture - that's completely different from my industry now. I think the notes in the back were a little distracting from reading the main text, so I'm not sure I'd recommend constantly flipping back and forth. The topics and nuggets have provided good conversation starters for my team at work and I can see myself referring back to my highlights as we continue to grow our team and leaders.
February 12, 2020
Ok so I’m always on the hunt for a book on a subject that I nerd over that may cross over to someone who may enjoy a dabble into history.
This is one of them! Admiral Rickover is a bona fide American classic! Genius, patriot, perfectionist.
Read about how his charge of our Nuclear Navy has had so many innovations - all starting with two unwavering principles: performance and safety.
I hope you give it a go.
This is one of them! Admiral Rickover is a bona fide American classic! Genius, patriot, perfectionist.
Read about how his charge of our Nuclear Navy has had so many innovations - all starting with two unwavering principles: performance and safety.
I hope you give it a go.
January 9, 2021
Admiral Oliver does an excellent job of using stories to describe Admiral Rickover's leadership style and principles in a conversational tone that is easy to read and follow. While Admiral Rickover has been the subject of many other biographies, little has been written about his unique management practices and style, one that changed the culture of the Navy as well as affected the outcome of the Cold War. Worth the read.
October 11, 2021
Rickover impresses me! His principles are simplistic and can be done by anyone. I wish more programs would require employees to embrace these principles… They may seem harsh at times, and when they do, I wish more programs would replace the personnel that refuse to adapt for the better of the program!
February 12, 2021
As a former Nuke officer - this is great
I lived this book. I served from 1995-2002 and found my technical foundation superb because of my time serving. Too few understand how much this man has done for us as a society. A great read.
I lived this book. I served from 1995-2002 and found my technical foundation superb because of my time serving. Too few understand how much this man has done for us as a society. A great read.
January 17, 2022
Educational, historical, and very entertaining
Increasingly relevant to business today. Great management philosophy with focus on action and accountability. Fascinating man and very unique in his achievements.
Increasingly relevant to business today. Great management philosophy with focus on action and accountability. Fascinating man and very unique in his achievements.
April 24, 2024
An excellent account of Rickover's impact on the Navy and US dominance. There are great leadership and management nuggets throughout the book. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those that work on start-ups and want to drive home change.
September 26, 2019
Very concise set of stories about the Nuclear Navy, each illustrating and aspect of Rickover’s leadership style and principles. A great primer on Rickover and his accomplishments.
October 30, 2019
Enjoyed this.
December 29, 2020
Oliver's firsthand experience working with Rickover makes him the perfect person for this biography/leadership book. Get ready to take some notes because this one has some great nuggets.
October 19, 2021
Largely a leadership book with a nod to military history.
If you enjoy history and stories on how strong leaders impact that history then you will enjoy Dave Oliver's account of Hyman Rickover.
If you enjoy history and stories on how strong leaders impact that history then you will enjoy Dave Oliver's account of Hyman Rickover.
January 6, 2025
Light on history of the cold war but good
January 12, 2022
Uses instances in Rickover's life to show leadership lessons, not tell them. Leaves conclusions and applications to the reader. Well written and concise
September 22, 2016
Received this in a Goodreads giveaway. Truly a good read. Good insight into the personality of a quirky man. Spurred me to read a biography by Allen, long on my shelf, that was a little too long and slow going to recommend it. This book however gets 4 stars.
February 12, 2015
I received a free copy of this book from the GoodReads First Reads giveaways in exchange for an honest review. Great story about an extraordinary man, excellent read.
April 12, 2019
It was an excellent story and great understanding of how the nuclear navy works
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews