Rating: 
Summary: The destruction of the Russian submarine Kursk.
Review: A great book about a sad disaster. The Kursk was the pride of the Russian attack submarine fleet and one of the newest ships in the Navy. On an exercise in the Arctic Ocean, the submarine blew up and sank. Twenty six people survived the blast but died on the bottom of the ocean because the Russian Navy did not have adequate rescue facilities or did not want ask foreign governments for help. This was truly needless death.
Moore does a good job of detailing the death of this submarine and the decline of the Russian Navy. Although the book is great to read, it does start off slowly, and the circumstances of the explosion is still in doubt. Some say the warheads of one of the torpedoes went off, while Moore states categorically that it was the fuel of the torpedo which caused a flash fire and set the other warheads off. The reason for the submarine exploding is still in doubt, but the aftermath is all too real in the suffering of the families of the crew members.
I have read another book about this subject--Kursk Down, but this is a superior read.
Rating:
Summary: The destruction of the Russian submarine Kursk.
Review: A great book about a sad disaster. The Kursk was the pride of the Russian attack submarine fleet and one of the newest ships in the Navy. On an exercise in the Arctic Ocean, the submarine blew up and sank. Twenty six people survived the blast but died on the bottom of the ocean because the Russian Navy did not have adequate rescue facilities or did not want ask foreign governments for help. This was truly needless death.
Moore does a good job of detailing the death of this submarine and the decline of the Russian Navy. Although the book is great to read, it does start off slowly, and the circumstances of the explosion is still in doubt. Some say the warheads of one of the torpedoes went off, while Moore states categorically that it was the fuel of the torpedo which caused a flash fire and set the other warheads off. The reason for the submarine exploding is still in doubt, but the aftermath is all too real in the suffering of the families of the crew members.
I have read another book about this subject--Kursk Down, but this is a superior read.
Rating: 
Summary: Russia Has a Long Way to Go
Review: A Time to Die tells the story, as far as it was known prior to publication of the official Russian Navy disaster investigation report late last year, of Kursk's final ill-fated war game deployment and the subsequent Russian and Norwegian/British rescue attempts. The hypothetical reconstruction of the catastrophic torpedo explosion that first killed the men in the torpedo room and then, following a far more powerful secondary explosion of other torpedoes that blew off the SSGN's entire giant bow section (Kursk was three times larger than a Los Angeles Class SSN!), about 85% of the entire crew is the most interesting part of the book. Only 28 men in the nuclear reactor spaces, who gathered below the escape hatch in the ninth - farthest aft - compartment to await rescuers, survived the initial catastrophe. After Kursk sinks the story bounces somewhat confusingly back and forth among the survivors, the Russian surface fleet and rescue vessels, families and officials at the decrepit, depressing Kola Peninsula Russian Navy Bases (where reportedly more than a dozen submariners commit suicide each year) and the Norwegian-British military and oil industry rescuers.The saga illustrates how pathetic the Russian Navy is (the Northern Fleet is supposed to be a world-class military force but actually is barely a local coast guard, despite massive nuclear weapons), and how their culture of blame avoidance contributed to incredible delays in, first, even noticing Kursk was lost and then talking a long time to find the sub's resting place just 350' below the surface. While the Navy provides misleading and knowingly inaccurate information - even to would-be rescuers - they can hardly get their rescue vessels into the water and then prove unable to dock with Kursk's escape hatch. In contrast, a British Navy submarine rescue officer takes initiative to begin assembling rescue crews and equipment before his own navy, much less the Russians, ask for assistance. The oil field divers and their support vessels likewise drop their lucrative work on the Norwegian coast and deploy quickly to the accident scene, only to be pointlessly held at a distance by inept Russian naval officers for several precious hours before being permitted to dive on Kursk. Although the commercial divers quickly get in position to prepare Kursk to receive the Royal Navy's rescue vessel they determine the aft compartment where the survivors held out has already been slowly flooded due to "lack of structural integrity" where the drive shaft pierces compartment nine. If the Norwegians and British had been allowed on the scene earlier the outcome MIGHT have been different. I rate this book good, but not great. It will appeal mostly to submarine buffs and those seeking insights into the remnants of dysfunctional Soviet (Czarist?) cultural norms that will keep Russia backward for the foreseeable future. There don't seem to be any blockbuster revelations that haven't been reported elsewhere, and the prose is not exceptional. There are 252 pages plus crew roster, index, two small scale maps, a small scale schematic diagram or Kursk and 23 b&w photos.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent General Account of the Sinking of the 'Kursk'
Review: As a work for non specialists, "A Time to Die" is an excellent, well written, and thoroughly explained piece of journalism. It is written for laymen, yet does not condescend to people without a background in submarine operations. The K-141 'Kursk' sank on August 12, 2000 off northern Russia during a training exercise after an aged torpedo exploded in the bow of the boat, sinking the ship rapidly to the 350 foot deep seabed. 28 men survived in the aft of the ship and lived in a cold and dark environment for several days before being killed by a rapid flash fire. The elements that led to the tragedy are compelling. The Russian navy was (and is) in utter disrepair after the breakup of the USSR, and rescue submersibles were among the first budget cuts made. Only several days after the 'Kursk' sank was help from England and Norway solicited, due largely to national pride (and fear of espionage). The entire debacle happened only a few months into the Putin administration and proved to be a watershed in Russian politics. Moore tells the story from the viewpoint of the survivors, the would-be rescuers and the victim's families, with special emphasis on deteriorating Russian capabilities (and the preventable nature of the disaster) and the political forces that doomed the survivors to a sure death. Overall it is a superb telling of the salient points of the tragedy, its investigation, and aftermath. The photographs alone are worth the price of the book, particularly the pictures of 'Kursk' in drydock after the accident. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a general treatment of the technical side of the disaster and an in-depth covering of the political machinations involved.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent General Account of the Sinking of the 'Kursk'
Review: As a work for non specialists, "A Time to Die" is an excellent, well written, and thoroughly explained piece of journalism. It is written for laymen, yet does not condescend to people without a background in submarine operations. The K-141 'Kursk' sank on August 12, 2000 off northern Russia during a training exercise after an aged torpedo exploded in the bow of the boat, sinking the ship rapidly to the 350 foot deep seabed. 28 men survived in the aft of the ship and lived in a cold and dark environment for several days before being killed by a rapid flash fire. The elements that led to the tragedy are compelling. The Russian navy was (and is) in utter disrepair after the breakup of the USSR, and rescue submersibles were among the first budget cuts made. Only several days after the 'Kursk' sank was help from England and Norway solicited, due largely to national pride (and fear of espionage). The entire debacle happened only a few months into the Putin administration and proved to be a watershed in Russian politics. Moore tells the story from the viewpoint of the survivors, the would-be rescuers and the victim's families, with special emphasis on deteriorating Russian capabilities (and the preventable nature of the disaster) and the political forces that doomed the survivors to a sure death. Overall it is a superb telling of the salient points of the tragedy, its investigation, and aftermath. The photographs alone are worth the price of the book, particularly the pictures of 'Kursk' in drydock after the accident. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a general treatment of the technical side of the disaster and an in-depth covering of the political machinations involved.
Rating: 
Summary: A Sad Story of Preventable Disaster
Review: Author Robert Moore's "A Time to Die" is a straightforward account of the tragedy that occurred aboard the Russian submarine Kursk, which sank to the bottom of the Barrents Sea after a horrific explosion in August 2000. Making the disaster even more gruesome was the fact that 23 of the crew survived the initial explosion only to die a excruiating death from slow suffocation followed by flash fire. And the worst part is that had it not been for the sad state of the Russian Navy and the country's continued suspicion of the West, the 23 survivors might have all been rescued alive. Moore has done a tremendous job of getting to the facts considering the obstacles he must have faced. He describes the bleak life of those assigned to Russia subartic, super secret naval bases and the deterioration of the Russian Navy since the cold war in vivid and unflinching terms. He also humanizes his narrative by telling the vicitims personal stories. Moore then shows how Russian military paranoia contributed to the disaster, first by preventing its detection for twelve crucial hours, then by refusing to acknowledge that anything unusual had occurred and lastly by initially refusing help from British and Norwegian diving experts even when it became apparent that the breakdown in their own infastructure was hampering their rescue attempts. The overall picture that emerges is that of a preventable tragedy compounded by multiple human errors. The only silver lining is that because Russia is now ostensibly a democracy, the military couldn't cover up its mistakes like it had in the past. The families of the victims were able to pressure the Russian leadership for answers, and ultimately receive monetary compensation for their loss. Also, for the first time, Russiaan military commanders were held accountable for loss of lives under their command. Moore might not be quite as deft a storyteller as he could be, but his unflinching account is complete and compelling. Overall, an excellent work of book length journalism.
