Customer Reviews

Destroy the Kentucky: Destroy the Kentucky

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This was one of the earliest attempts to save submarine technothrillers from the end of the cold war. In this one, a band of Central Asian fanatics somehow manage to hijack a high-tech US Sub (SSN Kentucky) that is virtually undetectable. The Russians have developed technology that may allow them to locate the sub, but they insist that the Americans provide an ASW expert who can guide them to it. With little direction, the uninspiring crew of the equipped Russian sub don't quite cooperate with their new American crewman. On the flipside, the American is a washed-up former sub skipper with a terrible secret, one that undermines his killer instinct. The Russian sub equipped with the souped-up sonar is a Victor II class sub, an ancient nuclear boat (their successors, the Victor III first put to sea about 20 years ago). The plan is to train the crew on using the wonder sonar, then transfer both it and crew to a more advanced sub. Assuming there's time.

This was an interesting book, and between going into the novelty of its premise and the regular snatches of modern submarine technology, it's an interesting book. What sinks this story is the idea that it could have been an even more interesting book. We never get more than bare bones of an idea that the Victor II and its crew are at the bottom of the Russians pecking order (there's an evil Russian admiral with a topnotch flagship - a Sierra class attack sub that gives way to no boat; his disdain for the American and his new crew is one of the forces that slowly but surely elevates the hero in the eyes of his new crew). Unfortunately, neither the crew or the broken down Victor II become more than cardboard figures - so it's no fun when they swap ends and decide to help the American. The techno aspect of the book is somewhat light (not as much as Pat Robinson) and won't intimidate or enlight landlubbers like me.