Final Patrol: True Stories of World War II Submarines

by Don Keith

During World War II, the U.S. Navy's submarine service suffered the highest casualty percentage of all the American armed forces, losing one in five submariners.

But despite the odds, these underwater warriors accounted for almost 60 percent of Japanese shipping losses, and were a major factor in winning the war. 16 U.S. submarines - and one German U-Boat - that saw action during WWII are now open to the public. Most have been restored...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0451219511
• ISBN13: 9780451219510
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Dutton Caliber
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

happy customer

The book was shipped on time and the condition as described. I would gladly use this seller again in the future.

great book

for someone like myself who doesn't know much about subs, this book was a great overview of the remaining subs in america. very cool to know the amazing feats that took place on these few surviving war heroes. once you start it you can't put it down!

Life Histories of Surviving WW2 Subs!

Though small in number, U.S. submarines accounted for 55% of Japanese shipping losses in World War II. Few WW2-vintage subs survive to memoralize the gallant efforts of those men. The service careers of 16 U.S. and one German submarine who escaped the shipwrecker's torch to become memorials are chronicled in this account by author Don Keith. The 16 U. S. submarines covered in FINAL PATROL include both distinguished combat vets like 'Silversides,' 'Cavalla' and 'Batfish' and those boats commissioned too late to see combat. The 17th submarine is the German U-505. Keith relates the career of each boat in a workmanlike fashion. He also includes a very useful index describing Naval & Maritime Museums and Memorials and a brief summary of the 52 U. S. submarines lost in the war. Naval enthusiasts will enjoy this educational and informative book.

Great Information at Your Fingertips!

I have lots of submarine books, but this one gave me a real kick. You could spend ours on the internet to figure out which subs survive, their history, and where they are today. The author has put all of this at your fingertips, plus put a ton of information for contacts and web sites in the appendix. Each sub has a nice one page summary, also, which is a nice touch. I would like to have seen a few more photographs, although every sub is pictured. This really isn't a big deal, however, as the author provided so many web sites in the book, that he more than takes care of this aspect. Nicely done.

Great submarine stories from a war that actually had to be fought

This is an extremely interesting look at World War II submarines that nearly all made significant contributions to the outcome of the war. Better yet, the subs in this book are still around, converted to museums and open to the public. I've been to a few of the subs listed in this book, but I didn't get the full picture of exactly what they had done in the war until I picked this up. A must for any WWII buff.