Customer Reviews

Hostile Waters

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"Down three thousand fathoms deep, Deaths of millions in her keep; With her, in eternal sleep -- Sergei Preminin." With these words begins Russell Hoban's poem immortalizing an extraordinary deed of an ordinary Russian submariner. "Hostile Waters" also recounts Seaman Preminin's selfless sacrifice, which saved the lives of countless unsuspecting Americans. But this is only one of the riveting episodes of desperation and courage chronicled in this true story about a doomed nuclear submarine. Authors USN-AWS Capt. (ret.) Huchthausen and Soviet Capt. 1st. Rank Kurdin were participants in the ongoing Cold War events which led to the tragedy of K-219. Written with the assistance of accomplished novelist Robin A. White ("Siberian Light", "Ice Curtain"), their book reads like a spellbinding adventure of disaster and heroism on the sea. In 1986, the Soviet Navy, in its futile attempts to match its superior American counterpart, was sending its fleet of obsolete boomers to patrol the eastern coast of the US. Capt. Igor Britanov knew that his noisy, decrepit boat was being tracked from the moment she left her home port, and that once in American waters, he was being shadowed by a state-of-the-art hunter-killer. Following an unintentional collision by the USS Augusta, K-219 sustained severe damage which left her flooding and burning, with an open missile-hatch, on the surface. In a cascading chain of catastrophe, her nuclear reactor began to overheat. As the US military went on DEFCON alert, K-219 foundered in her desperate and dangerous death-throes. You, the reader, will intimately experience the Soviet crew's minute-by-minute struggle for survival. You will bond with the Russian Captain, whose fatherly affection for his men inspired their loyalty and dedication to the point of personal sacrifice. You will be astonished by the attrocious actions of the American Captain, which alienated his own crew and ultimately cost him his career. You will be disgusted by the competative uncooperativeness between the American armed forces, and the open hostility between individual branches of the Navy. You will be dismayed by the utter callousness of the US and Soviet governments whose disregard for human life imperilled the world. And you will never forget Sergei Preminin, who voluntarily entered the hot reactor and manually cranked down the stuck baffle-plates, thus preventing a meltdown mere miles off the American coast. For an eye-opening and disturbing view of US Cold War politics, and an even-handed and compassionate portrayal of the Opposition, read this "ten-star" story!

"Hostile Waters", by Peter Huchthausen, Igor Kurdin and R. Alan White. Thorndike Press, Thorndike, Maine, Large type edition, 1997.

An excellent book, dealing with the loss of the K-219, a Soviet Nuclear submarine, off the east coast of the United States. This book is non-fiction but it reads like a fast moving, modern day thrill novel, thanks, probably, to the efforts of author R. Alan White. The book also reads like a "you are there!" recitation of the events of the sinking, undoubtedly due to the efforts of Igor Kurdin, of the Russian Navy. Finally, there are some pointed comments about higher-level actions and reactions, probably due to the efforts of Captain Peter Huchthausen, USN, Retired. It is impressive that three different writers from such disparate backgrounds could produce a book that is such a well-written story of the events in the sinking of the K-219. It all comes together in such an interesting fashion that it was difficult to put the book down.

As we watch the world react to the aftermath of September 11 2001, we wonder why the CIA and the FBI did not have better communications with each other agency. The provincialism and secrecy of the USN submarine service is well documented in this book. In some ways, this is a theme of this book; rivalry between service branches and within each service hinders cooperation and communications. On page 225, for example, you can find: the U.S. Navy's "... number one enemy: the United Sates Air Force". Personally, I can recall working as reliability engineer on a small Navy project in 1987, and I referenced an Air Force document as substantiation for my calculations. I was told, "Wrong color blue". Navy Blue versus Air Force blue.

A compelling account of a tragic accident and the loss of a USSR K219 submarine in the sea of Bermuda during the cold-war era. What makes this book so powerful is the contrast of courage and cowardness, responsibility and indifference, hostility and friendship among the participants of this story. The only complaint I have is I don't understand why this book had to be written in a Clancy kind of style (I mean if it is a "real" story), but I guess people's opinions would vary on that.

I wish Mr.Britanov, his colleagues and their families stay well. They tell me while the quality of the regime could vary vastly, there can be always heroic people with extraordinary courage no matter where.

Through my work as Exec. Asst. to the Exec. Dir. of the Navy League of the U.S., I met member Peter Huchthausen when he introduced Igor Kurdin to the NLUS as an associate member. I became their liaison. Through this I have worked with young hero Sergei Preminin's high-school teacher, who created a small museum to his heroism. Then on 8/4/97 at a dinner in his honor at the Officers Club of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, I was privileged to be seated at the head table with and to meet the brave Russian sub commander, Igor Britanov, who saved our East Coast from a Chernobyl, and probably thus headed off WWIII. I was honored to be made a member of the St. Petersburg Club of Sailors and Submariners that evening. Peter Huchthausen did painstaking research, as did his coauthor Igor Kurdin to create this book. It is riveting, utterly compelling, heart-wrenching, and true. Although I have read it three times and highlighted much, plus viewing the HBO slightly-altered and less grippingly true rendition, I still weep for these brave men. This is the sign of a well-written book! It captures vividly the heart and soul of these men, and what they courageously endured. To read of them and meet them in person is to love them for their bravery and decency. I have never seen a face radiate more goodness than Captain Britanov's. I highly recommend this book to everyone I engage in conversation on the subject. I only wish that it had received much more publicity, in hard and soft cover.

This reads a lot like a Clancy novel, but it's all true! Excellent writing really puts you inside the K-219 as it fills with deadly acidic gas, radiation, water and fire. The author takes some artistic license with the thoughts of some of the crewmembers, but it only makes the story more enjoyable to read. Highly recommended!

this book is about a soviet submarine crew who is fighting for their lives and the lives of the eastern seabord of the united states. the climax is when a young seamen, sergei preminin, goes INSIDE a nuclear reactor to shut it down. unfortunately this great hero dies of poisining when his shipmates were attempting to evacuate him from the reactor compartment. it it hadn't been for sergei's courage, i would not be here. thank you, sergei.

This riveting account of life-and-death drama under the seas competes with any fictional submarine tale. The hopeless state of the Soviet navy recounted in such detail in this book makes the tragic sinking of the Kursk much easier to understand. Hostile Waters gives an incredible inside look at a Band-Aid navy that still suffers from mishap and disaster. The heroism of the crew constrasts sharply with the unfeeling disregard of the Soviet high command for the well-being of the sailors. For engrossing reading, this book stands at the top.

The scenario: An aging Russian nuclear submarine loaded with nuclear warheads has a catastophic emergency near the coastline of the United States, only days before the Gorbachev-Reagan summit in Iceland in 1986. Some men are dead, others are dying, and it is up to the captain to make the command decision of his life: Does he save his men or does he obey orders from Moscow and try to bring the dying ship back to Russia to keep it out of the hands of the Americans? Add to this an overzealous American nuclear sub commander who seems bent on causing World War III, a cast of fascinating characters ranging from the heroic Russian commander to the cowardly political officer to crewmen who willingly go into the reactor room even though it means almost certain death and you have a nonfiction book that reads like a taut, nailbiting thriller. The book was co-written by Peter Hutchthausen, former U.S. Naval Attache' to the Soviet Union, Igor Kurdin, Executive Officer on board the ship, and R. Allen White, a writer of thrillers. The authors interviewed the surviving crewmen extensively for this book, and one look at the bibliography and acknowledgements shows that this book was extensively researched. The book is told in the typical military thriller format, with the action shifting between points of view of the various participants, Russian and American, in chronogical fashion complete with military time. The book is even more interesting in the view it gives the reader of the collapse of the mighty Russian military. The Russian subs are way behind the American subs in technology, budget cuts have meant fewer repairs and other cost-cutting moves, which of course further endanger the Russian crew, who live bleak lives on a remote base short of consumer goods and long on corruption. One feels for the men who put their lives on the line when so little is done to ensure their safety or the well-being of their families. Tom Clancy himself calls "Hostile Waters" "one of the most fascinating true submarine stories I have ever encountered." The story is much more exciting than the recent sub best-seller, "The Desperate Hours" by Peter Maas, and I highly recommend "Hostile Waters" to all readers. You will not be disappointed.

The parallels between this book and "The Hunt for Red October" are rather spooky considering "Hunt for Red October" was written first and is fictional while this book is non-fiction. Makes me wonder if some of the key players in this story were acting out "The Hunt for Red October" for real.

As an ex US submarine officer, I found some to the facts here difficult to believe. It is possible that the Soviet navy was just very different from the US. Still it is difficult to believe that the Soviets did not know how to do an air drop at sea or design fail-safe reactors.

I found the characters: their lifestyle and politics interesting. The officers of a submarine must have been a very conservative sample of Soviet society yet, here in 1986, they were feed up with the Soviet regime and mocked its politics.

Maybe you remember. The book says something to the extent that, "a certain event almost jeopardized the summit meeting with Reagan and Gorbechav." This book tells you what that event was. It is a TRUE story. A very haunting story, and I'm one who lives in southern Arizona, far away from the scene of this event. This book is like a Hunt for Red October from hell. I won't tell you ANYTHING about what happens, because it is important that you read this yourself. Another classic example of our government hiding things from us hard-working blue-collar workers. Another amazing thing about this story is that IT READS LIKE A NOVEL, but it isn't. At the end, I found myself CHEERING for the RUSSIANS because the Americans were (sorry) so STUPID and SELFISH. To many people, "russians" is synonymous with "evil". I hope this book changes your view of the Russians, as it changed mine--they are no better or worse than we are, as we are all human beings.