Thomas Parrish

I was so disappointed with the content of this book: it reads as a corporate history, focusing on the fundraising efforts of the key backers of the restoration project, not on the restoration itself. A huge historic preservation effort, and all you hear about are finances?? The writing's not bad - the one thing preventing me from giving an outraged half or single star - but I can't imagine why the author thought readers would be interested only in the administration/funds side of things, not the process of actually restoring the buildings and the choices made in how to interpret, furnish, and present them.… (más)

This is a comprehensive overview of the submarine from it's earliest development to it's last iteration. The book does a particularly good job on WWII and WWI because one of its narrative threads is about how the submarine, which came to dominate military strategy in the Cold War, was not at all appreciated for it's usefulness until quite late. It's not a chip on the shoulder type book but the lack of appreciation is there throughout.
There are some wonderful sections. I didn't know for instance about what a maniac Rickover, the father of the modern nuclear sub, was and will have to read more. The ancedotal stories are terrific.
My father was a lieutenant on two submarines during the WWII and one was Gato class, what the book did not do was explain the workings on a sub which is what I am interested in learning about. But that aside I think this is fairly definitive and has at least pointed me to new areas of research. The final about the eternal patrol was quite moving.… (más)