Red November

Inside the Secret U.S.-Soviet Submarine War

By: W. Craig Reed

Narrated by: Tom Weiner

Length: 12 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Red November is filled with hair-raising, behind-the-scenes stories that take you deep beneath the surface and into the action of the Cold War.

Few know how close the world has come to annihilation better than the warriors who served America during the tense, 45-year struggle known as the Cold War. Yet for decades, their work has remained shrouded in secrecy. Now, in this riveting new history, W. Craig Reed, a former navy diver and fast-attack submariner, provides an eye-opening, pulse-pounding narrative of the underwater struggles and espionage operations between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. that brought us to the brink of nuclear war more than once.

Red November is filled with hair-raising, behind-the-scenes stories that take you deep beneath the surface and into the action during the entire Cold War period from 1946 through 1992. Reed served aboard submarines involved in espionage operations, and his father was a top military intelligence specialist intimately involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Reed is one of the first authors to obtain so many in-depth interviews with dozens of navy divers, espionage operatives, submariners, and government officials on both sides (including several Soviet submarine captains) about the most daring and decorated missions of the conflict, including top-secret Ivy Bells, Boresight, Bulls Eye, and Holystone operations.

Transcending traditional submarine, espionage, and Cold War accounts, Red November is an up-close examination of one of the most dangerous times in world history and an intimate look at the men and women who participated in our country’s longest and most expensive underwater war.

©2010 W. Craig Reed (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“If Tom Clancy had turned The Hunt for Red October into a nonfiction thriller, W. Craig Reed’s Red November might be the result. Here is the full-throttle and riveting story of espionage, secret missions, and the never-before-told tales of submariners on the front lines of a clandestine war. Not to be missed!” (James Rollins)

great

If you could sum up Red November in three words, what would they be?

accurate exciting

Any additional comments?

As somrone who served on a couple of the boats in this book. I was able to connect.
the author really knows subs. the narrator actually pronounced "submariner" correctly

Outstanding story of courage and dedication

What made the experience of listening to Red November the most enjoyable?

Excellent narration and a fine story combined to provide a great listening experience. The story captivated me while listening and made me look forward to my next quiet moment. It was a great way to learn a bit about our history while being treated to an entertaining experience.

very interesting

A good view of some of the secretive world and work of the submarine service.

Very interesting

I enjoyed learning the facts contained within this book. Narration was not bad at all.

The War Beneath the Surface

A fast paced book filled with a collection of characters and stories of close calls with death. This book is also a very good historical narrative of the development of underwater spy craft.

Satisfactory story, but sub-par narration.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

50/50 recommendation. The story spent more time outside of subs than in them. It was interesting, but not something I couldn't put down.

I ended up being annoyed by the stiff narration and mispronounced words and that overshadowed the story.

What didn’t you like about Tom Weiner’s performance?

Stiff narration and mispronounced words. Narrators should do a little research--especially for books with real places and technical jargon--to get the pronunciations correct. Distracting when it's wrong and disrespectful to the material.

interesting read

I spent years on submarines, punching holes in the ocean. My job was to make oxygen, I never even considered where we went. makes me proud to have served on the flying fish.

Fascinating

As a former submariner, I was fascinated by the stories in this book. I only wish I had been able to serve during the Cold War to perhaps have had the opportunity to experience things similar to those told in the stories. I think anyone interested in military history, and certainly anyone who has served aboard any US submarine will be fascinated by the stories recounted in this book.

Very interesting!

Was a great book! I was fascinated listening to the now declassified stories and close calls!

Great story, some details are incorrect

As a Cold War fast attack submariner, I enjoyed learning about the growth of submarine detection tech and what other boats had for amazing missions. I wish the reader had said words or acronyms properly. Yes, a MK 48 torpedo is always written as “MK”, but it is always pronounced as “Mark 48”. Also locations such as Mare Island and Yokosuka were mispronounced as well. Submariners appreciate details.