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Running Deep: An Australian Submarine Life
From conducting top-secret missions to making Australian submarine history, Commodore Peter Scott depicts what it takes to be a Submariner. Over a decorated 34-year career, Commodore Scott served in 10 submarines, passed the most demanding military command course in the world and served as the Head of Profession of the Submarine Arm of the Royal Australian Navy. During that time his character was forged by the challenges of naval service, success and failure as a leader, catastrophic onboard disasters while dived, and life-threatening traumas. Along the way, he also endured personal battles with self-doubt, addiction, depression and anxiety.
In this honest and enlightening tale, he shares his quest for self-acceptance, and for the courage, commitment and compassion to lead the warriors of Australia’ s Silent Service.
In this honest and enlightening tale, he shares his quest for self-acceptance, and for the courage, commitment and compassion to lead the warriors of Australia’ s Silent Service.
288 pages, Paperback
Published April 4, 2023
18 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 4, 2023
I’ve always had much respect and admiration for our servicemen and women – particularly those in the submarine fleet – as not many things fill me with dread more than the thought of confined spaces beneath the ocean! I was already holding my breath by the prologue – the words, “Flood! Flood! Flood!” have a way of grabbing your attention.
“I know - we all know - that if we go down in this depth of water, we will be crushed by the pressure before we hit the bottom. Once the pressure hull splits, the ocean’s onslaught will be absolute in its violence.”
Commodore Peter Scott served in ten submarines, leading others through at-sea fires, floods, and explosions. His service took him around the world, employed in a variety of roles, all underpinned by steadfast dedication and leadership.
Running Deep is an honest book. I admired Scott’s courage in sharing his mental health challenges. The book was at its best, not when talking about mock battles, but the very real battles he was fighting within himself. I also enjoyed the story, ‘St Patrick’s Day,’ and reading of the camaraderie between Navies. Moments with his grandad’s ghost at sea were quite touching, while the characters of ‘Trevor’ and ‘Horatio’ brought wholesome comic relief.
The excellent pictures helped bring to life numerous vessels mentioned, and other scenes from the book. They highlighted the sacrifices too – with a heart-warming picture of him reunited with his daughter after deployment.
“My daughter was one year old. She was likely asleep, the day gone and I had missed it. I brought my binoculars to my eyes to hide the tears.”
I’ve never been more grateful for a glossary - such was the amount of terminology used. It was a glimpse into another world, complete with its own language. I can almost speak ‘submarine’ now, thanks to phrases like:
"On the roof" = being surfaced.
"Snorting" = operating diesel electric generators to charge a submarine’s batteries.
Unfortunately, the book frequently changed from past tense, to present tense - which I found jarring. Running Deep occasionally felt like a report (we did this, then did that) and was slightly too surface-level (no pun intended) for a memoir tackling such heavy topics. I would’ve liked to read more about Peter’s mental health journey, and how he overcame alcohol issues, instead of lengthy sections on Naval plans, submarine fleets, and other professional highlights.
Running Deep is about a world and way of life that few of us know. It explores leadership, sacrifice, inner conflict and finding the courage within ourselves to rise above our own battles. It will help Australians better understand why our submarine capabilities are integral to national security. It will also give greater understanding of the sacrifices made by those keeping us safe.
Thank you for your service, Commodore Peter Scott.
“In essence, we seek to see without being seen, hear without being heard and know without being known, until the day comes when we need to strike.”
Many thanks to Fremantle Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“I know - we all know - that if we go down in this depth of water, we will be crushed by the pressure before we hit the bottom. Once the pressure hull splits, the ocean’s onslaught will be absolute in its violence.”
Commodore Peter Scott served in ten submarines, leading others through at-sea fires, floods, and explosions. His service took him around the world, employed in a variety of roles, all underpinned by steadfast dedication and leadership.
Running Deep is an honest book. I admired Scott’s courage in sharing his mental health challenges. The book was at its best, not when talking about mock battles, but the very real battles he was fighting within himself. I also enjoyed the story, ‘St Patrick’s Day,’ and reading of the camaraderie between Navies. Moments with his grandad’s ghost at sea were quite touching, while the characters of ‘Trevor’ and ‘Horatio’ brought wholesome comic relief.
The excellent pictures helped bring to life numerous vessels mentioned, and other scenes from the book. They highlighted the sacrifices too – with a heart-warming picture of him reunited with his daughter after deployment.
“My daughter was one year old. She was likely asleep, the day gone and I had missed it. I brought my binoculars to my eyes to hide the tears.”
I’ve never been more grateful for a glossary - such was the amount of terminology used. It was a glimpse into another world, complete with its own language. I can almost speak ‘submarine’ now, thanks to phrases like:
"On the roof" = being surfaced.
