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The War Below
- The Story of Three Submarines That Battled Japan
- Narrated by: Donald Corren
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
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Publisher's summary
The riveting story of the submarine force that helped win World War II by ravaging Japan’s merchant fleet and destroying its economy.
The War Below is a dramatic account of extraordinary heroism, ingenuity, and perseverance—and the vital role American submarines played in winning the Pacific War. Focusing on the unique stories of the submarines Silversides, Drum, and Tang—and the men who skippered and crewed them—James Scott takes readers beneath the waves to experience the thrill of a direct hit on a merchant ship and the terror of depth charge attacks. It’s a story filled with incredible feats of courage, including an emergency appendectomy performed with spoons by an inexperienced medic and the desperate struggle of sailors to escape from a flooded submarine stuck on the bottom, as well as tragic moments such as American submarines sinking an unmarked enemy ship carrying some 1,800 American POWs.
The casualty rate among submariners topped that of all military branches, a staggering six times higher than the surface navy. The war claimed almost one out of every five boats. But Japan was so ravaged by the loss of precious fuel and supplies that by war’s end, Japanese warships lay at anchor while hungry civilians ate sawdust. Scott paints an unforgettable picture of the dangerous life submariners endured, including the atrocious prison camps where the Japanese beat, tortured, and starved captured Allied troops. Based on more than one hundred interviews with submarine veterans and a review of more than three thousand pages of previously unpublished letters, diaries, and personal writings, The War Below allows readers to experience the Pacific War as never before.
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With The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and Ship of Ghosts, James D. Hornfischer created essential and enduring narratives about America’s World War II Navy, works of unique immediacy distinguished by rich portraits of ordinary men in extremis and exclusive new information. Now he does the same for the deadliest, most pivotal naval campaign of the Pacific war: Guadalcanal. Neptune’s Inferno is at once the most epic and the most intimate account ever written of the contest for control of the seaways of the Solomon Islands.
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The WWII Pacific Theater Explodes In My Lazy Chair
- By Rum Runner on 03-01-11
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The Silent Service in World War II
- The Story of the U.S. Navy Submarine Force in the Words of the Men Who Lived It
- By: Edward Monroe-Jones, Michael Green
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins, Jo Anna Perrin
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the US Navy had a total of 111 submarines. It was mostly a collection of aging boats. Fortunately, with the war in Europe was already two years old and friction with Japan ever increasing, help from what would become known as the Silent Service in the Pacific was on the way: there were 73 of the new fleet submarines under construction. The Silent Service in World War II tells the story of America's intrepid underwater warriors in the words of the men who lived the war in the Pacific against Japan.
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Disappointing
- By Chris on 09-17-18
By: Edward Monroe-Jones, and others
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Hell from the Heavens
- The Epic Story of the USS Laffey and World War II's Greatest Kamikaze Attack
- By: John Wukovits
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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On the morning of April 16, 1945, the crewmen of the USS Laffey saw what seemed to be the entire Japanese air force assembled directly above. They were about to become the targets of the largest single-ship kamikaze attack of World War II.
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Compelling story worth the effort
- By David Traill on 08-10-16
By: John Wukovits
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The Ship That Wouldn't Die
- The Saga of the USS Neosho - A World War II Story of Courage and Survival at Sea
- By: Don Keith
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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In May 1942, Admiral Jack Fletcher's Task Force 17 closed in for the war's first major clash with the Japanese Navy. The Neosho, a vitally important tanker, was escorted by a destroyer, the Sims. The ships were attacked by Japanese dive bombers, and when the smoke cleared, the Sims had slipped beneath the waves. Scores of sailors were killed or wounded while hundreds bobbed in shark-infested waters.
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Great Sea Story
- By Kim on 11-16-22
By: Don Keith
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Halsey's Typhoon
- By: Bob Drury, Tom Clavin
- Narrated by: Eric Conger
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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December 1944, the Pacific Theater. General Douglas MacArthur has vowed to return to the Philippines. He will need the help of Admiral William "Bull" Halsey's Pacific Fleet. But at the height of the invasion, Halsey's ships are blindsided by a typhoon of unprecedented strength and scope. Battleships are tossed like toys, fighter planes are blown off carriers, destroyers are capsized, and hundreds of sailors are swept into the roiling, shark-infested sea.
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Weather and Naval History Masterpiece
- By M. Taussig on 02-17-07
By: Bob Drury, and others
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Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942
- By: Ian W. Toll
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 22 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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On the first Sunday in December 1941, an armada of Japanese warplanes appeared suddenly over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and devastated the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Six months later, in a sea fight north of the tiny atoll of Midway, four Japanese aircraft carriers were sent into the abyss. Pacific Crucible tells the epic tale of these first searing months of the Pacific war, when the U.S. Navy shook off the worst defeat in American military history and seized the strategic initiative.
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Astonishingly good.
- By Mike From Mesa on 09-01-12
By: Ian W. Toll
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Killing the Bismarck
- Destroying the Pride of Hitler's Fleet
- By: Iain Ballantyne
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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In May 1941 the German battleship Bismarck, accompanied by heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, broke out into the Atlantic to attack Allied shipping. The Royal Navy's pursuit and subsequent destruction of the Bismarck was an epic of naval warfare. In this new account of those dramatic events at the height of the Second World War, Iain Ballantyne draws extensively on the graphic eyewitness testimony of veterans to construct a thrilling story, mainly from the point of view of the British battleships, cruisers, and destroyers involved.
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1960 a young boy became awed
- By torpedo alley on 10-02-19
By: Iain Ballantyne
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The Burning Shore
- How Hitler's U-Boats Brought World War II to America
- By: Ed Offley
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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On June 15, 1942, as thousands of vacationers lounged in the sun on Virginia Beach, a massive fireball erupted from a convoy of oil tankers steaming into Chesapeake Bay. By the next day, three ships lay at the bottom of the channel, victims of Lieutenant-Commander Horst Degen and his crew on the German submarine U-701. In The Burning Shore, acclaimed military reporter Ed Offley presents a thrilling account of Degen's rampage along the American coast and of US Lieutenant Harry J. Kane's quest to bring him down.
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Ugh, Perhaps a Second Listen is Required?
- By Matthew on 09-05-15
By: Ed Offley
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Turning the Tide
- How a Small Band of Allied Sailors Defeated the U-Boats and Won the Battle of the Atlantic
- By: Ed Offley
- Narrated by: James Adams
- Length: 17 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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The U.S. experienced its most harrowing military disaster of World War II not in 1941 at Pearl Harbor, but rather in the period from 1942 to 1943, in the frigid North Atlantic and American coastal waters from Newfoundland to the Caribbean. Nearly seven decades after the event, the Battle of the Atlantic still stands as the longest-running and most lethal clash of arms in naval history.
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Just The Facts
- By PismoPat on 05-15-11
By: Ed Offley
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Indianapolis
- By: Lynn Vincent, Sara Vladic
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd
- Length: 18 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Just after midnight on July 30, 1945, the USS Indianapolis is sailing alone in the Philippine Sea when she is sunk by two Japanese torpedoes. For the next five nights and four days, almost 300 miles from the nearest land, nearly 900 men battle injuries, sharks, dehydration, insanity, and eventually each other. Only 316 will survive. Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic tell the complete story of the ship, her crew, and their final mission to save one of their own.
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As good as In Harm's Way but different
- By tru britty on 07-13-18
By: Lynn Vincent, and others
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Thunder Below!
- The USS Barb Revolutionizes Submarine Warfare in World War II
- By: Eugene B. Fluckey
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Under the leadership of her fearless skipper, Captain Gene Fluckey, the Barb sank the greatest tonnage of any American sub in World War II. At the same time, the Barb did far more than merely sink ships-she changed forever the way submarines stalk and kill their prey.
This is a gripping adventure chock-full of "you-are-there" moments. Fluckey has drawn on logs, reports, letters, interviews, and a recently discovered illegal diary kept by one of his torpedomen.
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Action, Excitement, & History. A great read!
- By Boone on 09-28-13
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Hellcats
- The Epic Story of World War II's Most Daring Submarine Raid
- By: Peter Sasgen
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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The incredible true story of nine Hellcat submarines assigned to penetrate the dense minefields protecting the sea of Japan. In 1945-with no knowledge of the development of the atomic bomb- American submarine commanders, desperate to avoid an invasion of the home islands, believed that if the Japanese merchant fleet was sunk, the enemy would be forced to surrender.
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great telling of technology advancements in Ww2
- By Brian on 05-20-18
By: Peter Sasgen
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Submarine Commander
- A Story of World War II and Korea
- By: Paul R. Schratz
- Narrated by: John N. Gully
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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A fascinating personal memoir of underwater combat in World War II, told by a man who played a major role in those dangerous operations. Frank and beautifully written, this book will be of lasting value as a submarine history by an expert and as an enduring military and political analysis.
