Need help choosing Sub book

[CaptRari]

Hi mates,

After playing Sh4 (my first sub game) i have become fascinated with submarine warfare and would like to know anyone could recommed a good sub book or two to sastisfy my new found love?:arrgh!:

Thus far, my list of books im considering are: 1) Silent Hunters: German uboats commanders of WW II (theodore savas) 2)Hunt and Kill:U 505 & Uboat War in Atlantic and 3) Iron Coffins: a personal account of German Uboat Battles of WWII

Any input would be greatly appreciated!:yep:

[tater]

Silent Victory by Clay Blair is a great total overview of the USN sub war in the Pacific.

Silent Running, by James Calvert is a great personal account of an officer on a fleet boat.

[AVGWarhawk]

Submarine.
Silent Running.
Final Patrol.
Clear the Bridge.
Wake of the Wahoo.

All good. For more titles and great prices....Amazon.com Books. Type in search for submarines. Numerous titles. This were I get mine. I have not see Border Books store since I started with Amazon. :up:

[Canonicus]

I recommend... "U.S. Submarine Operations in WWII" by Theodore Roscoe

Not so much a definitive history but a interesting and enjoyable narrative. Nice original artwork and maps too.

[mookiemookie]

It depends on if you're looking for U-boats or U.S. subs in the Pacific

As far as U-boats go, Iron Coffins is a great read. Also good is Operation Drumbeat by Michael Gannon about the time when Germany sent U-boats to the east coast of the U.S.

Blair's Silent Victory is awesome for a blow by blow account of the U.S. sub war, as are both volumes of his Hitler's U-Boat War for the German side, but they are not written in narrative style and while comprehensive, can be a bit dry in parts.

I'd go with Clear the Bridge, or even The Bravest Man by William Tuohy. Both are about Dick O'Kane, one of the great U.S. skippers of WW2. Great reads, both of them.

[AVGWarhawk]

Torpedo Junction is probably the best book on U-boat warfare off the eastern US.

[mookiemookie]

Torpedo Junction is probably the best book on U-boat warfare off the eastern US.
Liar. :p

Torpedoes in the Gulf by Melanie Wiggins

[RENEGADE-623]

i read the run silent run deep series by edward l beach, just now picked up the bravest man from our px here in iraq, so going to dive into that one

[apojacks]

Silent Victory is good if you want an overall view of submarine warfare in WWII.

[howler93]

After reading many books on the subject, I think the best one I've read, by far, was Thunder Below by Egene Fluckey about his command of the Barb. Silent Victory, while certainly informative, gets a bit tedious after awhile. A book like Thunder Below really brought sub ops to life for me. It's well written and I guarentee you that you'll want to take command of the Barb yourself in SH4 after reading it! O'Kane's Wahoo was also pretty good, but lacking the flavor that Fluckey brings in Thunder Below. Regardless, enjoy! :up:

Howler :arrgh!:

[rrmelend]

My personal favorite is "Sink 'Em All" by the man himself, Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, Jr., USN. It can be hard to find but I believe there are some paperbacks still around and you can always check on ebay, that's how I got my first edition hardcover.

[Peto]

I recommend... "U.S. Submarine Operations in WWII" by Theodore Roscoe

Not so much a definitive history but a interesting and enjoyable narrative. Nice original artwork and maps too.

This is the book that most WWII Sub Vets like best,dfficult to find though and you can't borrow my copy ;) .

Iron Coffins (Herbert Werner): Semi historical and Very personal Account of U-boats in WWII. Very Good

U-Boat Commander (Peter Cremer: U-333): Historical and personal account. Very good technical details about u-boats and Allied ASW measures. Describes being on the receiving end of one of Jonnie Walker's "Buttercup" attacks.

Torpedo Junction (Homer H. Hickam Jr): Good read about u-boat onslaught against the US East Coast.

Hitler's U-boat War (Clay Blair): Very Good resource material. The only book I've read that gives detailed reasons why Adm King could NOT do a better job against the U-boat attack on the US east Coast in early 42.

Silent Victory (Clay Blair): 2 volume account of US submarines. Very good!

Warfish (George Grider): A good read
Clear the Bridge (Richard O'Kane)
Silent Running (James Calvert)
Thunder Below (Eugene Fluckey--my only autographed copy :up:)

(and not at my finger-tips for author)
Convoy--about the battle for Convoys SC122 and HX229 March 43
Hunter Killer--about HK groups in the Atlantic. Much use of the FIDO US homing torpedo against u-boats.

That's my short list ;) .

Happy reading!

Peto

[dean_acheson]

Hi mates,

After playing Sh4 (my first sub game) i have become fascinated with submarine warfare and would like to know anyone could recommed a good sub book or two to sastisfy my new found love?:arrgh!:

Thus far, my list of books im considering are: 1) Silent Hunters: German uboats commanders of WW II (theodore savas) 2)Hunt and Kill:U 505 & Uboat War in Atlantic and 3) Iron Coffins: a personal account of German Uboat Battles of WWII

Any input would be greatly appreciated!:yep:

I'd try something by Dick O'Kane, esp. if you are playing a U.S. Boat, if you are into SH3, then some of this German history would be a bit more applicable.

[dean_acheson]

Is Clay Blair still around? Has anybody here met the man?

[Peto]

I never met him. Would have liked to.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9905EFDD143CF933A15751C1A96E9582 60

[mrbeast]

War in the Boats by Wiliam J. Ruhe is a good read, especially his experiances on S boats.

Run Silent, Run Deep by Edward L. Beach, is a classic and although its a ficticious story, Beach served on fleet boats during the war and much of the story is based on RL events. Its a very good introduction to US subs and a good read too. Plus you will know all about 'Bungo Pete' by the end of it! Its the first book I read on the subject of US subs.

Silent Victory by Clay Blair, as has already been mentioned, is essential reading, I'm halfway through it at the moment.

If you are looking for an accessable technical book about fleet boats, try the Osprey New Vanguard book on US subs 1941 to 1945. Its easy to read and is well illustrated. However it doesn't go into great depth about the subject.

As for U boats

Das Boot by Lothar-Gunther Buchheim (who sadly died just recently) is the classic sub novel. A very good read and plenty to get through too. It forms the basis of the eponimous film which is possibly the best naval film ever made sub or surface IMO!

Iron Coffins By Herbert A. Werner is also a very goo read, as has been said its a very personal account of the U boat war. It can also be a devastating read as you find out what happened to U boats in 1943! Werner could possibly be the luckiest U boat commander of the war and one of the few to survive it.

Thats pretty much my reading list at the moment.

[dean_acheson]

Read Silent Victory a couple of times.

If one really wants to read the Grail, though, of the US Navy, it will always be Samuel Eliot Morison. EVERY FREAKING VOLUME. I'm getting closer and closer.....

[Gunner]

Just orderd a copy of U.S. subs Down Under {Brisbane, 1942-1945} by David Jones and Peter Nunan .Aussie writers tell story of the first Sboats to arrive in 42 to stories of USS Wahoo, Growler, Flying fish. The comadry between the mericans and the Aussies. Should be an interesting read :arrgh!:

[Chock]

Since your new love is American, and not a Frauline, the choices are slightly more limited, there are way many more books on U-Boats than US Fleet Boats, which is annoying, but there you go. However, if it's technical info you crave, I can definitely recommend both the Osprey range of books and the Squadron/Signal ones too, they are aimed primarily at modelers, providing details on where everything is etc, but they do still contain a lot of great info, history and detail on what is what on a submarine and have loads of great pictures, they are cheap too, some links here:

http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/product.php?productid=53666&cat=0&page=1

http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/product.php?productid=45966&cat=0&page=1

If it's reading of their exploits you seek, then there are a number of biographies and autobiographies by famous Sub skippers, this is a good site for stuff like that, also sells memorabilia:

http://sonic.net/~books/

If it's tactics you are after, then books on German subs are well worth reading about too, as a good tactic, is a good tactic whatever flag you fly. So things like Iron Coffins, Das Boot etc etc, are all worth checking out.

:D Chock

[Skyhawk]

"A Time to Die: The Untold Story of the Kursk Tragedy" by Robert Moore

This book is a must read imho no matter which side of "the pond" you are from. A true story from the modern era of submarines.

Regards,

"Skyhawk"

[sniperpr1]

I recommend "Red Scorpion" it's about the war patrols of the USS Rasher. Excellent book...

[shoot-kill-win]

"War under the Pacific" by Time Life, it details U.S. Subs in the Pacific, and a little on Japanese submarines.
"Batfish" by Hughtson Lowder, about the one and only Champion submarine killing submarine of WWII

[Ridgeback]

Another vote for 'Thunder below' by Eugene Fluckey. Now that I'm in to SH4 I'm re-reading it (this is the third time around) and it still doesn't lose its appeal.

It is written mainly in the first person by Fluckey, who was captain of the USS Barb in 1944-1945, but is backed up by historical information obtained from the japanese post-war, crew diaries, etc..

The book is sub-titled "The USS Barb revolutionises submarine warfare in WW2" and it is quite apparent Fluckey and his crew did just that. It is quite simply just a great story about a great man, great crew and great sub.

My second favourite is the old classic "Sun Silent Run Deep". Again an excellent book written by an author who knows their stuff

[Melonfish]

if your into german subs have a read of "black May" by michael Gannon very good book on the battle for the atlantic and the turning point in may 43 (black may)

pete

[The Bandit]

Recently I just got most of Beach's books other than submarine, which I plan to get soon, and Pigboat 39, really good story about the career of the USS S-39. I plan on getting Norman Friedman's book about US Submarine design up to 1945 soon. I already got his Post 45 book, all I can say is AWSOME!!!

[dean_acheson]

Friedman's book are only for the serious student. I wouldn't drop him on somebody unless they wanted to do some rivet counting.

Having said that, I did read the pre-45 edition.

[nikimcbee]

Hi mates,

After playing Sh4 (my first sub game) i have become fascinated with submarine warfare and would like to know anyone could recommed a good sub book or two to sastisfy my new found love?:arrgh!:

Thus far, my list of books im considering are: 1) Silent Hunters: German uboats commanders of WW II (theodore savas) 2)Hunt and Kill:U 505 & Uboat War in Atlantic and 3) Iron Coffins: a personal account of German Uboat Battles of WWII

Any input would be greatly appreciated!:yep:

I can help:|\\ , give me a minute to post the library pix.:hmm:

[odjig292]

Some great selections here.. including some new ones I've missed.

If you want some good reading from the U-Boat killer side, my recommendations are Walker RN, (about Johnny Walker, the ace U-boat killer), Convoy Commander (U-Boat Killer in paperback) about Donald MacIntyre,RN and Dan Gallery's U-505 (already on your list). Iron Coffins is one of my favorites from the U-Boat side. Roscoe's U.S Submarines in WWI is the classic although reading a 600+ page book in bed is never easy. Enjoy! You have hours of interesting reading ahead of you.

[nikimcbee]

Hi mates,

After playing Sh4 (my first sub game) i have become fascinated with submarine warfare and would like to know anyone could recommed a good sub book or two to sastisfy my new found love?:arrgh!:

Thus far, my list of books im considering are: 1) Silent Hunters: German uboats commanders of WW II (theodore savas) 2)Hunt and Kill:U 505 & Uboat War in Atlantic and 3) Iron Coffins: a personal account of German Uboat Battles of WWII

Any input would be greatly appreciated!:yep:

I can help:|\\ , give me a minute to post the library pix.:hmm:

Help yourself:|\\ to the McBee library:know:
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[nikimcbee]

Fixed Bump

[mookiemookie]

great collection there

Another I missed was Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson. Not so much about the war per se, but about the discovery of the wreck of the U-Who (don't want to give away the ending! ;)) off the coast of New Jersey. I enjoyed reading about that quite a bit as I had little understanding of the dangers of wreck diving. That book makes it very clear and reads like a mystery!

[odjig292]

I agree with Mookiemookie that Shadow Divers is an excellent read. It ranks with the search for the Scorpion, or if you really want to back in time Edward Ellsberg's On the Bottom about the salvage of the S-51 off Block Island.

[nikimcbee]

great collection there

Another I missed was Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson. Not so much about the war per se, but about the discovery of the wreck of the U-Who (don't want to give away the ending! ;)) off the coast of New Jersey. I enjoyed reading about that quite a bit as I had little understanding of the dangers of wreck diving. That book makes it very clear and reads like a mystery!

Great Book! I have the book on tape:up: At the end, there is an interview with the 2 divers. I wonder if they hang out at subsim? (the divers):hmm: