The Submarine: A History

by Thomas Parrish, Carla Bolte (Designed by)

A distinguished military historian chronicles the history and evolution of these remarkable underwater ships and of the inventors and engineers who developed the submarine, from eighteenth-century conception to twentieth-century reality, and discusses the military deployment, strategic implications, and future of the submarine. 30,000 first printing.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Military History

592 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2004

Reviews

[Nathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only a "history" in the loosest sense of the word, this is a bloated and rambling catalogue of engagements in which submarines happened to be involved, to greater or lesser extent. As such, it gives no real understanding of what makes submarine warfare unique, or any appreciation for the particular servicemen involved. It's also stunningly boring, the sort of book that drifts by so that you are no less informed about or interested in the subject than you were 250 pages ago. Worthless.

[Paul George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellently researched. At times slow and tedious to read but nevertheless a definitive history of submarines in the 20th century

[Dawn Garrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Submarines and this book is not about a particular war or anything else. it is about how Subs evolved, were used, and created. However don't look for anything but what it says in the title. I love this book.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it.....it goes from ancient concepts to the Cold War....Awesome Awesome

[Alan]

Excellent highly reccommended for submarine buffs

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up. I recently read a book that I thought would be an overview of the history of the tank. I did not read the description closely enough and did not realize it was the history of the tank through the lens of pop culture. There was no such issue with this book. It was a straightforward history of the submarine from it's earliest conception to its introduction during World War I to its widespread use in World War II to its evolution in the Cold War. My only issue was some odd choices on focus. The Battle of the Atlantic in World War II ends abruptly in 1943, but then he details individual patrols in the Pacific. Otherwise an excellent choice for anyone wanting to learn more about the history of submarines.

[Phil Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, have been considering buying and re-reading. Not only are you getting an in-depth investigation of the history of man's attempt to exist and explore below the surface, you're getting one moving tale after another of tragedy, genius, and bravery under fire. Truly eye-opening to take in all the egos, politics, and mechanical dead-ends that marked the journey of this incredible invention. The author really gave me everything I was looking for and more.

[Tres Herndon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent overview of the history of submarines. It was published in 2004 so it ends with the launch of the US Virginia class, but not a ton has happened since then. Besides German U-boats in WW1 and WW2, the book was a little US-centric, but I suppose that's to be expected in a broad book such as this. Recommended as a starter in the subject but seek out other titles for more detail.

[Carlabolte]

I am Carla Bolte, and I am NOT the author of this book. The author is Tom Parrish. I simply designed the interior.

However, I will say this is an excellent book, well written, full of interesting information, and a surprisingly great read.

[Hugh Ashton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this up in the house in France where we were staying. An adequate history of the development of submarines, but lacking a little about modern uses of the beasts. Worth borrowing from the library , but not buying for oneself?

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books.

[Yong Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the years I have read dozens of books on submarines. It's not the best I ever read, but it is still a nice general history.

[Steve Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy read but very worthy of your time.

[Robert Sparrenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

The submarine: a history really should be titled stories about the submarine. The book starts out well enough with the early inventors thinkers by about putting something in the water that travels beneath the surface. WWI is where the book shines when the author gets into how the submarine was used to destroy shipping.

Then we hit WWII and the author decides to just give us stories where the submarine plays a role. We also get a lot of extra material that adds nothing to the narrative about the submarine. Three quarters of this book focuses on the above time period. The last 50 years are rushed together in a mishmash about different countries and their subs.

I understand what the author was trying to do but it didn't work. There is just too much information covering too many aspects to write about in one volume.