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Ghost boat
A World War II submarine, lost 30 years, returns on a deadly mission. A spellbinding novel that voyages into the very heart of the Devil's Triangle mystery.
412 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1976
7 people are currently reading
141 people want to read
About the author
George E. Simpson
16 books3 followersUS author, film scriptwriter and sound effects editor who worked with Universal Studios for several years. With Neal R Burger (1931-2005) he wrote three sf novels, all with a strong espionage-thriller flavour.
Ghostboat (1976) centres on the submarine USS Candlefish, believed lost during World War Two, which reappears in modern times minus her crew. The solution of this mystery involves an uneasy mix of Timeslip and supernatural elements, leading to a grim but predictable resolution. Thin Air (1978) is based on the supposed 1943 "Philadelphia Experiment" attempt to render a US warship invisible (see Invisibility); decades later, the protagonist's investigation uncovers secret ongoing Matter Transmission experiments that began during the war years.
Fair Warning (1980) is an Alternate History tale involving efforts by US General George Marshall and US Secretary of State Henry Stimson (without President Harry Truman's knowledge) to avoid the use of the atomic bomb against Japan by convincing them to surrender; Josef Stalin becomes involved in an effort to steal the weapon for the USSR. Together,
Ghostboat (1976) centres on the submarine USS Candlefish, believed lost during World War Two, which reappears in modern times minus her crew. The solution of this mystery involves an uneasy mix of Timeslip and supernatural elements, leading to a grim but predictable resolution. Thin Air (1978) is based on the supposed 1943 "Philadelphia Experiment" attempt to render a US warship invisible (see Invisibility); decades later, the protagonist's investigation uncovers secret ongoing Matter Transmission experiments that began during the war years.
Fair Warning (1980) is an Alternate History tale involving efforts by US General George Marshall and US Secretary of State Henry Stimson (without President Harry Truman's knowledge) to avoid the use of the atomic bomb against Japan by convincing them to surrender; Josef Stalin becomes involved in an effort to steal the weapon for the USSR. Together,
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
June 22, 2016
Kitabın ilk sayfalarında kullanılan donanma dili bu sayfaları anlaşılması güç kılsa da, dile alıştıkça durum değişiyor. Bemuda Şeytan Üçgeni gibi jeomanyetik alanları temel alıp ve zaman kaymaları ile renklendirilmiş, temposu oldukça yüksek, dili akıcı ve başarılı bir bilim-kurgu.
November 18, 2015
Excellent book. Really made you feel as though you were on a submarine. The writers were very good at creating and building tension.
March 31, 2018
I will not be beaten by this book,
I will not be beaten by this book,
What do you mean its took five months to read, ha ha ha I beat you,
I think 🤔
I will not be beaten by this book,
What do you mean its took five months to read, ha ha ha I beat you,
I think 🤔
December 12, 2023
Visit JetBlackDragonfly (The Man Who Read Too Much) at www.edenthompson.ca/blog
Ghost Boat by George E. Simpson and Neal R. Burger, is exactly the type of adventure I like. It was published in 1976, when I was beginning to collect books of my own. I often discover paperbacks I remember seeing from that time, and am excited to experience them... books like Sargasso, and The Deep. Ghost Boat certainly lived up to my expectations, a satisfying thriller with a science fiction twist.
December 11, 1944. The American submarine U.S.S. Candlefish on patrol in the Pacific disappears in a freak electrical storm, including all crew except for one man who was trapped on deck.
October 6, 1974. Six-hundred miles northwest of Pearl Harbour, the Candlefish surfaces in perfect working order, empty, in pristine condition. Naval Intelligence Officer Ed Frank seizes the opportunity to prove his unpopular theory that another 'Devil's Triangle' type geomagnetic anomaly exists where the sub and many other ships have gone down. The plan: retrace the course of the Candlefish with the same crew component, the top men in their fields, exactly as described in the Captain's log. Will they discover what actually happened? The wild card aboard is the original crew member, Jack Hardy, now a famous Oceanographer. As the sub follows course, odd things begin happening, small enough to be barely noticed. The Captain's log book alters itself, crew members behave more like the original crew than themselves, and a dense fog cuts communication - plunging them back in time to be attacked by the Japanese in 1945! Could this be really happening, are they under a spell? The resolution when we find out why they were lured out in the Candlefish is exciting and very satisfying!
Full of great characters, this is a solid balance of technical Navy jargon and the hierarchy of a submarine crew, while not getting bogged down by it. The plot is taken seriously while remaining at its core a time travel fantasy with supernatural overtones. It's a guy's book (there are no female characters), with an enjoyable level of 1970's technical sophistication - this is still nuts and bolts, no computers or satellites. It hits all the right notes.
Sometimes you want a submarine adventure, cruising into a freaky paranormal storm where things are not what they seem... into a time warp itself!
I recommend this novel. For me, it's a keeper.
This was made into a TV movie in 2006. Simpson and Burger also co-wrote The Disappearance of Flight 412 (disappearing plane, also made into a film) and Thin Air (disappearing aircraft carrier).
Ghost Boat by George E. Simpson and Neal R. Burger, is exactly the type of adventure I like. It was published in 1976, when I was beginning to collect books of my own. I often discover paperbacks I remember seeing from that time, and am excited to experience them... books like Sargasso, and The Deep. Ghost Boat certainly lived up to my expectations, a satisfying thriller with a science fiction twist.
December 11, 1944. The American submarine U.S.S. Candlefish on patrol in the Pacific disappears in a freak electrical storm, including all crew except for one man who was trapped on deck.
October 6, 1974. Six-hundred miles northwest of Pearl Harbour, the Candlefish surfaces in perfect working order, empty, in pristine condition. Naval Intelligence Officer Ed Frank seizes the opportunity to prove his unpopular theory that another 'Devil's Triangle' type geomagnetic anomaly exists where the sub and many other ships have gone down. The plan: retrace the course of the Candlefish with the same crew component, the top men in their fields, exactly as described in the Captain's log. Will they discover what actually happened? The wild card aboard is the original crew member, Jack Hardy, now a famous Oceanographer. As the sub follows course, odd things begin happening, small enough to be barely noticed. The Captain's log book alters itself, crew members behave more like the original crew than themselves, and a dense fog cuts communication - plunging them back in time to be attacked by the Japanese in 1945! Could this be really happening, are they under a spell? The resolution when we find out why they were lured out in the Candlefish is exciting and very satisfying!
Full of great characters, this is a solid balance of technical Navy jargon and the hierarchy of a submarine crew, while not getting bogged down by it. The plot is taken seriously while remaining at its core a time travel fantasy with supernatural overtones. It's a guy's book (there are no female characters), with an enjoyable level of 1970's technical sophistication - this is still nuts and bolts, no computers or satellites. It hits all the right notes.
Sometimes you want a submarine adventure, cruising into a freaky paranormal storm where things are not what they seem... into a time warp itself!
I recommend this novel. For me, it's a keeper.
This was made into a TV movie in 2006. Simpson and Burger also co-wrote The Disappearance of Flight 412 (disappearing plane, also made into a film) and Thin Air (disappearing aircraft carrier).
June 29, 2021
The US submarine Candlefish set out into the Pacific in 1944, never to be seen or heard from again... until a random day in 1974 when it resurfaces in the Pacific, right in front of a freighter. Ed Frank of the Naval Investigative Service is put in charge of investigating. Adding to the mystery: there are no bodies. No signs of life. It's just a completely empty sub still in perfect 1944 condition. It's not even rusted, and has no barnacles. Frank's idea for investigating: take a crew back out on the sub to the same location where it disappeared in 1944. Has he discovered a second "Bermuda Triangle"? Will the crew survive? Will the sub hold up? Incorporating time travel, mystery, WWII, and adventure, this book was a surprisingly entertaining read.
September 6, 2017
I've read similar books about going back in time, etc, and this book didn't really measure up plot-wise. Some of the characters were interesting, but the "switch" could have been done much better, I think.
One thing that the authors seemed to do very well was the technical aspect of living and fighting on a submarine (says an Army guy who has only been in the Bowfin in Pearl Harbor). I don't know if it is real, but it seemed to fit along with other great submarine combat books I have read over the years.
Overall, not a bad timewaster, but I have read far better novels in this genre.
One thing that the authors seemed to do very well was the technical aspect of living and fighting on a submarine (says an Army guy who has only been in the Bowfin in Pearl Harbor). I don't know if it is real, but it seemed to fit along with other great submarine combat books I have read over the years.
