Red Star Rogue

By: Kenneth Sewell, Clint Richmond

Narrated by: Brian Emerson

Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

One of the great secrets of the Cold War, hidden for decades, is revealed at last.

Early in 1968, a nuclear-armed Soviet submarine sank in the waters off Hawaii, hundreds of miles closer to American shores than it should have been. Compelling evidence strongly suggests that the sub sank while attempting to fire a nuclear missile.

We now know that the Soviets had lost track of the sub; it had become a rogue. The Nixon administration launched a clandestine, half-billion-dollar project to recover the sunken K-129. The successful recovery effort helped forge new relations between the U.S. and the Soviets, even as it revealed a treacherous plan to provoke war between the U.S. and China, a plan that, had it succeeded, would have had devastating consequences.

©2005 Kenneth Sewell and Clint Richmond (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

Lots of Guess Work

The author does an awful lot of “we don’t know but it was probably like this, maybe.” Even with that, it’s a fascinating and more than a little spooky story of how close we came to nuclear annihilation during the Cold War.

Unbelievable true story

I am a history buff and can’t believe that I never heard this chilling Cold War story.

Great Cold War story

Unbelievable the way the government kept us out of the loop on the most dangerous attack of the Cold War. We just didn’t know how close we came to nuclear war.

Very interesting lesson

Do not trust the Russians. Good advice for at least 250 years. The trail from the submarine to the origin of the plot is necessarily speculative. The authors have a logical if chilling argument. Other accounts have been offered with a different account, perhaps sanctioned by the complex struggle our government is waging against the Russians to this day. Do not trust the Russians.

Fantastic--But True

Very good. Could have benefited from some editing. I found myself wandering during some of the early details on Soviet military life.

I wasn't prepared when I found the book seemed to be in two or more parts: First, background and major events; then, later events and analysis. This arrangement was a pleasant surprise and served the story well. It kept things simpler.

A real-life thriller!

Intriguing Story.

What made the experience of listening to Red Star Rogue the most enjoyable?

I couldn't stop listening to this. This was one of those stories that never made sense to me. Ken's hypothesis is credible - it really could have happened this way. And it ties together some inexplicable events that I always wondered about.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Red Star Rogue?

The Russian officer's wife sense of doom.

Any additional comments?

The Glomar Explorer was berthed behind my ship in 1973 at Pier Echo, Naval Station Long Beach. It was the oddest looking ship I had ever seen. The story we got was that it was a deep ocean mining/research vessel. I didn't know it was a Hughes vessel. Ironically, enough right across the harbor from Pier Echo was the gray corrugated metal hangar the Spruce Goose was berthed in.

A rivetting tale

This is a listen I could hardly put down. The facts are hard to verify by myself but the scenarios are fascinating and have stimulated me to look up more on the subject in written form. An excellent listen especially for those interested in submarine-related political subterfuge and intrigue!

Red Star Rogue

Interesting idea, but little more than circumstantial evidence to support it. There are at least two other theories that have equal, if not greater weight. Overall, it's a good listen. The author tries to add a human quality to the dry data. However, as other reviewers have stated, this idea would have been better suited as an article than a book. There is quite a bit of repetition as well as uneccesary filler.

Entertaining

Good story. Lots of supposition. Have heard of this incident through other authors who are referenced in this book. Entertaining

Interesting theory and very entertaining!

Cold War nuclear submarine brinkmanship is what this book is about. Very well narrated and an interesting theory that it was a rogue group of Soviets that wanted to start World War III by nuking Hawaii. Very interesting conclusions are made about this theory. Overall I loved listening to this audio-book. A good read/listen for anyone that is interested in Cold War/Naval brinkmanship.