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Final Patrol: True Stories of World War II Submarines
A gripping true account of submarine heroism, War Beneath the Waves is an inspiring tale of one young naval officer's leadership and courage under fire under some of the most dangerous waters of World War II.
In November 1943, while on war patrol in enemy waters, the submarine U.S.S. Billfish was spotted by the Japanese, who launched a vicious depth charge attack. Explosions wracked the sub for twelve straight hours. With senior officers incapacitated, diving officer Charlie Rush boldly assumed command and led key members of the crew in a heroic effort to keep their vessel intact as they tried to escape. What followed is one of the most improbable and dramatic stories of the Pacific War. Told in harrowing detail, War Beneath the Waves is a pulse-pounding story of a submarine crew's valiant fight to save their boat--and one man's astonishing bravery and coolness in the face of seemingly certain death.
In November 1943, while on war patrol in enemy waters, the submarine U.S.S. Billfish was spotted by the Japanese, who launched a vicious depth charge attack. Explosions wracked the sub for twelve straight hours. With senior officers incapacitated, diving officer Charlie Rush boldly assumed command and led key members of the crew in a heroic effort to keep their vessel intact as they tried to escape. What followed is one of the most improbable and dramatic stories of the Pacific War. Told in harrowing detail, War Beneath the Waves is a pulse-pounding story of a submarine crew's valiant fight to save their boat--and one man's astonishing bravery and coolness in the face of seemingly certain death.
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2006
78 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Don Keith
71 books55 followersAward-winning and best-selling author of more than 40 published works, Don Keith was born in 1947 and has lived in the South all his life. He attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa where he received his degree in broadcast and film communication with a minor in English and literature. While working as a broadcast journalist, he won awards from the Associated Press and United Press International for news writing and reporting. He was also the first winner of Troy State University's Hector Award for innovation in broadcast journalism. As an on-the-air broadcaster, Don won the Billboard Magazine "Radio Personality of the Year" in two formats, country and contemporary. Keith was a broadcast personality for over twenty years in Birmingham and Nashville, and also owned his own consultancy, co-owned a Mobile, Alabama, radio station (WZEW-FM), and hosted and produced several nationally syndicated radio shows.
His first novel, THE FOREVER SEASON, was published by St. Martin's Press in the fall of 1995 to commercial and critical success. It called heavily on Keith's own athletic and academic experiences. Reviewers praised its unique approach and powerful story. The novel won the Alabama Library Association's "Fiction of the Year" award in 1997, joining works likewise honored from Harper Lee and others, and was re-issued in the fall of 2002 by the University of Alabama Press as part of its prestigious Deep South Books series.
He has written both fiction and non-fiction, including several books on WWII history, biographies, and military thrillers. His co-written thriller, HUNTER KILLER, was the basis for the hit movie starring Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman.
His first novel, THE FOREVER SEASON, was published by St. Martin's Press in the fall of 1995 to commercial and critical success. It called heavily on Keith's own athletic and academic experiences. Reviewers praised its unique approach and powerful story. The novel won the Alabama Library Association's "Fiction of the Year" award in 1997, joining works likewise honored from Harper Lee and others, and was re-issued in the fall of 2002 by the University of Alabama Press as part of its prestigious Deep South Books series.
He has written both fiction and non-fiction, including several books on WWII history, biographies, and military thrillers. His co-written thriller, HUNTER KILLER, was the basis for the hit movie starring Gerard Butler and Gary Oldman.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 4, 2015
Sixteen US and one German U-boat is all the submarines from World War II that we have preserved in various locations around the country. In Final Patrol, Don Keith gives us a brief history of each sub and details how they came to escape the scrap yard and become museum pieces for us to be able to appreciate. You can tell that Keith has a love affair with these vintage machines and their history and it shows in his writing. This propels Final Patol from being a bloated tourist pamphlet to an interesting book that you can read alone or use it as an accompaniment to planning vacations to see these wonderful examples of military might from a bygone era. The down side is that not all of the submarines from the era that are on display have an interesting history. Many of them were simply launched too late at the end of the war to see much or any fighting at all. While this doesn't diminish what they are, it does make for some dry reading if you were expecting to read exciting tales for each one of the subs. Final patrol is still a solid read and I'll be visiting my third sub on the list next month in Hawaii.
October 27, 2018
As the author points out at the beginning of the book, submarine warfare was largely missed because their efforts were generally invisible. There were no flags planted at their victories an no lines on maps moved with their successes.
The book is seventeen brief biographies of submarines, generally in the Pacific theatre. There are lots of exciting and heroic stories. Each story ends with the story to preserve the subs in various museums.
The book is seventeen brief biographies of submarines, generally in the Pacific theatre. There are lots of exciting and heroic stories. Each story ends with the story to preserve the subs in various museums.
