Amazon review:
U-571, The U.S.S. Nautilus was America's first atomic powered submarine. Developed by Admiral H. G. Rickover, "the father of nuclear submarines", it laid claim to another historical first by cruising under the Arctic ice cap from the Bering Strait to the Greenland sea, passing under the geographic North Pole in August of 1958. This is the story of that monumental voyage as told by her skipper, Commander William R. Anderson, U.S.N. Everyone with any interest in naval history and submarines needs a copy of this highly entertaining book. Bravo, Cmdr. Anderson on a well written account about a very dangerous mission and the brave men who took it in stride.
Submarine: An Anothology of First-Hand Accounts of the War Under the Sea (1939)
Amazon summary:
This collection of oral histories is the first book to bring together eyewitness accounts from almost every navy that deployed submarines in World War II. With self-deprecating modesty, humor, pride, sadness, and sometimes bitterness, submariners from Great Britain, Germany, the United States, Italy, France, the former USSR and Yugoslavia, Norway, Greece, Poland, the Netherlands, and Japan describe submarine life. From landing agents in enemy territory, laying mines, and being depth-charged, to distilling illicit alcohol, rescuing a cat, and treating appendicitis, the stories add an important personal dimension to the official operational record of WWII submarines. Arranged chronologically, the stories are given background and context by the editor for a full understanding of the contributions made by those who served beneath the waves.
The Real Book about Submarines (1962)
The Monitor and the Merrimac (1951, Landmark book)
Dust jacket notes: "In 1862 the Confederates built a startling kind of warship - an ironclad - designed to destroy the blockading Union fleet. But the Union Navy kept right up with them. It too built an ironclad - to make the blockade more perfect! When the two ships - the Union's Monitor and the Confederacy's Merrimac (or Virginia, to label her correctly) - met at Hampton Roads, the resulting battle became famous all over the world. It has been called a drawn battle, but the nimble Monitor had all the advantages, and it and its successors were able to keep the ports of the South closed more effectively than ever. For there was more than one monitor! The Monitor that engaged the Confederate ironclad in battle at Hampton Roads is the one best known to the average reader. However, it was only the first of a large family - all of them the products of the clever brain of an inventor named John Ericsson. Born in Sweden, John Ericsson was one of the thousands who have come from across the sea to enrich the United States with their ideas and skills. Fletcher Pratt also tells the story of the men who commanded the monitors and the ironclad vessels of the Confederate States. The pages of this book take us to Mobile Bay to hear Admiral Farragut's famous cry, 'D*** the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!' In the same battle, Captain Craven of the Tecumseh sacrifices his life to save the life of his pilot. There is stirring, authentic history in this account of a brilliant inventor, of proud ships, and of the stanch sailor-men who made up their crews."
The First Book of Submarines (1957)
My copy
Illustrated version
We Were There On the Nautilus (1961)
Summary: Through the experiences of three young sailors, the journey of the Nautilus is traced from Hawaii to England by way of the North Pole.
One I'm getting once I find a reasonable price for first edition hardcover:
Up Periscope (1956)
Good reads Summary:
The story 1943 - the Pacific War.
U.S. Submarine 'Shark' is gliding through enemy waters on a dangerous mission.
Ken Braden, young officer just out of the Underwater Demolition School, has to swim ashore to a Jap-held island, photograph a code and get back to the patrolling sub. - without detection.
This is one of the most exciting sea-stories of all time, written by a man who knows all about action.
It's not vintage but I'm interested in reading this one.
The Right Thing (2003)
The captain of the U.S.S. "Greeneville" reveals the untold story of the deadly collision of the nuclear submarine with a Japanese fishing vessel. His accountability, integrity, and religious conviction provides an inspiring challenge to anyone who is facing difficult choices in any area of life.