"Snorting" = operating diesel electric generators to charge a submarine’s batteries.
Unfortunately, the book frequently changed from past tense, to present tense - which I found jarring. Running Deep occasionally felt like a report (we did this, then did that) and was slightly too surface-level (no pun intended) for a memoir tackling such heavy topics. I would’ve liked to read more about Peter’s mental health journey, and how he overcame alcohol issues, instead of lengthy sections on Naval plans, submarine fleets, and other professional highlights.
Running Deep is about a world and way of life that few of us know. It explores leadership, sacrifice, inner conflict and finding the courage within ourselves to rise above our own battles. It will help Australians better understand why our submarine capabilities are integral to national security. It will also give greater understanding of the sacrifices made by those keeping us safe.
Thank you for your service, Commodore Peter Scott.
“In essence, we seek to see without being seen, hear without being heard and know without being known, until the day comes when we need to strike.”
Many thanks to Fremantle Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2023
Riveting! From the sensational edge of your seat cliff hanger in the opening sequence, to the raw revelation of personal demons, to the harsh appraisal of superior officers, this is a military memoir with fantastic leadership insights.
I read it in one sitting and could not put it down.
7 stars! Highly recommended. I look forward to having Peter ‘Scotty’ Scott back on the Zoe Routh Leadership Podcast to explore even deeper personal leadership insights.
I read it in one sitting and could not put it down.
7 stars! Highly recommended. I look forward to having Peter ‘Scotty’ Scott back on the Zoe Routh Leadership Podcast to explore even deeper personal leadership insights.
April 5, 2023
Incredible Story
Many thanks to Peter Scott for this deep insight into his personal life, Navy career, adventures under the waves, and time spent away from his family. (As a Vietnam veteran I have some idea of the strain that military service places on a family.) He should be very proud of his efforts as a submariner to improve the number of deployable boats and increase in his sailor’s pay and conditions. The procurement of modern nuclear submarines will increase the potency and importance of our undersea fleet.
Many thanks to Peter Scott for this deep insight into his personal life, Navy career, adventures under the waves, and time spent away from his family. (As a Vietnam veteran I have some idea of the strain that military service places on a family.) He should be very proud of his efforts as a submariner to improve the number of deployable boats and increase in his sailor’s pay and conditions. The procurement of modern nuclear submarines will increase the potency and importance of our undersea fleet.
March 29, 2023
Fantastic read. A raw and honest reflection of a Submarine Captain on his command. Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know not only what submarine life is like, but what it takes to lead a professional team in a trying and dangerous environment. DBF.
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April 19, 2024I discovered a few year ago that I am claustrophobic so I was intrigued to read this book and understand what it's like to live in a submarine. The very thought of getting into one with the knowledge that I may not get out of it for 3 months would totally stress me out. However for the men and women of our submarine fleet they clearly revel in it as well as the role they play in our national defense.
Peter Scott tells us the larrikin stories of his early days in the Navy; his lucky escape from a car crash to nearly missing his own engagement party due to disciplinary action taken after a wild run ashore in asia. He learns to buckle down and his drive, hard work and ambition take him to the most senior ranks of the submarine fleet in Australia. He still has his mishaps though and had to draw on his training and leadership abilities to deal with a fire in the sub and on another occasion crashing into the continental shelf. Nerves of steel!
The defense force has not been known for encouraging vulnerability, certainly not while Peter was trained, so the level of vulnerability he shows in this book is unexpected. He is clearly an advocate for improving the capability of Australia's submarine fleet and he gives an understanding as to why that is. I read this book not long before the AUKUS deal was announced so it helped me understand the issues surrounding our submarine fleet.
If you want to give some context to the AUKUS investment this is worth the read.
Peter Scott tells us the larrikin stories of his early days in the Navy; his lucky escape from a car crash to nearly missing his own engagement party due to disciplinary action taken after a wild run ashore in asia. He learns to buckle down and his drive, hard work and ambition take him to the most senior ranks of the submarine fleet in Australia. He still has his mishaps though and had to draw on his training and leadership abilities to deal with a fire in the sub and on another occasion crashing into the continental shelf. Nerves of steel!
The defense force has not been known for encouraging vulnerability, certainly not while Peter was trained, so the level of vulnerability he shows in this book is unexpected. He is clearly an advocate for improving the capability of Australia's submarine fleet and he gives an understanding as to why that is. I read this book not long before the AUKUS deal was announced so it helped me understand the issues surrounding our submarine fleet.
If you want to give some context to the AUKUS investment this is worth the read.
April 9, 2024
I really enjoyed this book by recently retired naval officer and submarine commander Peter Scott. I think that it is well written and I listened to the audio version narrated by Lockie Chapman who also did a great job. Scott describes his life as a naval officer and the his decision to speialise in submarines. It was awake-up for me of how little that I know about this squadron even though I have a military background. Whilst Scott doesn't talk about where the secret operational patrols are, he was very open with the reliability and maintenance problems with the Collins Class boats. For example, for one year, the crew of HMAS Collins had to live in Adelaide while the vessel was undergoing maintenance while their families were still living in Perth. It's not difficult to imagine the strain that this puts on the family life and contributes to the difficulty in recruiting and retaining crews for submarines. Scott is boldly open about his issues with alcohol abuse whilst ashore and also about his mental health. Again it's an interesting admission that someone with these problems can be such a high functioning person to command a vessel as perilous as a submarine. Highly recommended, particularly in the current environment of AUKUS and nuclear subs for Australia in the future.
April 4, 2024
A true reflection for polite company of life in boats
As a former Aussie Submariner myself who was there around the same time as the author's early years on Oberons and my own experience of the Collins Class I found this a factually and engaging read.
What Peter achieved in boats and for the RAN is remarkable and I thank him for the support and leadership that kept my brothers, and now sisters, in boats safe.
His descriptions of how emergencies are handled and how they impact the crew gets you close to being able to understand how significant a flood or fire can be. The only thing missing was the impact of a bad chef on a boat..
Being away from family and friends has and will continue to be a big challenge for all who go to sea, but I believe that boats, being a extremely different world to any that most would know, adds to the challenge. It is hard to describe what you do for 24 hours a day for weeks at a time at sea, making it harder to reconnect when you return home.
Thank you Sir for also including your demons in the book, these are too often over looked / omitted, but are a significant part of a Service Person's life.
Definitely worth a read!
As a former Aussie Submariner myself who was there around the same time as the author's early years on Oberons and my own experience of the Collins Class I found this a factually and engaging read.
What Peter achieved in boats and for the RAN is remarkable and I thank him for the support and leadership that kept my brothers, and now sisters, in boats safe.
His descriptions of how emergencies are handled and how they impact the crew gets you close to being able to understand how significant a flood or fire can be. The only thing missing was the impact of a bad chef on a boat..
Being away from family and friends has and will continue to be a big challenge for all who go to sea, but I believe that boats, being a extremely different world to any that most would know, adds to the challenge. It is hard to describe what you do for 24 hours a day for weeks at a time at sea, making it harder to reconnect when you return home.
Thank you Sir for also including your demons in the book, these are too often over looked / omitted, but are a significant part of a Service Person's life.
Definitely worth a read!
March 28, 2023
Peter Scott immersed himself into service - body, mind, heart and soul - as he rose to the top of Australia's elite Submarine Arm. Running Deep shares his naval journey; the nautical miles and trials that pushed him to his limits. 'Scotty' takes the reader with him on his raw and compelling quest to be the best he could be. Sharing his struggles on land and at sea, as he navigates a tidal pull between the two. A love of family and yearning for home gnawing daily at his passion and talent for submarining excellence. We ride his highs and lows, laid bare with his trademark clarity, humility and resolve. His courage and commitment. His development as a daring and compassionate leader. How he managed then tamed the mental crocodiles that salivated and snapped, rendering us proud that Scotty and many more brave souls strategically protect our shores.
October 13, 2025
The audiobook does a great job depicting the strong Australian accent and immediacy of the life in a “tin can”. Life in a submarine is not for the faint of heart nor those with claustrophobia, nor those who are not well trained or team players. The sheer amount of time away from family is a struggle unto itself and the thought of death by explosions, hull rupture, wrong carrying out of orders and a number of other possible adversarial problems greet you on this special branch of the Navy. it always seems that when not needed, the Navy ignores theses fine vessels buy, as the tides turn, they subs are prioritized but the ability to make these is still quite some time. Commodore Peter Scott applies his submarine and personal stories well to a interesting yet complex presentation on submarine life.
May 9, 2023
decent book good intro into an excelptionak career i. defence get a therapist really important high achieveing people seem to have this he also had a rough period where he was barley passing uni but somehow he just continued on and also had a lot of drinking problmens and speeding problems fanily is more important than career
July 27, 2024
I was initially sceptical that a naval service biography ( and mainly submarine in peace time) would be interesting....however the career arc of training and tests and family was absolutely engrossing.
Reading the challenges of Peter's career that occurs regularly (like every 2-3 years) keeps the reader on the edge of his seat / turning the pages .
This is a 5 star read
Reading the challenges of Peter's career that occurs regularly (like every 2-3 years) keeps the reader on the edge of his seat / turning the pages .
This is a 5 star read
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews