Review by Booklist Review
Rather than becoming an anachronism, submarines, according to these two officers now retired from submarine service with Britain's Royal Navy, are the weapon/deterrent of the future. The authors emphasize the danger and value (speaking from the perspective of NATO) of such tactical forces elements that they believe are being overlooked in the current space race. After describing the basic technology, operations, and displacement of submarines presently in international use, the authors probe at least four decades into the future with considerations of how submarines could be used in the twenty-first century. A thoughtful and provocative study. Notes; to be indexed. DPD. 359.9 Submarine warfare / Anti-submarine warfare [CIP] 86-7912
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The authorsvintage British submarinersinsist that there's no area of geostrategic decision-making in which it is more vitally urgent ``to determine the facts and discard the abundant fictions'' than in underwater warfare. Such is their aim in this wide-ranging and authoritative study, which takes a close look at underwater weaponry and defenses, their present and potential capabilities, and their probable employment in time of war. Moore and Compton-Hall clarify the comparative vulnerability of the land and sea components of the U.S. nuclear triad, as opposed to the U.S. submarine fleet, which they point out is by far ``the most dependable and convincing leg'' of that triad. Further, they consider ``unassailable'' arguments in favor of the U.S. Navy's role as a force maintaining the nuclear balance for the entire free world. Nonspecialist readers will discover in these pages a rich mixture of submarine history, a survey of sub fleets around the world and a thorough explication of the central place of submarines in geopolitical strategy. Photos. (March 31) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
This is a welcome and needed survey of the history and probable future of submarine warfare by two British naval officers. They contend that underwater warfare is generally misunderstood by decision-makers and the public and that few comprehend how crucial submarines are for defense in both the Western and Soviet arsenals. Their goal is to set out the facts and to destroy the many fictions. They give information on all types of submarines and on all nations that maintain submarine forces. The authors largely succeed in clarifying the role of submarines. Their well-organized and well-written work will appeal to readers with an interest in naval affairs, and librarians will find it a useful reference for its history and descriptions. For academic and public libraries. Edward Gibson, Union Coll. Lib., Barbourville, Ky . (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A refreshing change of pace from the recent spate of books on space warfare and Star Wars. This is, instead, an argument that the wave of the future in warfare is under the seas. Moore, editor of Jane's Fighting Ships and former commander of seven submarines, and Compton-Hall, director of England's Submarine Museum, demonstrate how, almost unbeknownst to the general public, the Soviets and the Western Allies rely heavily on the submarine as their most effective weapon (there are two to three hundred submarines constantly at sea, most fully armed). Most of their activity is, by its nature, concealed and these activities range from ""deploying, patrolling, listening, watching and waiting for action; submerged intelligence gatherers; midget intruder oceanographical and oceanological vehicles; pipe-line and cable layers with attendant mini-subs; mine-layers and mine hunters; oil rigs and mining installations; and fixed ground acoustic surveillance arrays."" The authors quickly devolve into presenting this as an ""everything-you-ever. wanted-to-know. . .""-type of book. Everything from tactics of underwater warfare (torpedoes, anti-air missiles, mines) to types of propulsion to weapons system development (anti-surface torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine assault swimmers, etc.) to a rundown of each country's naval capabilities. One benefit of the authors' analysis is that the old naval concept of counting ships seems to be out the window. ""With modern techniques and weapons, a smaller navy with several high-performance ships and craft could well turn out the victor if engaged by a much larger fleet of elderly vessels."" For military buffs only. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by Kirkus Book Review
