This review and excerpt appeared in the August 2016 issue of the Submarine Review. The excerpts subsequently won second place in the Naval Submarine League Annual Literary Contest. Not bad for an excerpt.
AUGUST 2016
FEATURES
History of America’s Strategic
Deterrence from V-1 to D5
Mr. Thomas Lee……………………………… 17
ARTICLES
Why I Volunteered for Submarine Duty
LCDR Krysten Ellis, SC, USN ………….. 38
No ‘Cold War To End All Cold Wars”
Mr. Joe Buff…………………………………… 42
Submarine Force Reserve Component
RADM Andrew Lennon, USNR…………. 60
S.O.S. for a Declining American Navy
Mr. Seth Cropsey ……………………………. 64
Loss of A/C on a Submarine
CAPT Ray D. Woolrich, USN, Ret., CAPT Fred E. Yeo, MC, USN
Submarine News from Around the World
AMI Hot News ……………………………….. 79
SUBMARINE COMMUNITY
Submarine History Reading List
LCDR Joel Holwitt, USN…………………. 98
Camelot
CAPT Don Ulmer, USN, Ret. …………. 109
Aboard the Big Sam A Sailor’s Obit
Mrs. Sally Lyons McAlear ……………… 112
Best Advice (Sea Stories)
CAPT John Byron, USN, Ret. …………. 128
US Submarine HARDER (SS-257)
Mr. Lawrence J. Opisso…………………. 131
BOOK REVIEW
Excerpt from Dangerous Ground by
George Wallace and Don Keith………. 133
THE SUBMARINE REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
DANGEROUS GROUND
by CDR George Wallace, USN, Ret. and Mr. Don Keith
Commander George Wallace is a retired submarine officer. He served on JOHN ADAMS and WOODROW WILSON, was XO of SPADEFISH and Commanded HOUSTON. While in command, the ship worked with SEALS and was awarded the CIA Meritorious Unit Citation. He and Don Keith have written three other submarine novels; Final Bearing, Firing Point and Operation Golden Dawn.
Don Keith is a native of Alabama who enjoyed a long career in radio as a featured personality and later as a station owner. At the same time he became a successful author of fiction. He later wrote non-fiction historical works about World War II submarines and co-authored, with CDR Bill Anderson of NAUTILUS, The Ice Diaries.
Editor’s Note: In this issue, THE SUBMARINE REVIEW continues the practice of giving some special attention to submarine related novels. We did so in re- viewing several of Joe Buff’s novels and more recently we cited several retired submarine officers who have written submarine novels. The point in departing from our normal no-fiction policy is to take advantage of their fiction, based on long experience in the boats, as authoritative depictions of USN submariners, and how they probably would, and could, react in extreme situations. Dangerous Ground certainly does provide the extreme situations for those depictions. It is an exotic story with plenty of action
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THE SUBMARINE REVIEW
by a wide range of colorful people, ranging from South China Sea pirates, North Korean arms dealers, Islamic Terrorists, SEALS, all the way up to the President of the United States. Of course, several submariners act to accomplish all tasks and resolve all threats in an admirable manner. For the older members of our readership some of the scenarios will bring back memories of past incidents or near-instances, including the TREPANG Plot of the late 70s.
We have extracted some sections of the book to give our readers some flavor, a sample of the writing, and touches of the plot without giving away too much. All the italicized subheadings are editorial guide posts for this purpose and are not part of the book’s text.
Jim Hay
Extract # 1
Pirate Raid
PROLOGUE
The Medong Sui threaded her way among the hundreds of small islands that were silhouetted between the blue-black water and the pink and orange streaks of sunset. The ancient diesel engine groaned pitifully under the strain as it did its best to propel the overloaded freighter across the South China Sea. Long beards of sea grass draped under the hull, slowing the old coaster’s progress even more. Jagged streaks of rust festooned her once white-painted sides.
Kei Nugyen Doa leaned back against the ship’s bridge rail while he sucked on a Vietnamese cigarette. He took a deep draw then blew the smoke out, allowing the gentle tropical wind to take away what little smoke he had not been able to hold in his lungs. From up here he could see the passengers milling about on the