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Engrossing Memoir
- By Jean on 12-24-15
By: Paul R. Schratz
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The USS Seawolf was one of the greatest submarine raiders of all time. Having narrowly avoided the attack on Pearl Harbor the Seawolf set out for the seas of the Pacific to wreak havoc on Japanese shipping. Joseph Melvin Eckberg was on the Seawolf from her maiden voyage and remained with her until January 1943. As chief radioman he was instrumental in assisting Captain Frederick Warder to find and destroy enemy targets. From the claustrophobia of being trapped under water and the overwhelming fear of depth charges to the joys of aiding the war-effort and the camaraderie on the ship.
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Silent Running
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A fascinating view of WW2 Sub Warfare
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In Tin Cans and Greyhounds, author Clint Johnson brings listeners inside the quarter-inch hulls of destroyers to meet the men who manned the ships' five-inch guns and fought America's wars from inside a "tin can" - risking death by cannon shell, shrapnel, bomb, fire, drowning, exposure, and sharks.
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a lengthy history lessonn
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The 29-day battle to liberate Manila resulted in the catastrophic destruction of the city and a rampage by Japanese forces that brutalized the civilian population. Landmarks were demolished, houses were torched, suspected resistance fighters were tortured and killed, countless women were raped, and their husbands and children were murdered. American troops had no choice but to battle the enemy, floor by floor and even room by room, through schools, hospitals, and even sports stadiums. In the end, an estimated 100,000 civilians lost their lives in the massacre.
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TRUE CRIME OF PURE HELL
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The career of the USS Wahoo in sinking Japanese ships in the farthest reaches of the Empire is legendary in submarine circles. Christened three months after Pearl Harbor, Wahoo was commanded by the astonishing Dudley W. "Mush" Morton, whose originality and daring new techniques led to results unprecedented in naval history; among them, successful "down the throat" barrage against an attacking Japanese destroyer, voracious surface-running gun attacks, and the sinking of a four-ship convoy in one day.
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Black Snow
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Seven minutes past midnight on March 10, 1945, nearly 300 American B-29s thundered into the skies over Tokyo. Their payloads of incendiaries ignited a firestorm that reached up to 2,800 degrees, liquefying asphalt and vaporizing thousands; sixteen square miles of the city were flattened and more than 100,000 men, women, and children were killed. Black Snow is the story of this devastating operation, orchestrated by Major General Curtis LeMay, who famously remarked: "If we lose the war, we'll be tried as war criminals."
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Top notch!
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By: James M. Scott
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Clear the Bridge!
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The story of Tang and her gallant crew ranks with the most amazing of naval history. Between August 1943 when she was commissioned and her loss in fall 1944, Tang completed four missions and was on her fifth in the Formosa Strait, single-handedly demolishing a convey. During this time, Tang had one captain: Commander Richard Hetherington O'Kane. Together, Tang, her crew of 86 men, and her captain sank more tonnage and more enemy ships than any other submarine on active patrol.
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An Admiral gives a lively portrayal of ww2 sub
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America’s most decorated warship of World War II, Enterprise was constantly engaged against the Japanese Empire, earning the title “the fightingest ship” in the navy. Her career was eventful, vital, and short. Commissioned in 1938, her bombers sank a submarine just ten days after the Pearl Harbor attack, claiming the first Japanese vessel lost in the war.
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Great Bio of a Truly Remarkable Ship
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By: Barrett Tillman
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Shattered Sword
- The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway
- By: Jonathan Parshall, Anthony Tully
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 24 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Many consider the Battle of Midway to have turned the tide of the Pacific War. It is without question one of the most famous battles in history. Now, for the first time since Gordon W. Prange's best-selling Miracle at Midway, Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully offer a new interpretation of this great naval engagement. Shattered Sword makes extensive use of Japanese primary sources. It also corrects the many errors of Mitsuo Fuchida's Midway: The Battle That Doomed Japan It thus forces a major, potentially controversial reevaluation of the great battle.
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Shattered Myths - These authors got it right?
- By Ol'BlueEyes on 05-13-19
By: Jonathan Parshall, and others
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How Carriers Fought
- Carrier Operations in WWII
- By: Lars Celander
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In November 1921, the first purpose-built aircraft carrier was launched by the Japanese, followed a year later by the launch of the British Hermes. The conversion of battle cruisers into aircraft carriers after World War I required the consideration of issues including handling aircraft on the flight deck and the techniques of attacking enemy ships, and the evolution of carrier operations was ongoing when World War II broke out.
