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Nautilus
Part of a new series of historical adventure stories featuring little known acts of bravery or endeavour: "American Endeavours"
50 years ago, William Anderson, commander of the Nautilus, the world's first nuclear submarine, opened an envelope marked "Top Secret" from President Eisenhower that contained a short note instructing him that he was to sail from Portland, Oregon to Portsmouth, UK, traveling beneath the North Pole. Nothing like this had ever been attempted: the submarine didn't have the equipment necessary for such an expedition, and nobody had any idea what to expect. But Bill Anderson is an unusual man. He was decorated for his services during WW2, and went on to serve as a Congressman; in between he succeeded--at the third attempt--to sail around the world via the North Pole. The story of his success is a remarkable one, not least because of the makeshift nature of the whole expedition, which features duct tape and coat hangers as much as it does bravery and intrigue. The intrigue comes from the reason for the expedition in the first place. The Russians had just sent Sputnik into orbit: the world was in awe, Americans were nervous, and the government was angry and embarrassed. They didn't want the Russians taking the lead in technology or exploration, they wanted to do something just as ambitious. Captain Anderson achieved that, and here, in his own words, is his story.
50 years ago, William Anderson, commander of the Nautilus, the world's first nuclear submarine, opened an envelope marked "Top Secret" from President Eisenhower that contained a short note instructing him that he was to sail from Portland, Oregon to Portsmouth, UK, traveling beneath the North Pole. Nothing like this had ever been attempted: the submarine didn't have the equipment necessary for such an expedition, and nobody had any idea what to expect. But Bill Anderson is an unusual man. He was decorated for his services during WW2, and went on to serve as a Congressman; in between he succeeded--at the third attempt--to sail around the world via the North Pole. The story of his success is a remarkable one, not least because of the makeshift nature of the whole expedition, which features duct tape and coat hangers as much as it does bravery and intrigue. The intrigue comes from the reason for the expedition in the first place. The Russians had just sent Sputnik into orbit: the world was in awe, Americans were nervous, and the government was angry and embarrassed. They didn't want the Russians taking the lead in technology or exploration, they wanted to do something just as ambitious. Captain Anderson achieved that, and here, in his own words, is his story.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published May 19, 2004
2 people want to read
About the author
William R. Anderson
24 books1 followerLibrarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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