Home :: Books :: Science  

Arts & Photography
Audio CDs
Audiocassettes
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Investing
Children's Books
Christianity
Comics & Graphic Novels
Computers & Internet
Cooking, Food & Wine
Entertainment
Gay & Lesbian
Health, Mind & Body
History
Home & Garden
Horror
Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers
Nonfiction
Outdoors & Nature
Parenting & Families
Professional & Technical
Reference
Religion & Spirituality
Romance
Science

Science Fiction & Fantasy
Sports
Teens
Travel
Women's Fiction
Thunder Below!: The Uss Barb Revolutionizes Submarine Warfare in World War II

Thunder Below!: The Uss Barb Revolutionizes Submarine Warfare in World War II

List Price: $19.95
Your Price: $13.57
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: No Better
Review: As a NROTC midshipman, I confess to a certain bias. This book was a great read. Full of adventure, excitement, and good old-fashion story-telling, Adm. Flucky takes us through the 5 war patrols of the U.S.S. