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Nautilus 90 North
The commander of the first transpolar submarine voyage from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic relates the excitement and tension of the journey as the Nautilus approached the North Pole
251 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1959
3 people are currently reading
57 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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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
April 24, 2016
A quick but interesting read. Often, people strong in a field of endeavour aren't necessarily the best people to write about their achievements, regardless how extraordinary they are. William Anderson, as captain of the first nuclear submarine, is an exception to this rule. His writing is spare, wasting no time in flowery description but his story, told more than fifty ago and then under strict control by the US government, it could have been worse. He and his ghost writer - Clay Blair - provide a remarkable amount of the human touch behind what was a purely military PR exercise.
The journey by the Nautilus was designed to be a first for a country that had been caught with its technological pants down by the USSR's Sputnik. In traversing the north west passage and then spruiking the achievement to the world, they caused a massive ripple in the USSR ... much of their journey through the Arctic gave them a close and undetectable firing platform against Russia.
The journey by the Nautilus was designed to be a first for a country that had been caught with its technological pants down by the USSR's Sputnik. In traversing the north west passage and then spruiking the achievement to the world, they caused a massive ripple in the USSR ... much of their journey through the Arctic gave them a close and undetectable firing platform against Russia.
January 19, 2022
Nautilus 90 North is the story of the first submarine to complete a voyage under the North Pole. It's first-person, written by the Captain of the sub, and a great story, a trip back in time. It's a time when there was speculation about nuclear-powered cargo subs using the route pioneered by the Nautilus. Definitely a good read for anybody interested in history.
August 25, 2017
Story of the first submarine to cross under the North Pole. Nothing really dramatic ever happens, but still an enjoyable read.
May 25, 2022
It's what you might expect, a slow non-fiction read about a journey. Interesting information for those that are interested. But there is no intrigue, no wonder, no magic.
December 9, 2023
William R. Anderson's 1959 Nautilus 90 North, written with Clay Blair, Jr., gives the story of the top-secret mission of the first undersea crossing of the arctic ice pack aboard the American nuclear submarine U.S.S. Nautilus in 1958, a journey which not only crossed the top of the world but in fact did so by going directly under the North Pole.
The writing is rather prone to superlatives regarding this historic feat--a "great adventure" (World 1959 hardcover, page 16), "an unparalleled adventure" (page 70), and whatnot--but, sniff as we might from the Olympian vantage point of 60-odd years later, these are true. That is, while such a trip may seem obvious in broad theory, the details upon which 116 lives will depend include a helluva lot of unknowns. How deep, for example, is the Arctic Ocean?--certainly soundings have been mighty few and far between. Are there places where the ice of the polar cap presses too far down toward the bottom for safe maneuvering? How frequent are the polynyas, or open breaks in the ice, through which the vessel occasionally might surface in case of emergency?--aircraft overflights have given only spotty data which might not be applicable to the whole region. And how reliable are the new inertial navigation systems, really?--because if they are not, it would be very easy for a submarine traveling hundreds of miles at a time beneath the ice to lose its location completely, without knowing even which is the direction simply for retreat.
Anderson notes that in research for the possible mission, "[t]he gripping, dramatic story of man's effort to conquer the polar pack made good reading" (page 47). It is a dangerous, inhospitable place, after all, but proving a route under rather than over the ice would have its benefits as well. There are scientific observations to be made, of course, for "[t]he scientific information available...was conflicting, and confirmed--if confirmation is needed--that the Arctic is a virtually unexplored area. No two 'authorities' agreed on anything" (pages 47-48). Theoretically there may be long-range commercial benefits as well, as the author notes that "[w]hen and if nuclear submarines cargo submarines are built, the new route would cut 4,900 miles and thirteen days off the route from Japan to Europe" (page 224).
Yet foremost, naturally, especially at the height of the Cold War, are points of national advantage. Even simply the prestige of this "first" would be, according to Anderson, "dramatic proof of United States leadership in at least one important branch of science; and it would soon rank alongside or above the Russian sputnik in the minds of millions" (page 224). I think this latter may be a bit of whistling in the dark, but at least there is no denying the military advantage of having a nuclear sub explore beneath the Arctic ice.
The planned Polaris-carrying ballistic missile submarines will be soon to follow, after all, and there is "a growing fear that the Russians might dominate the area for the same purpose" (page 49). The painstaking secrecy of the mission is stressed throughout the book, from the involved cover stories to the various occasionally resulting amusements thereof. And at one point, in a surprisingly underplayed scene, in international waters off Siberia the sonar picks up something that "was not an American vessel" and also was of a "type of ship" the commander could identify immediately by both sonar and two-second periscope peek--meaning a Soviet vessel, and presumably not just some random freighter or tanker but a specific type of warship--and Anderson reports, "We returned to cruising depth immediately. I did not want to risk having my periscope sighted" (page 197).
Really, the book is a surprisingly entertaining account of an important and dangerous mission from an era decades before the mapping, communications relay, and GPS signals of orbiting satellites. There are Cold War tensions and military imperatives, along with some discussion of technology and geography, and yet it is a pleasantly personal account as well, one with quite a bit of humor and occasional self-deprecation. William R. Anderson's Nautilus 90 North, written with Clay Blair, Jr., will be 5-star read for anyone interested in naval matters, especially those relating to submarines, or in the Cold War.
The writing is rather prone to superlatives regarding this historic feat--a "great adventure" (World 1959 hardcover, page 16), "an unparalleled adventure" (page 70), and whatnot--but, sniff as we might from the Olympian vantage point of 60-odd years later, these are true. That is, while such a trip may seem obvious in broad theory, the details upon which 116 lives will depend include a helluva lot of unknowns. How deep, for example, is the Arctic Ocean?--certainly soundings have been mighty few and far between. Are there places where the ice of the polar cap presses too far down toward the bottom for safe maneuvering? How frequent are the polynyas, or open breaks in the ice, through which the vessel occasionally might surface in case of emergency?--aircraft overflights have given only spotty data which might not be applicable to the whole region. And how reliable are the new inertial navigation systems, really?--because if they are not, it would be very easy for a submarine traveling hundreds of miles at a time beneath the ice to lose its location completely, without knowing even which is the direction simply for retreat.
Anderson notes that in research for the possible mission, "[t]he gripping, dramatic story of man's effort to conquer the polar pack made good reading" (page 47). It is a dangerous, inhospitable place, after all, but proving a route under rather than over the ice would have its benefits as well. There are scientific observations to be made, of course, for "[t]he scientific information available...was conflicting, and confirmed--if confirmation is needed--that the Arctic is a virtually unexplored area. No two 'authorities' agreed on anything" (pages 47-48). Theoretically there may be long-range commercial benefits as well, as the author notes that "[w]hen and if nuclear submarines cargo submarines are built, the new route would cut 4,900 miles and thirteen days off the route from Japan to Europe" (page 224).
Yet foremost, naturally, especially at the height of the Cold War, are points of national advantage. Even simply the prestige of this "first" would be, according to Anderson, "dramatic proof of United States leadership in at least one important branch of science; and it would soon rank alongside or above the Russian sputnik in the minds of millions" (page 224). I think this latter may be a bit of whistling in the dark, but at least there is no denying the military advantage of having a nuclear sub explore beneath the Arctic ice.
The planned Polaris-carrying ballistic missile submarines will be soon to follow, after all, and there is "a growing fear that the Russians might dominate the area for the same purpose" (page 49). The painstaking secrecy of the mission is stressed throughout the book, from the involved cover stories to the various occasionally resulting amusements thereof. And at one point, in a surprisingly underplayed scene, in international waters off Siberia the sonar picks up something that "was not an American vessel" and also was of a "type of ship" the commander could identify immediately by both sonar and two-second periscope peek--meaning a Soviet vessel, and presumably not just some random freighter or tanker but a specific type of warship--and Anderson reports, "We returned to cruising depth immediately. I did not want to risk having my periscope sighted" (page 197).
Really, the book is a surprisingly entertaining account of an important and dangerous mission from an era decades before the mapping, communications relay, and GPS signals of orbiting satellites. There are Cold War tensions and military imperatives, along with some discussion of technology and geography, and yet it is a pleasantly personal account as well, one with quite a bit of humor and occasional self-deprecation. William R. Anderson's Nautilus 90 North, written with Clay Blair, Jr., will be 5-star read for anyone interested in naval matters, especially those relating to submarines, or in the Cold War.
June 16, 2023
I was told I had to read this before the Nautilus reunion or I couldn’t go. I found it really interesting and easy to read. I liked the pictures, and the stories about the crew. And that they got to watch a new movie everyday, and had an onboard newspaper. Also, the lengths they went through to keep it TOP SECRET. So there was a lot I liked. Thanks Clara.
July 10, 2012
I just finished Nautilus 90 North by William Anderson, which a friend found on the free shelf at the library and gave to me. Anderson captained the nuclear submarine Nautilus during its 1958 voyage from Seattle to England…by traveling underneath the north pole. Doesn’t get much cooler than that, literally or figuratively. A major reason for this little jaunt underneath the polar ice cap? Just to see if they could do it. The captain mentions something about scientific research and possible military advantages (they pop up through a hole in the ice at one point, and he muses to himself that it would be a good location from which to launch guided missiles at Russia), but it all sounds suspiciously like a cloak for exploratory glee, which makes me very happy. The book is quite light-hearted, and makes it sound like life on the Nautilus was pretty darn nice. Come on, guys, let’s go steal a nuclear sub and go fishing.
May 10, 2014
I've seen the newspaper articles about the first trans-arctic submarine tour and I am very familiar with modern submarines in the Arctic but I had never read a detailed account of the Nautilus' historic trip until I found this little book in a used book store.
This is not a detailed, scientific, "all the inner workings" book. It is very much a work of popular non-fiction by the Nautilus' captain, Commander William Anderson in which he tells the tale of the trip from his own perspective. Interestingly, the bulk of the book isn't even about the trip-it's about Anderson's indoctrination into Rickover's nuclear program and the road to the Arctic.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a fast, educational, and fun read into the early days of both the nuke program and Arctic exploration,
This is not a detailed, scientific, "all the inner workings" book. It is very much a work of popular non-fiction by the Nautilus' captain, Commander William Anderson in which he tells the tale of the trip from his own perspective. Interestingly, the bulk of the book isn't even about the trip-it's about Anderson's indoctrination into Rickover's nuclear program and the road to the Arctic.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a fast, educational, and fun read into the early days of both the nuke program and Arctic exploration,
September 12, 2010
An exciting page turner giving insight into a marvelous age when good was good. I read this book in just two settings as it is short at only 138 pages. However, every page is packed with observations into a real (sci-fi) world of 1950's submarine adventure.
February 10, 2013
A high spirited account of a fantastic voyage. Apart from telling about the achievement of journeying beneath the ice to the North Pole for the first time, it also provides a reminder of attitudes and perspectives in Eisenhower America.
February 1, 2013
Great book loved everything about it but since my first cousin once removed was the chief nuclear engineer on board that prejudice my opinion.
January 20, 2015
Read this at high school. Still have it!!
Read
April 20, 2016Read this in the 90's. Remember little other than that I enjoyed it. Interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews