Customer Reviews

A Matter of Accountability: The True Story of the Pueblo Affair

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It was tragic news when the spy ship Puible was captured with her crew. The whole country watched for months while the negeotiations were carried out to free the crew.

What wasn't known for many years was the fact that this was part of the biggest intelligence loss the United States ever had.

The Pueblo was filled with the most secret intelligence euipment the US posessed at that time. Equipment not unlike that found on U-110, the German Enigma machine. Knowing that this most secret equipment was now in the hands of the North Koreans the United States immediately changed its codes. After all, like the Enigma, the equipment wasn't useful without the codes. Unknown at the time was that the North Koreans immediately invited the Russians to examine/study, maybe even take home, the machines.

But during this time, the Walker spy ring was supplying the Russians with the daily codes. For years during this critical time in the Cold War, the Russians were "reading our mail."

The Pueblo is a story of arrogance on the Navy's part that created an attitude of infallibility and confidence that no one would ever attack a U.S. Navy ship. They were wrong.

Well researched and well written, this is a book that remains on any student of modern history.

I read this book when I was stationed in Guam in 1981 and never forgot it. The seizure of the USS Pueblo is one of the most embarrassing chapters in Naval history. The USS Pueblo is the only ship that United States Navy has on it's active roster but does not have custody- the ship is a museum in the Wosan harbor of North Korea.
Trevor Armbrister does and outstanding job pointing out the United States Navy's deep committment of it's air power to North Vietnam. So committed that it did not have the air power to committ to provide support for the USS Pueblo, although 500 miles from where the incident occurred was the biggest aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise. The pilots were never even briefed as to what was happening to the USS Pueblo. During the entire time of the North Korean attack, the crew was in direct contact with the National Security Administration (NSA), and was informed that help was on the way in the form of F-105 aircraft. The crew watched the sky for hours- planes never arrived! The next morning the whole world woke up to the news - US NAVY SHIP SEIZED ON THE HIGH SEAS. The first to see it was Rose Bucher, the wife of Commander Lloyd Bucher, Commanding Officer of USS Pueblo. The question that everyone asked was, "How can this happen to one of the most powerful navies in the world?"
The seizure of the USS Pueblo enabled the Soviets to assess the authenticity of what John Walker was selling. The North Koreans were counterparts with the Soviets, and the equipment needed to asses the quality of Walker's material came off the USS Pueblo.

Very well-written and balanced look at this fascinating incident. I've now read three books (and ordered two more) on the incident and it is by far the best of the three. Rather than placing blame squarely on the shoulders of one individual or agency, the author shows how many mistakes were made all around. As the author quotes Otis Pike, "there was enough blame to go around to everyone."

I read Cmd Bucher's Book "My Story", then Lt Murphy's Book "Second in Command". Armbrister's account fills in all the parts missing. It let's you know what's going on back home. If you want to learn anything about this event read this book.

This book provides excellent coverage of the Pueblo incident from a number of viewpoints, including a number of the captured men as well as those involved in the crisis response and negotiations.

I found this book provides compelling testimony in the debate over "questionable methods" in the current conflict. The brutal torture that the men of the Pueblo endured only managed to extract fantastic "confessions" and steel the men's resolve to resist their captors.

Considering I am in this book on four pages, I think it is just a great account of the Illegal seizure of a U. S. Navy ship in International Waters. I am a career Navy veteran who had over 25 years of active duty. I was interviewed by Trevor Armbrister along with other personnel who were working at the White House at the time of the incident. At the time, Mr. Armbrister was the only person who President Lyndon B. Johnson authorized access to us, who were involved with reporting what took place on the other side of the world. The book is well written and tells it precisely how things occurred off North Korea. The book is easy to read and anyone who is a Naval History buff will really enjoy the way Mr. Armbrister told the story of a small, almost unarmed, U. S. Navy survey (Intelligence Collecting) lightly manned, made-over supply ship is taken over by the North Korean Navy and taken to the port of Wansan. Where today it is still located and is one of the largest ships in the North Korean Navy. Once you start reading this book I guarantee you will not want to put it down.

Pueblo's skipper Pete Bucher often said that this was the best of the several books written on this subject. Pete was right.

This book explains a little too much background on the people and not enough detail about the imprisonment. But it does explain about what happen and how and why.

I enjoyed this book. You are really put in another time and place and North Korea really is evil regardless what you think of the Pueblo's mission.