The Navy Times Book of Submarines: A Political, Social Andmilitary His

by Brayton Harris

Book Overview

Shattering long-held myths and misunderstandings, author Brayton Harris traces the development of the submarine through an era in which writers of fiction saw the merits better than most professionals-until the Germans almost won World War I. He covers the professional and political arrogance that delayed antisubmarine development for so long that German submarines almost won World War II as well, and examines post-war progress toward the truly awesome...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425178382
• ISBN13: 9780425178386
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 448 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Highly recommended look at political and social issues

While much of any history of submarines will focus on things mechanical, this book goes much farther and more than justifies its sub-title, "A Political, Social and Military History." I was fascinated to see that the political and social aspects of military systems -- or strategies -- have not changed much over the four hundred or so years covered by this book. A comment on comments of "Reader from Rochester" who offered an unflattering review -- where Reader found "superior attitude," I found (and enjoyed) sardonic humour. Be that as it may, Reader ought to hire-out as a professional copy editor, because the irritating errors he spotted (i.e., typos) obviously slid by the publisher's fact-checkers and proofreaders. As for the 3"/50 caliber deck gun -- that's a designation used for naval guns, where "caliber" is the length of the barrel measured as a multiple of the diameter of the bore. Thus, in this instance, a 3" bore and a 150" tube. Obviously, the publisher's copy editor didn't understand this, either, and stuck a period in front of the 50.

From Publisher's Weekly 11/10/97

.. . Harris's overview proves a useful guide to a mass of data and doctrine frequently forbidding to nonspecialists. The book's strongest feature is its narratives of German U-boat operations in the world wars. These emphasize the submarine's role as an economy-of-force weapon for lesser naval powers and the contingency of allied victory in both campaigns. Harris later develops the subject of preparedness more directly, assessing innovations recently made by the Russians and insisting that nuclear boats remain inherently superior to even the best modern diesel designs and should therefore be central to the U.S. Navy's procurement program. Elsewhere, Harris downplays the "official" point of view. This fact enhances his study as a counterpoint to Dan van der Vat's British-accented Stealth at Sea and as a useful, if unbalanced, popular introduction to the subject.

A fascinating look at a very mis-understood subject.

I picked up this title to round out my collection--and discovered that it seems to have made some portions of "my collection" obsolete. Following Harris's lead, I could see where a lot of other authors, including several who are very well-known today, seem to have been copying each other without making any apparent effort to check their facts. Oh, there may be some errors in this book; I found one--the WWII USS Nautilus probably did not "give the coup de grace to the crippled Japanese carrier Soryu," although a lot of authors have also said so. Whatever--this is not only a "must have" for any serious student of naval warfare--but is actually an enjoyable read.

Excellent Overview of the History of the Submarine

I have read nearly every decent book you can get on U-boats and submarine warfare during WWI and WWII. This new book is one of the better books that offers you a more complete understanding of their historical background and role. Most people know about the U-boats and the terrible campaign they waged against Merchant shipping during both World Wars but who knows about the very early submarines, their sometimes unfortunate crews and their inventors. This was a great story and I was unsure if I would find the history behind the submarine as interesting as its role in naval warfare but I did. The author tells a great story that never gets boring and keeps you reading page after page with interesting bits of information and first hand accounts of those involved. I found this book easy to read and it was a joy to lay back and read a few pages each night.

Surprisingly interesting for a non-specialist.

I gave this book to my father -- a World War II Merchant Mariner, who came under frequent U-boat attack. But I read it first, and was amazed at the range and depth of the material. I learned more about submarine -- and anti-submarine -- warfare from this book than I ever had in 25 years as a naval officer! And, I must say, I enjoyed the journey. Captain Kathleen Kelley, USNR