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Title: October Fury by Peter Huchthausen ISBN: 0-471-41534-0 Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Pub. Date: 25 July, 2002 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.83 (6 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A needed voice of sanity
Comment: I bought this book because I was offended by the hype on the dust cover, which presented it as another Kennedy Court History in which the Cuban Missile Crisis is made to sound even more scary than it really was. It was a pleasant surprise to read a balanced account of Soviet submarine operations during the Crisis, which refutes many of the exaggerated claims still being made about the possibility of unauthorized use of tactical nukes. We learn that Soviet nuclear torpedos were escorted by armed KGB officers who actually slept on top of the weapons, and the Rules of Engagement were so onerous that a sub would have to be actually sinking before one could be fired. Just to be safe, the sub crews were given no training on the nukes and were kept ignorant of their capabilities. This isn't too surprising when one considers that a military coup was always the secret nightmare of communist govenments. If the tactical nukes assigned to Soviet Army units in Cuba were under similar restrictions, it is hard to see how they could ever have been fired -- the nightmare scenario still being cited by Robert MacNamara to justify the Kennedys' secret treaty with Khrushchev.
Another revelation is the very poor mechanical performance of the Soviet subs which suffered an appalling series of engine breakdowns. From the limited details given in this book, it appears that many of these failures were due to mistakes by poorly trained engineering personnel. (Fatigue due to the intense tropical heat and humidity may be a factor also.) Since these subs had specially selected crews and were just out of refit, the mind boggles at what the average Soviet diesel boat must have been like in 1962. Had Khrushchev actually proceeded with his plan to base Golf-class missile subs permanently in Cuba, the result could only have been utter disaster. The more we learn about the Soviet side of the Missile Crisis, the more it looks like the most badly planned and implemented military operation of all time.
Rating: 5
Summary: Thank you Mr. Huchthausen
Comment: Finally, a wonderful account of the United States Navy in action during the Cuban missle crisis....... I was aboard the U.S.S. Lowry DD770 during this time, and the author caught the excitement of those times. It was the U.S.S. Lowry DD770 who identified one of the Russian subs and steamed side by side with her for three days attempting to make verbal contact with their crew. We played dixie land music. A band brought over from the U.S.S. Randolph. Several interpreters were also brought over in our attempts at contact, to no success.
How wonderful to read such an exciting story. Well done Mr. Huchthausen!
Rating: 5
Summary: Chilling Book
Comment: All of us are aware, or so I would hope, of how close the Cuban Missle Crisis was to nuclear war. This book tells the story from those who were there - Americans and Russians. Chilling reminder of how fragile we are and a sad testimonial to our ability to produce weapons that could make us all extinct.
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Title: Dark Waters: An Insider's Account of the NR-1, the Cold War's Undercover Nuclear Sub by Lee Vyborny, Don Davis ISBN: 0451207777 Publisher: New American Library Pub. Date: 07 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: Hostile Waters by Igor Kurdin, R. Alan White, Peter A. Huchthausen ISBN: 0312966121 Publisher: St. Martin's Press Pub. Date: August, 1998 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: A Time to Die: The Untold Story of the Kursk Tragedy by Robert Moore ISBN: 0609610007 Publisher: Crown Publishing Group Pub. Date: 14 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: K-19: The Widowmaker: The Secret Story of the Soviet Nuclear Submarine by Peter A. Huchthausen ISBN: 079226472X Publisher: National Geographic Pub. Date: 01 July, 2002 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: The Death of the U.S.S. Thresher: The Story Behind History's Deadliest Submarine Disaster by Norman Polmar ISBN: 1585743488 Publisher: The Lyons Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
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