March 10, 2019
Being a veteran Navy man and WWII buff thoughly enjoyed book
I have read numerous books on the silent service of WWII and it still makes me so angry about the torpedo situation at the beginning of the war. So ridiculously unnecessary.
I have read numerous books on the silent service of WWII and it still makes me so angry about the torpedo situation at the beginning of the war. So ridiculously unnecessary.
January 29, 2023
Mostly stories about the last patrols of submarines that are now on display somewhere in the US. Not all of them are all that engaging. For sure, some good stories, esp the one about the German U505 and how it was captured intact by the US and was a goldmine of secret code data.
June 6, 2025
The Navy and the sea are subjects which authors need to be well-acquainted with before tackling. It really should only be approached by historians who are themselves sailors. The language and terminology used throughout this book show that the author is not.
June 22, 2008
Considering that I work on board one of the boats described in this book, I found it quite interesting.
The book begins with an overview of submarine actions during the Second World War, and then delves into the histories of the old fleet submarines that are currently museums in the United States. If you are very well versed in submarine history and lingo, these stories may seem to be lacking the level of detail that other books might. However, it does a wonderful job highlighting the surviving ships and explaining their relevance to those who haven't already studied naval history in depth.
My one gripe is an accuracy issue - the author has made some errors when referring to post war modifications, specifically a confusion between having a snorkel installed, the GUPPY modification program, and Fleet Snorkels. For the casual reader, this does not detract from the story.
The book begins with an overview of submarine actions during the Second World War, and then delves into the histories of the old fleet submarines that are currently museums in the United States. If you are very well versed in submarine history and lingo, these stories may seem to be lacking the level of detail that other books might. However, it does a wonderful job highlighting the surviving ships and explaining their relevance to those who haven't already studied naval history in depth.
My one gripe is an accuracy issue - the author has made some errors when referring to post war modifications, specifically a confusion between having a snorkel installed, the GUPPY modification program, and Fleet Snorkels. For the casual reader, this does not detract from the story.
August 28, 2011
For anyone who loves submarines as much as I do, this book is a must-read.
There are 16 World War II submarines on diplay and open to the public in various locations around the US. This book documents the exploits of each of them, both during the war and afterwards, including the fight to save them for future generations to appreciate.
The author has combined information gleaned from officical Navy records with interviews with the remaining veterans who served aboard them to produce a fascinating history of each boat.
The book also serves as a guide to the locations of each boat, for someone who intends to visit each one.
As I do.
There are 16 World War II submarines on diplay and open to the public in various locations around the US. This book documents the exploits of each of them, both during the war and afterwards, including the fight to save them for future generations to appreciate.
The author has combined information gleaned from officical Navy records with interviews with the remaining veterans who served aboard them to produce a fascinating history of each boat.
The book also serves as a guide to the locations of each boat, for someone who intends to visit each one.
As I do.
February 5, 2016
Riding the Abyss
Yet another great book relating the bravery and devotion to duty and to the men who manned these boats to preserve our freedoms that we enjoyed because of their unselfish sacrifices during World War II. These men were in boats that were captained by men with nerves of steel who were well aware of what pa furious enemy would try to do once they had done their job of sinking the resources that were essential to an island nation more or less devoid of natural resources desperately needed to conduct pa war. No wonder these men were part of what is called The Greatest Generation.
Yet another great book relating the bravery and devotion to duty and to the men who manned these boats to preserve our freedoms that we enjoyed because of their unselfish sacrifices during World War II. These men were in boats that were captained by men with nerves of steel who were well aware of what pa furious enemy would try to do once they had done their job of sinking the resources that were essential to an island nation more or less devoid of natural resources desperately needed to conduct pa war. No wonder these men were part of what is called The Greatest Generation.
May 26, 2016
This book is a gripping account of the notable exploits of the sixteen surviving plunging boats that you can go and visit today!
Don has done a great job researching and compiling stories that provide an albeit small window into the lives of these brave men who manned these engineering marvels. For a lay-person like me, the stories helped me to visualise the stress and almost inhumane conditions the sub sailors of the past had to work in to pull off these amazing stunts.
This book is well worth a read if you want to hear at least a few stories of how sub sailors and their surface brethren turned the tide of war
Don has done a great job researching and compiling stories that provide an albeit small window into the lives of these brave men who manned these engineering marvels. For a lay-person like me, the stories helped me to visualise the stress and almost inhumane conditions the sub sailors of the past had to work in to pull off these amazing stunts.
This book is well worth a read if you want to hear at least a few stories of how sub sailors and their surface brethren turned the tide of war
March 14, 2008
An interesting and insightful look at World War 2 from the submarine perspective. Gives away just a little of the secrets of the silent service. An excellent read for anyone interested in US submarines.
April 2, 2025
I thought this book was cool to see the different boats that were launched during WWII, but kinda repetitive. Deff more informative then anything else
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews