Review of "The Submarine : A History" by Tom Parrish

Thomas Parrish has given us a great big history of one of the most fascinating annals of military history. The span of this history goes from Leonardo da Vinci's first designs that he made in the 16th century, and follows this tale up the age of nuclear submarines.

This history of the submarine follows three key areas: Operational, Technical and the Submarine itself. You will read about the adventures of the early crews and it's officers. Squalus, Archerfish, Seawolf and Nautilus are among the legendary subs chronicled here. The author covers them all in details that will amaze the reader.

Parrish begins the story with the first appearance of the submarine during the Civil War. In 1900, the submarine was appointed to regular service in the U.S. Navy and was widely used in both the First and the Second World Wars. Its use was extended battlefields to underneath the oceans where its value rivals that of the airplane as a source of military power.

This is an enormous tome, but it is hard to put down because the stories are real and told here in an inviting way.