Overall, not a bad timewaster, but I have read far better novels in this genre.
June 11, 2019
I purchased the book when it first came out as a vacation read. I rank it near the John D McDonald Travis McGee series.
Ghost Boat isn't literary fiction. It is for all intents pulp fiction, but enjoyably entertaining pulp fiction.
Ghost Boat isn't literary fiction. It is for all intents pulp fiction, but enjoyably entertaining pulp fiction.
November 25, 2020
Bermuda Şeytan Üçgeni'nin popüler olduğu dönemde yayınlanan bu roman gizemli konulara meraklı okuyucuların epey ilgisini çekmişti.
Ben de 80'lerin ikinci yarısında sahaflardan alarak okumuştum. Macera sevenlerin seveceği kolay okunan bir kitap.
Ben de 80'lerin ikinci yarısında sahaflardan alarak okumuştum. Macera sevenlerin seveceği kolay okunan bir kitap.
October 24, 2021
The first half of the book was a chore but overall the story developed nicely.
December 26, 2022
Great story. Re-read after 40 years. Brilliant then. Brilliant still.
July 9, 2024
A cracking read - well written and full of drama and suspense, this is a ghost story with a difference.
I really enjoyed this page-turner of a novel.
I really enjoyed this page-turner of a novel.
June 3, 2025
Read in the 70’’s.
January 3, 2024
An old WWII submarine that disappeared mysteriously appears 30 years later, in pristine condition without any remnants of the old lost crew. Now it's a "Ghost Boat."
Naval Intelligence Officer Ed Frank takes this opportunity to work on his theory of existing strange phenomenon and anomalies occurring in the Devils Triangle. Somehow (I think I skipped the how part), he convinces the Navy to re-enact the subs' last mission route with a new crew. Oh, Boy, and they find one actual survivor to aid them on their journey.
Semi thrilling, slow moving, a little horrific.
To the Recycle bin.
2 1/2 stars.
Naval Intelligence Officer Ed Frank takes this opportunity to work on his theory of existing strange phenomenon and anomalies occurring in the Devils Triangle. Somehow (I think I skipped the how part), he convinces the Navy to re-enact the subs' last mission route with a new crew. Oh, Boy, and they find one actual survivor to aid them on their journey.
Semi thrilling, slow moving, a little horrific.
To the Recycle bin.
2 1/2 stars.
June 21, 2023
(2023] I made the mistake of trying to read William Gibson’s The Peripheral to see if the show would make any sense (nope on both counts), and damn if that guy can trigger a reader’s block. His stuff sucks the reading soul out of me. When I get reader’s block, I’ll resort to rereading “comfort books” to give it a kick again. And double damn if his stuff drove me so far down that I didn’t want to read any of those! So I pulled this one out and and slowly making my way back to sanity.
This time through I observed a few other things than the past.
I looked up SS-284 and was surprised to learn that it was the Tullibee - my brother served on the second of that name. That poor WWII sub had the ignominious fame of sinking itself when its torpedo missed a target and circled around to go boom where it shouldn’t. One survivor there.
The authors mention the AGSS-555 Dolphin a couple of times. I had a Navy colleague who served on it.
An admiral, “Smitty”, is a “huge forty-seven year old Mormon”, who “neither drank nor smoked, and didn’t approve when others indulged.” And yet, Smitty was drinking “giant swallows of iced tea.” Mormons aren’t supposed to drink coffee or tea.
LCDR Frank is overly familiar with a senior - a Captain, calling him by his first name on the office. They knew each other, but didn’t seem to be best friends.
In the final paragraph, the authors mention an old, rotting, coral-encrusted hulk. The deep water corals can only survive depths of up to 10,000 feet, but the Ramapo Deep is more than 34,000 feet deep.
And the big one, which is admittedly is small: there is a lot of Navy talk in here - good Navy talk, good submarine Navy talk - and yet in one of my favorite scene memories from this book, the authors called a Navy head a … latrine. Nearly undid all that good Navy talk.
[2012] I've read three of Simpson and Burger's collaborations and enjoyed all of them. I first read this back in the 1970s. Still a good read.
This time through I observed a few other things than the past.
I looked up SS-284 and was surprised to learn that it was the Tullibee - my brother served on the second of that name. That poor WWII sub had the ignominious fame of sinking itself when its torpedo missed a target and circled around to go boom where it shouldn’t. One survivor there.
The authors mention the AGSS-555 Dolphin a couple of times. I had a Navy colleague who served on it.
An admiral, “Smitty”, is a “huge forty-seven year old Mormon”, who “neither drank nor smoked, and didn’t approve when others indulged.” And yet, Smitty was drinking “giant swallows of iced tea.” Mormons aren’t supposed to drink coffee or tea.
LCDR Frank is overly familiar with a senior - a Captain, calling him by his first name on the office. They knew each other, but didn’t seem to be best friends.
In the final paragraph, the authors mention an old, rotting, coral-encrusted hulk. The deep water corals can only survive depths of up to 10,000 feet, but the Ramapo Deep is more than 34,000 feet deep.
And the big one, which is admittedly is small: there is a lot of Navy talk in here - good Navy talk, good submarine Navy talk - and yet in one of my favorite scene memories from this book, the authors called a Navy head a … latrine. Nearly undid all that good Navy talk.
[2012] I've read three of Simpson and Burger's collaborations and enjoyed all of them. I first read this back in the 1970s. Still a good read.
April 10, 2015
Ghostboat started off as a fun bit of Weird War sci-fi that had me thinking of how I'd sit and watch In Search of... The Bermuda Triangle with my brothers when I was little. Being kind of a slow build book, it mostly held to that light sci-fi feel until just over halfway through. Then the story took a more horrific turn and eventually exploded into a seriously tense and exciting final stretch with maybe one of the most chilling finales I've ever read. Jimmy says, in Peter Jackson's King Kong after they've arrived at Skull Island and all the fun stops, "It's not an adventure story. Is it, Mr Hayes?" No Jimmy, Ghostboat is something much darker.
January 17, 2011
I have a weakness for ghost stories, especially "true" ghost stories. While this is a work of fiction, it tells the story of the USS Candlefish and its return to pick up the sole survivor from when it disappeared on December 11, 1944. Part I of the book was tedious with the technical details of a submarine, but once you get past that, the story was intriguing, and it left me wishing for a longer book.
August 3, 2016
I picked this book up second-hand at a shop while waiting for some car repairs. I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I really enjoyed my trip to San Diego and my Pacific voyage aboard a submarine through the pages of this book. This was a well-written and imaginative ghost story. It was a best-seller in the 1970's - but was still an enjoyable read today.
September 24, 2023
I checked it out of the library back in 1976, I left for Navy boot camp in Feb. 1976. I read it in a day. The last paragraph of chapter 17 scared me so bad, I didn't go to sleep that night, thankfully it was summertime and high school was over for me. A few years ago, I was lucky enough to find a copy. This is a great book.
June 30, 2012
I relived a bit of my 20's rereading this book. Though sometimes a bit tedious with a lot of technical details it still remains one heck of a ghost story. Highly recommended for lovers of submarine adventures and ghost stories alike.
June 14, 2014
It was a clever premise similar to the Philadelphia Experiment but with a clever twist. A submarine vanishes during WWII in the Pacific Theatre with one survivor. The book is a what happens when the sub returns, to present day...
January 7, 2016
This is a very entertaining novel that is a marine version of the classic causality loop tale whereby individuals are transported into the past by unexplained supernatural forces to relive events. Fans of the Twilight Zone or Star Trek shows will be quite familiar with this theme.
September 12, 2010
Been a couple years since I read most of this book and I quit reading with like 20 pages left.
June 9, 2012
This was the first book I ever bought with my own pocket money when on holiday in 1976. I loved it then and would love to re-read it now.
October 22, 2012
I loved this book. World War II always fascinated me, and so has the mysery of the Bermuda Triangle. This book had both.
December 1, 2012
Pretty good sub mystery. Just as good now as when I first read it in the 70s.
Read
August 7, 2013Meh. The premise was good, but the editing sucked. And way too may POV jumps.
July 11, 2016
The reason it has four stars is because it is kind of drawn out and there is a lot of jargon. Other than that, it was really good!
November 22, 2016
This book is just old-fashioned escapism. It has World War 2, submarine warfare, and time travel. Although it was published in the mid-1970's, it does not feel dated.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews