Product Description

One of the great untold stories of the British services is that of the Royal Navy Submarine Service which entered the fray in World War I with 100 underwater craft. Through World War II, where submariners’ prospects of returning safely from a mission were only 50:50, the Falklands conflict and the sinking of the Belgrano, to present-day elite machines, the Silent Service has played an enormous part in British defence. John Parker’s in-depth investigation is very much personality led with diaries from the early part of the century to substantial first-person testimony from survivors of wartime heroics (when many VCs were won).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #240553 in Books
• Published on: 2002-06-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

About the Author
John Parker, a journalist and former Fleet Street editor, has undertaken many investigative projects in his writing career with topics ranging from the Mafia to Northern Ireland.

Customer Reviews

A highly readable account
A highly readable account covering the technology, politics, personalities and events which shaped the Royal Navy submarine service.

The personal testimony of numerous submariners brings home the bravery of the men who put to sea in these craft, and the tragedy that befell so many, particularly in the first half of the 20th century.

The technological progress from Britain's first Holland type submarines of 1901 (20m long, 120 tonnes) to the latest high-tech Trident vessels (150m long, 16,000 tonnes) is fascinating in itself.

This book has something to offer anyone interested in WW1, WW2, cold war or naval history.