Surface at the Pole

The Extraordinary Voyages of the USS Skate

De: James Calvert

Narrado por: Tom Perkins

On 17 March 1959, the USS Skate became the first submarine to surface at the North Pole.

Under the guidance of James Calvert this nuclear submarine had navigated through polar ice packs, braved atrociously cold conditions, and broken through layers of thick ice to arrive at their destination; the northernmost point of the world.

This mission, however, was not just about completing a seemingly impossibly feat of Arctic exploration. It also had huge implications for military strategy during the height of the Cold War. Now that submarines were able to travel under and break through the ice, it gave the US military the capability of being avoid detection under the ice while being able to launch their Polaris missiles from points far closer to the Soviet Union.

James Calvert's remarkable account of his two voyages to the Arctic with the USS Skate provides vivid insight into life in a nuclear submarine and how these men were able to complete this treacherous mission.

Public Domain (P)2020 Tantor

1959 submarine breaking Ice at the north pole

Great 1st hand account of the first submarine to surface at the north pole in winter (1959)

Disappointed

Narrator was not enjoyable. Not as well written as his book about the USS Jack

Re: A Great True Story and my review

Speeding up to 1.2 makes this narrator much better.

I’m listening now, I’m review later.

A great read!

The audio quality of this book is worlds better than the book about the USS Jack. Don’t listen to other reviews, the narrator is great. I loved the story of the USS Skate and wish there were more like it!

a great true story

I've become an avid reader of US Navy submarine history and the boats that have sailed. While i was familiar with the USS Nautilus, i did not know about the USS Skate, the third nuclear submarine built. i enjoyed the Captain's telling of her adventure with the crew in the waters of the North Pole. The reader tends to be a bit slow... but that's easily corrected in the Audible app as you can speed it up. if you love true tales from US submarine history, you'll love this book.

A well written look at history in the making

An easy listening account of the early days of Arctic operations by submarines. Riveting and well worth your time.

Great moments in Submarine history.

Well told story of our recent past that pioneered today’ ICEX’s and our ability to forge a place in the unknown parts of our world.

Early Nuclear Sub Polar Exploration

The Skate was not the first nuclear sub to reach the North Pole, but it was the first one to surface there. The captain describes two missions to the Pole in the late 1950s.

There is a lot of history of polar exploration. The book also provides an interesting view of what life was like on a nuclear sub at that time. In short, lots of food and everyone smoked.

The book has a somewhat old-fashioned vibe to it, but it moves along and is well told.