Beginning with a detailed history, this book follows the development of the submarine from the Cold War onwards, with special topics including life aboard the Dreadnought, the ballistic boomers, the tragedy of the Kursk and deep sea survival teams.

Machines Close-Up reveals the intricate inner workings of the worlds most remarkable machines

"An examination of the origin, history, development, and impact of the submarine and related underwater exploration and transport technology"--Provided by publisher.

Submarines had a vital, if often unheralded, role in the superpower navies during the Cold War. Their crews carried out intelligence-collection operations, sought out and stood ready to destroy opposing submarines, and, from the early 1960s, threatened missile attacks on their adversary's homeland, providing in many respects the most survivable nuclear deterrent of the Cold War. For both East and West, the modern submarine originated in German U-boat designs obtained at the end of World War II. Although enjoying a similar technology base, by the 1990s the superpowers had created submarine fleets of radically different designs and capabilities. Written in collaboration with the former Soviet submarine design bureaus, Norman Polmar and K. J. Moore authoritatively demonstrate in this landmark study how differing submarine missions, antisubmarine priorities, levels of technical competence, and approaches to submarine design organizations and management caused the divergence.

The first comprehensive technical history on the subject, with photos: “A must-read for all professionals, designers and scholars of modern submarines.” —Australian Naval Institute The Royal Navy’s greatest contribution to the Allied success in World War II was undoubtedly the defeat of the U-boat menace in the North Atlantic, a victory on which all other European campaigns depended. The underwater threat was the most serious naval challenge of the war, so it was not surprising that captured German submarine technology became the focus of attention for the British submarine service after 1945. It was quick to test and adopt the schnorkel, streamlining, homing torpedoes, and, less successfully, hydrogen-peroxide propulsion. Furthermore, in the course of the long Atlantic battle, the Royal Navy had become the world’s most effective anti-submarine force and was able to utilize this expertise to improve the efficiency of its own submarines. However, in 1945 German submarine technology had also fallen into the hands of the Soviet Union—and as the Cold War developed it became clear that a growing Russian submarine fleet would pose a new threat. Britain had to go to the US for its first nuclear propulsion technology, but the Royal Navy introduced the silencing technique that made British and US nuclear submarines viable anti-submarine assets, and it pioneered in the use of passive—silent—sonars in that role. Nuclear power also changed the role of some British submarines, which replaced bombers as the core element of British Cold War and post-Cold War nuclear deterrence. As in other books in this series, this one shows how a combination of evolving strategic and tactical requirements and new technology produced successive types of submarines. It is based largely on unpublished and previously classified official documentation, and to the extent allowed by security restrictions, also tells the operational story—HMS Conqueror is still the only nuclear submarine to have sunk a warship in combat, but there are many lesser-known aspects of British submarine operations in the postwar era.

An illustrated directory of the weapons and techniques used to seek out and destroy enemy submarines.

Here is a concise, readable, and fully-illustrated account of how the modern submarine fleets came to be, from the very first underwater vessel that crossed the Thames in 1620, to the ultra-computerized nuclear submarine that functions as the strategic linchpin for most of today's advanced navies. Including a detailed portrait of life aboard a modern submarine, this fascinating book will appeal to any readers of naval or military history, and especially to the legions of submarine enthusiasts. This new edition of The Submarine Book is updated with a new chapter that speaks to the post-Cold-War environment of the Russian navy and the tragic loss of the Russian submarine Kursk.

Believe it or not, submarines date back to the seventeenth century! Discover how they developed from early designs such as the one-person Turtle into streamlined, stealthy warships. Along the way, you'll look right inside a German U-boat, find out how a sub dives and surfaces, and see sonar systems and video periscopes at work. From torpedoes to nuclear reactors, learn how submarine technology and strategy have changed throughout military history, and experience life under the waves.

This fully illustrated book traces the history of underwater travel, from the earliest attempts to travel beneath the waves to the future possibility of unmanned craft permanently roaming the seas.