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Interesting but not mandatory
- By Thor Olson on 08-29-19
By: Lars Celander
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South Pacific Destroyer
- The Battle for the Solomons from Savo Island to Vella Gulf
- By: Russell Sydnor Crenshaw
- Narrated by: Alan Bomar Jones
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Russell Crenshaw's riveting account of the savage night battle for the Solomon Islands in early 1943 offers listeners a unique insider's perspective from the decks of one of the destroyers that bore the brunt of the struggle.
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Great History - Hard Listen.
- By Chiefkent on 09-08-11
What listeners say about The War Below
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Ryan
- 06-21-13
Unique. Engaging. Worth your credit.
Any additional comments?
Shortly after the incidents of Dec. 7 1941, the United States unleashed its fleet of what was at the time an unproven and (in comparison to Germany's U-Boats) relatively novice submarines. These brave men participated in a "learn as you go" strategy during the early months of the war, dealing with design and structural failures in their subs, torpedo's that ran amok (and often back at their own boats), and a brutal enemy determined to rule the Pacific.
What this story is really about is the trials and errors, the unfortunate lethal consequences of learning as you go, and the uncanny courage and bravery of crews from three famous submarines of WWII: Silversides, Drum, and Tang.
The facts are the facts, but the author does a great job of bringing personal accounts and emotion into the story. As it follows the plights of these three subs, the listener not only gains a certain affection for their crews, but also an appreciation and respect for the bravery and sheer determination these men displayed on a daily basis. Imagine being stuck 250ft below the surface of the Pacific ocean in a disabled submarine, while your captors circle above, as you slowly run out of oxygen in the darkness. What would you do?
I highly recommend this book to anyone, whether you're just looking for a good story or a lesson in history. Many of the details in this book are very hard to come by and James Scott brought them together masterfully.
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26 people found this helpful
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- Betsy
- 07-19-13
Outstanding work so well researched.
My review may be biased as I am the daughter of a WWII submarine skipper. I knew only one of the men but I knew their children. The traits shared by these men come through in the details of this chronicle. It is these details that make this so riveting. A must read (or listen) for those interested in the submarine aspect of WWII. I wish the narrator had put in a little research before he read the script....he mispronounced naval terms and even the name of one of the subs.
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- Matthew
- 09-05-15
Best Written & Best Told Story of American Subs
I've listened to this book twice and will listen to it again. It is a very well written and an extremely well narrated book. What is particularly good is the manner in which the author switches between the three submarines and still manages to tie the various stories together. Contrary to becoming confusing or disjointed, for my part, it made the listening even more riveting. I'm constantly looking for good books about American sub warfare and so far the others pale in comparison. Although a story might be well written and well researched, let's face it, narration is huge and Donald Corren is now in my top five narrators because of his performance in this book. The author also manages to relate facts without making it sound like a captains daily log or a statistics lecture. If you are in any manner a WWII, naval, or submarine buff you should get this one for your library.
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- Rick
- 01-21-17
WWII Naval History without the Embellishment
I've read and listened to countless books on WWII Naval history, most recently The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailers which was excellent I might add. Flyboys, and The Fleet at Flood Tide: America at Total War in the Pacific, 1944-1945, were also excellent. When I read a book on Naval history, I don't want to read anything that has even the slightest hint of Hollywood embellishment, or one-sided heroic anecdotes making a ship, crew, or skipper look far greater than what history can prove. And having served in the world's finest Navy, I like to use my experience, as well as adaptations of naval jargon to test the validity of what I'm being told. The War Below met, and often exceeded my expectations.
I was a surface sailer, and having only toured a few subs while in port, I have no desire to get underway on a ship designed to sink. Those guys are simply nuts! But to hear their story, and what type of person it took to both lead, and man a sub in war time had my attention. As stated, I cannot imagine going under water intentionally, but to hunt, and be hunted with the primitive sonar and radar capabilities of the 1940's is far beyond my comprehension and something that I can only marvel at.
The War Below does an excellent job of depicting life in a WWII submarine, what it was like to live on those fish, and what it was like to go to war. Every chapter provided a glimpse at what a crew was like, how they were commanded, and what was needed by each crew member to remain undetected in a target rich environment, the China Sea, and the Sea of Japan. I enjoyed this one, cover to cover
I give this book two thumbs up, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a read that is unlike the typical WWII Naval war story.
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- Bob
- 08-16-13
Submarine story devolves into torture story.
The story of three WWII era submarines starts off well. There's a discussion of the state of the war after Pearl Harbor. In the time period between Dec. 8 and Midway, submarines were just about the only offensive weapon available to the fleet. However, subs were not used primarily against combatant vessels, but against freighters and oil tankers. This mission was a second prong, along with fleet actions, that reduced Japan's ability to conduct war.
The stories told here are short biographies of the crews and commanders, their tactics and victories. It is in telling these stories that the book starts to go astray. None of the stories are especially detailed and those that are covered more extensively border on hagiography.
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The final chapters cover the fates of the crewmen of the Tang, survivors of a defective torpedo fired by their own boat. It details their capture and subsequent internment in Japan. Here, the book looses its focus. It lovingly chronicles how the prisoners were treated and the torture and hardship they underwent. It details other atrocities inflicted on allied prisoners not connected with these submarines. While these are important stories, the way they are presented apes books about the lives of martyrs.
The actions of the guards are breathlessly detailed, their evilness lingered over. The tortures they inflicted are enthusiastically detailed. The final part of this book borders on torture porn.
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- Andrew
- 12-09-15
Best book I've read
What did you love best about The War Below?
As a student of military history, I tend to focus on the western theater of war during WWII. This book, however, gives amazing detail on the lives and woes of those brave sailors aboard submarines during the "wild west era". You get to see the perspectives not only from the captain and officers, but from the crew. The fact that James Scott also took the time to dig through Japanese records of the convoys adds even more reliability and impact to the book.
What did you like best about this story?
I liked best the stories (can't stay with just one) which showed the hearts and souls of the crew (there are too many to count throughout) and I especially found interesting the various good luck rituals each captain had.
Have you listened to any of Donald Corren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have not. He's no Stefan Rudnicki, but he's a good narrator. He's perfect for historical books, I think. He can put emotion into the words in a way that makes you pay attention and, in some cases, feel as if you were really with these men, hearing their thoughts and words.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Yes. There is a point near the end where a captain does the most moving thing he can do in his situation. He looks out for his mens' well being above his own and bears punishment himself.
Any additional comments?
HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!! Because of this book, I'm doing more research on the submariners of WWII and WWI. This is probably my new favorite book.
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- Rum Runner
- 09-09-20
I Wish 10 Stars Were An Option For Narration
Yes, this non-fiction account of the daring Pacific and Asiatic Submarine Fleets was superb, however Donald Corren is masterful in his narration, and with an audio book that makes all the difference. He reminds me of the late Edward Herrmann who remains an all time favorite. My Dad served in WWI era Pig Boats based in Manila before Pearl Harbor. 6 December 1941, things got very real for these boat crews. After 2 war patrols and some unfortunate food poisoning in Java, Dad was reassigned to the USS Sailfish, a sleek, air conditioned and modern fleet boat, and after the P.I. was attacked, the boat moved to Australia. The Sailfish even got some "Ink" in James Scott's book in chapter 8. I have been Dad's archivist and web master since before his passing in 2000. Trust me when I say "The War Below" is an epic and vivid account of a portion of the sub war which helped immeasurably to bring Japan to it's knees unconditionally in 1945. Rig for depth charge, take a comfortable seat and immerse yourself is some of the history of Brokaw's "Greatest Generation" during a time when our nation endured so much!
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- Wolfpacker
- 05-01-17
Interesting, Reads Like a Combat Report At Times
Worth reading. The engagements started running together after awhile. Although the author developed the captains' personalities, the tension I have found in other books like "Silent Running" was not present. Did not read like a novel as some great war accounts do.
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- Johann
- 06-05-16
Among the best books on the navy and sub warfare
James Scott follows three ships, but writes of several others, in this masterful display of history and epic. The personal accounts of the skippers and crews on these World War 2 submarines outlines the danger and heroism that would come to define them. The history of the boats as well as the careers of many of the officers and crews gives this an extremely personal feel.
This is a solid history with direct quotes and referenced information, but it is far from a simple history and acts as a full suspenseful narrative.
Donald Corren beautifully narrates this piece. His tone and cadence embody the importance and measured passion of the story.
A must read for any interested and in submarine ware fare, naval history, world war 2, or the Pacific Theater.
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- Kurt Schwoppe
- 04-09-17
Great First Book for WW2 Sub Warfare Against Japan
If you haven't read much about submarine warfare in the Pacific, this is a great book. It does a terrific job describing the life, action, and heroics of American submariners. I especially liked the escape scene from Tang. Unfortunately, for more experienced readers, once you've read through one depth charge attack, you've read them all - so nothing new there. I also didn't care about the last third of the book as it is all about conditions in a Japanese POW camp. Horrifying yes, but I had just read through all that stuff in "Unbroken", and much of the material was repetitive. I would have rather of used that space to work in more of the US submarine strategy, logistics, and other operational arts that impacted the activities of these three subs. So first timers, you will enjoy this book. For the more experienced, not much new here.
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