U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History [Hardcover]

Norman Friedman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1994

This large-format book, the seventh in Friedman's acclaimed design history series, is lavishly illustrated. Detailed inboard profiles of every distinct type of submarine the U.S. Navy bought between 1900 and 1945 (and also types exported by U.S. builders) show how the submarines changed. The accompanying text and extensive captions show why. For example, cross sections reveal how, before 1919, the Electric Boat Company used its patented inventions to gain and maintain superiority over its main rival, the Lake Submarine Company. Numerous drawings of abortive designs illuminate the choices actually made. The period covered by this book was one of radical change for the U.S. Navy. When the modern navy first considered buying a submarine in 1887, it was a coast defense force confined to the Western Hemisphere. The United States became a world power just as its new submarines offered a way of defending its most distant possession, the Philippines, without tying down an expensive fleet. World War I found U.S. submarines in an unexpected role, countering German U-boats in British waters. Then the situation changed again with unexpected speed. As arms limitation treaties and American politics drastically limited both naval growth and the ability to defend outlying possessions, the United States began to face the real possibility of having to fight across the Pacific. Submarines turned out to be an important part of the solution. They were effective partly because they were backed by brilliant technologists, but more so because the submariners showed enormous imagination. One of their own, Chester Nimitz, commanded the U.S. naval forces that won the Pacific.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (August 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557502609
• ISBN-13: 978-1557502605
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,403,354 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a "buff" book? Au Contraire!, December 30, 1999

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"[e-mail]" - See all my reviews

This review is from: U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History (Hardcover)

Despite the review that claims this isn't a sub-buff book -- it is! Packed with details rarely seen, this tome is sure to fascinate. I received a copy a couple of Christmas's back, and spent the next hour on the couch, absolutely fascinated. Author Friedman deftly blends both technical and political information. You learn about the systems that created the ships. Indispensible for the sub buff and historian.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough without being over-technical, November 26, 1998

By 

Paul F. Austin (Palm Bay, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History (Hardcover)

Like Friedman's other books on US warship design, his description of the play between evolving doctrine, organizational imperatives and technical issues to arrive at each class of submarine gives the reader insight not just in what a ship became but also _why_ a ship became. I was a plank owner (original crew) of a SSN-637 class submarine in the early seventies. It was fasinating to see _why_ my ship was built and what her predecessors and successors became. Being interested in Naval Science without being a professional practitioner, Friedman's book hits just the right level of technical detail. This is _not_ a buff book. It is a serious effort to document the design evolution of (mostly) nuclear submarines.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth it at twice the price, October 16, 1998

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[e-mail] (Herndon, Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: U.S. Submarines Since 1945: An Illustrated Design History (Hardcover)

This is an exceptionally good book, perhaps THE reference book on U.S. submarines in the post-War era. Very detailed and accurate, it covers not only final designs, but how each design evolved over time -- including designs that never made it off the drawing board. If you're in to submarines, you MUST own this book.