Stalking the Red Bear: The True Story of a U.S. Cold War Submarine's Covert Operations Against the Soviet Union

by Peter Sasgen

Thrilling submarine espionage and an inside look at the U.S. Navy’s “silent service” Stalking the Red Bear , for the first time ever, describes the action principally from the perspective of a commanding officer of a nuclear submarine during the Cold War—the one man aboard a sub who makes the critical decisions—taking readers closer to the Soviet target than any work on submarine espionage has ever done before. This is the untold story of a covert submarine espionage operation against the Soviet Union during the Cold War as experienced by the Commanding Officer of an active submarine. Few individuals outside the intelligence and submarine communities knew anything about these top-secret missions. Cloaking itself in virtual invisibility to avoid detection, the USS Blackfin went sub vs. sub deep within Soviet-controlled waters north of the Arctic Circle, where the risks were extraordinarily high and anything could happen

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Military Fiction, Military History, Historical, Audiobook, Naval History

320 pages, Hardcover

First published March 17, 2009

Reviews

[Bryan Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another submarine book but this one is frankly not near as good as many of the others. The author created a fictional submarine and commander based on interviews he did with retired or at least experienced navel personnel. That premise is OK but the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

First of all most of the book reads like a textbook with a few fictional character interludes spaced between walls of facts and descriptions. None of what was described was revelatory to me since I regularly devour submarine books anyway. The pace doesn't pick up from that until halfway through the book and even then it remains inconsistent with multiple chunks of explanatory exposition.

Second the sugar coated POV of the US submarine force verses the dismal uninspired descriptions of the USSR submariners was so blatantly skewed that it felt like propaganda and I had a hard time believing either of them were accurate.

Finally, after just finishing a book from the POV of a senior enlisted man on a submarine going back to the sunshine and unicorns of steak dinners and happy sailors from the commanding officer point of view was quite jarring to me. There is about a ten year difference in the US Navy between the two books (with this one being more recent) but I find it hard to believe that the plentiful but mundane food described in Rig Ship for Ultra Quiet to be anything like the gourmet designed and prepared meals on this book.

I can't really recommend this book to anyone unless you are only mildly interested in covert submarine operations, and even then I would strongly suggest that you skip the book and just read the appendices. There are gathered real stories of real submariners and their impact on the world in general and the silent service in particular.

[Derek · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was not a very good book. clearly, the man who wrote this was not only a republican, but things submariners can jump over tall buildings in a single bound. What hero-worship crap.

I read a different book about spy subs in the cold war a few years back and thought this might be of the same vein. It was not. This had all the literary quality of a FoxNews broadcast.

Skip this one.

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid book, enjoyed the author's approach of making it from the point of view of the captain of the sub. Wish it was a little longer and a bit more in depth. Does exactly what is in the title though. :)

[Tracie Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Stalking the Red Bear: The True Story of a U.S. Cold War Submarine's Covert Operations Against the Soviet Union” by Peter Sasgen

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DETAILS:
-Print: March 17, 2009; t. Martin's Press; 1st edition; 320 Pages; 978-0312380236 (Info from Amazon.com)
-Digital: Yes, publisher info as above. 9780312380232 (Info from Amazon.com)
-*Audio: COPYRIGHT: 14/25/2017; PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio; DURATION: 7:04:00; (Audio info from Amazon.com)
-Feature Film or tv: No

SERIES: N/A

SUMMARY/ EVALUATION:
-SELECTED: I did a search in the Libby app for Russian History. The one I was most interested in was out, so, knowing nothing about submarines beyond seeing the “Hunt for Red October” movie, and liking the idea of learning more, I thought I’d try this one.
-ABOUT: A nuclear submarine and it’s commander spying on Soviet submarines in Soviet territory during the Cold War.
-OVERALL: I learned a little about submarine technology and terminology in the 70’s, but I suspect veterans who had been on them would, love this book more. I might prefer a fiction book, that would hopefully still include much of these details, in order to be captivated.

AUTHOR:
Peter Sasgen (From the Simon & Schuster website)
“Peter Sasgen served in the U.S. Navy and later worked as a graphic designer and photographer in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. His nonfiction book Red Scorpion was inspired by his father, who served aboard the USS Rasher for all eight of her war patrols, as was his submarine thriller War Plan Red (both available from Pocket Star Books).”

NARRATOR:
Charlie Thurston (From IMDb)
“Charlie Thurston is known for Julia (2022), Dexter: New Blood (2021) and Boston Strangler (2023).”

GENRE:
Nonfiction; Naval History

SUBJECTS:
Submarines; Russian History; U. S. History; Naval Forces Military History

TIME FRAME:
1970’s

EXCERPT (From the Preface)
"Stalking the Red Bear" is a true story about the U. S. Navy's covert submarine espionage operations against the Soviet Union. Code-named Holystone, this top-secret operation began in the late 1920's and continued through the cold war and beyond the collapse of the USSR. "Stalking the Red Bear" tells how in the 1970's, arguably the most dangerous decade of the cold war, the U.S. nuclear-powered submarines collected visual, electronic, and acoustic intelligence on Soviet military capabilities. It also tells how the U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered Sturgeon-class submarines, the workhorses of America's undersea spy program, were developed, designed, and built. Most important of all, it explains how they functioned and cloaked themselves in virtual invisibility to avoid detection by the soviets."

RATING:
3 stars

STARTED READING – FINISHED READING
2/14/2021 to 2/19/2024

[Matthias Noch · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book follows the events of a typical Holystone spy-mission into the Barents Sea and even into the USSR waters and tells the dangerous ca-tan-mouse-game the Americans and Soviets played there. While it pretends to balance the story a bit by adding a Soviet perspective to this, it is still clearly pro-American biased as the Russian counterpart to the heroic US captain is complaining all the time only about what is not working or failed. The more advanced read knows how many close calls there were in this game which the US Navy clearly mastered, but not always won and of course the focus on the Barents Sea avoids all those areas during the Cold War where the soviet submarines caused the US Navy quite some troubles. But this shouldn’t overshadow, that the book is a good read in general. It is especially suitable for persons who are just beginning to read about military submarine operations during the Cold War as it explains all the needed basics in technology and tactics in a very good and readable manner without going into too much details.

[Charles Basilone · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of people have criticized the narrative of this book, or dismissed it as fiction or propaganda. To some degree, I can see why. The book changes the names of those assigned and the ship. It paints a bleak picture of Soviet forces.

That said, I loved this book. With the understanding this is reconstructed from an American sailor's point of view, and that Soviet accounts of hunting American spy subs are few and far between, it makes sense why this book is lopsided in favor of Americans-- between a real technical gap and the perspective of an American sailor, it was bound to be. But within its constraints, this book enthralled me. The story is interesting, and some effort is made to balance the narrative. And the appendices are absolutely incredible. If you're interested in submarine intelligence collection and the history of undersea warfare in the Cold War, I recommend this book.

[Sarah Bodaly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s the Cold War, and America has some sweet new toys. Why not check out the Russians with them, and see how long before the folks up north know their neighbors have come calling?
The names have been changed to protect the innocent (that’s America, by the way), and the “U.S.S. Blackfin” that might have gone by another name is out in the cold waters seeing what it can see. The book takes the point of view of a sailor on a super-secret sub on a super-secret spy mission. I found it pretty interesting, though at times not too in-depth. I don’t know if that was intentional to not give away military secrets, or that the author didn’t fully expand the breadth of his knowledge, but there were some times this Navy Brat knew more than the book mentioned. All in all, though, an interesting read.

[Chuck Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book claims to be a true story (and there’s nothing that would cause me to question that), but the names have been changed, and the descriptions of incidents aboard Soviet subs has to be pure speculation. Read Blind Man’s Bluff, which is a better history of Cold War sub activity, or The Hunt for Red October which, while fictional, provided much of the same information in a thriller of a story.

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and it kept my attention. While the real name of the captain and the submarine are changed, their covert mission was certainly interesting to read about. The story does read a little bit like a nonfiction book in areas. A short perspective from the Soviet side was included as well. The book is about the U.S. submarine to begin with so while the Soviet perspective was included it felt balanced.

[Roger Barnstead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was never a submariner but ever since I was a wee boy I enjoyed reading about them
this was a good enough effort
I wonder what they are up to now?
I would like to know because American intel is almost always wrong about everything
in fact you have to work hard to be more wrong than they have been for almost 100 years.
Given the Navy's ineptitude lately all I can say is
God Help Us All!

[steline · Rating 4 out of 5]

i got this in the form of a free audiobook LOL
but it was pretty good used to listen on cartrips. so basically it's about this cold war submariner's daily life and what they do in their operations. it teaches you about cold war attitudes towards espionage and the role of submarines thru the war. it was told from the american side so it might be biased but still pretty enjoyable

[Jeff Brawner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This certainly read more like a textbook that an narrative. I found some of the information very interesting about the personal lives of the submariners. What I hoped for was a play-by-play of an interesting interaction with an actual event from history between the Russians and Americans. In the end that really never played out.

[Jaipal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides an interesting overview of the Soviet and American submarine fleet during the cold war. There are some interesting facts about the technology, social and political differences between the two countries which led to how their submarine fleet was outfitted.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Stalking the Red Bear provides a look into what it might be like to serve on one of the U.S. Navy's nuclear submarines. In this book, the story is told through the eyes of the boat's Captain, and covers the Cold War period and describes spy missions against the Soviet naval forces.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

The narrative writing style was unexpected but this is an entertaining read. The account focuses on the US Navy's attempts to penetrate Soviet waters to gain intel. The author doesn't get overly technical but presents the challenges and limitations that each side faces.

[David Bober · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful.

[Tony Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read better, but this is a well done story of the Holystone missions told as a single mission

[Alan Mauldin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great "Day in the Life of the Cold War" type read.
I was interested because my older brother did some of this same stuff in a later class of nuclear attack sub.

[Matthew Sparling · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is an interesting book but it reads more like a novel than a work of non-fiction.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining partially-fictionalized story about a spy mission on a Cold War era nuclear submarine. Also explains the evolution of submarine warfare and spying from wwII through the Cold War.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+ Stars
Interesting, but I found my mind wandering quite a bit, not sure why

[Deron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not much of a story, but it portrayed naval operations very accurately.

[Darren Sapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone looking for an overview of sub warfare, the ins & outs of life on a sub, capabilities, and all that for both US and Russian subs will find it here.

[Seth Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Has some interesting parts.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

#Audible
Is there a story here? Maybe not but there is a good description of life aboard a nuclear submarine in the early 1970s as they spy on the Soviets in the North Atlantic sea.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

In lieu of all the stories my late father didn't tell me, though he was SSBN and not SSN.

[David Hymas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tried to use fiction to create historical narrative about service on submarines during the Cold War. Would have been better if it had focused on one or the other.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

An accurate story from the height of the Cold War years. The US subs had to go into the Barents sea, then stay just outside the 12-mile limit at Severomorsk. A highly dangerous mission to acquire details about the USSR's operations and weapons. All the while avoiding detection, coupled with the very real risk of colliding with a Russian sub.

[Resonance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, but enjoyable, look at a Holystone mission conducted by an American submarine in the Barents sea. The material is dated -- this was a Sturgeon class submarine, the best of the American fleet at the time but several classes out of date now, and the mission was conducted at a time when the Soviet Navy hadn't yet made its notable strides forward in technological development, so one of the main themes is how poor Sov sub technology was in relation to the US -- and the material is probably more gripping for a reader new to the topic of Cold War submarine deployments and the risks involved, because there is not that much in the book that will be new to readers who have perused other, better known works.

As a brief narrative, though, it works as a fairly interesting look into the life of the men who carried out the Holystone missions (conducting submarine based electronic espionage against the Soviet Union during the Cold War)and it paints a complete picture of what the day to day life was like. It captures both the mundane moments of that life -- conducting drills, preparing meals, studying for qualifications -- and the razor-edge moments of triumph and fear as the submarine performed some exceptionally dangerous task, such as sneaking close enough to an unsuspecting Sov submarine to do an optical scan of its hull or take an in-depth set of recordings of the sounds it made, finding themselves in the middle of a live-fire drill, or running silently from the Sov ASW forces that had detected their presence in order to avoid a full fledged diplomatic incident.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stalking the Red Bear has a good premise to show the dangers of being on a fast attack during intelligence work off the Russian coast. His style was cumbersome because he had to protect the man who gave him the story and so he used a fictional name for the ship and commanding officer but it detracted from the story. Its understandable why Sasgen does this because of confidentiality agreements for his source but the fictional name detracted from the book. Sasgen also has chapters on the Soviet side and the reader must wonder if that is fiction or not. To understand how a submarine operates this book might be interesting but for any other prupose it might as well be fiction until the source comes forward.