Rating:
Summary: Great Details - Full Story
Review: I was a little concerned when I bought this book that it would be a script for a made for TV cheesy drama with nothing but irony dripping dialog and stories of love affairs. Thank goodness it turned out that there was none of that drama queen stuff. This is a book written like an investigative report. The author pulled together just a ton of details that I had not seen before in the media and laid out the full disaster in a tight chronological fashion. It is a very interesting story and a sad one at that given the opportunities that were wasted that could have rescued the trapped men. The book also speaks volumes about the current state of affairs of the Russian military or at least the navy. If pressed the only complaint I would have is that the author did not also cover the salvage operation. He does a great job with the events leading up to the sinking, the actual event and the rescue operation. He then skips the salvage to go to the results of the dry dock investigation of the salvaged boat. Maybe he is going to put out a second book on the salvage operation. Overall this was a great book that read very fast. If you are interested in this event then you will just tear through this book in no time.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting History
Review: In August of 2000, news media around the globe carried the drama unfolding in the remote waters of the Barents Sea as the Russian nuclear submarine Kursk, pride of the Northern Fleet, lay broken and dying on the sea floor. Russian reports of the cause of the accident were vague and sometimes contradictory at the time. Was it collision with an American submarine, as the Russian's subtly implied, or perhaps caused by an onboard accident? The would only begin trickling out several months after the tragedy. In "A Time to Die: The Untold Story of the Kursk Tragedy", British author Robert Moore unfolds these facts in a dramatic and compelling fashion. This well-researched book in rich in detail yet moves at the pace of a fictional thriller. This tale of heroism and sacrifice on-board is also a scathing indictment of the incompetence and secrecy of the Russian politico-military bureaucracy. While 88 of the crew were most certainly killed instantly, at least 23 survived for several days after the accident, waiting in vain for rescue while the Russian's tried to manipulate world opinion and Vladimir Putin vacationed on the Black Sea. As survivors were struggling to stay alive, Russian bureaucrats on shore hesitated and thwarted viable rescue attempts. Paranoia prevented the willing intervention of western assistance that most certainly could have saved the lives of many of the crewmembers that survived the on-board explosions of torpedoes while still in their tubes. One does not need to be military aficionado to enjoy the fast-paced, well written "A Time to Die". It is an important historical milestone, exposing the struggles faced by Russia in the post-Soviet Union period, and an insightful dissection of Russia's secrecy and mistrust of the west.
Rating:
Summary: A worthy read for non-specialists
Review: Robert Moore has done a capable job with this retelling of the gripping and tragic tale of K-141's end. He has done a very decent job of gathering facts, both common and obscure, and pulling them together. For a non-specialist in this area, this book is an excellent beginning in coming to grips with the events, their causes, and their consequences. Unfortunately, I AM a specialist in the area, or more to the point have been a specialist, and I was left wanting much more than I found. Moore goes over all the obligatory points, and gives an adequate, if somewhat limited, explanation of the salient facts. His explanations are short on depth though, and are even occasionally trite. His repeated return to the sheer size of the KURSK begins to pall after the forth or fifth repetition, and he is repetitive in other areas as well. What I really found myself wanting was more on the internal manoeuvrings of the Russian Federation government and armed services, more on the word games and spin presented to the world, more on the international implications resulting from the attempts to place an external blame on the whole incident, and more on the salvage efforts, especially after the crew was found to be dead. The raising of the KURSK alone was a monumental achievement, worthy of a book in it's own right, as are the geo-political implications of the event. The bare facts of the sinking, and the tragedy unfolding within the K-141 are only enough to fill a small part of the story, and Moore does bring to the table much that was not widely known before, especially in regards to the advanced state of decay of the Russian Federation Navy. Budget disasters were clearly pointed out, but never fully explored. Manpower shortages, personal sacrifice, patriotism, and pride of service were likewise insufficiently explored. The unfolding events inside the hull of the KURSK (as best are known) are neglected for lengthy portions of the book, and Moore loses the sense of desperate immediacy this story really deserves. Moore has found and gathered a worthy collection of facts, information, and anecdotes, but he ultimately fails to produce a gripping tale. What he does deliver, though, is enough: A wrenching story of courage, pride, neglect, suspicion, miscommunication, parochialism, and incompetence. If it were not for the lives lost, it would be sadly amusing. Instead, it's heartbreaking. Those were good men aboard the K-141, better by far than their leaders deserved: That much, Moore makes abundantly clear.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and depressing look into the "new" Russia
Review: Synopsis:
The Kursk was the largest, most-powerful nuclear submarine in the Russian fleet. It was one of only a very few of their premier ships - designed before the Soviet collapse and completed by the Russian government. It was larger than anything in the American fleet.
In August of 2000 there was an accident caused by a malfunction in a poorly maintained dummy torpedo during a war games exercise near the Arctic circle. The explosion of the dummy caused the explosion of every non-nuclear piece of ordinance on the sub and it immediately sink to the floor of the ocean 370 feet down. Most of the sailors died right away but about 20 survived in the aft compartments for several days.
The book details the poor quality of Russia's underwater rescue teams (their annual budget for 1999 was $14,000 - their leaders joked about using it to buy a car so they could drive to an underwater rescue site) and their unwillingness to accept Western offers to help until it was too late for their sailors. It also details the trevails of some of the victims' families and the Russian government's clumsy responses to the crisis and their own newly-freed press.
The book's title comes from a poem written by one of the men from the aft compartment. He gave it to his wife just before he left to participate in the war games.
When there is A Time to Die
Although I try not to think about this,
I would like time to say:
My darling I Love You.
My review:
This is a fascinating, yet depressing book. I learned a lot about submarines and underwater rescue but it involved the loss of over 120 men. The look into the new Russia and Vladimir Putin's first crisis as President is worth reading the book in and of itself.
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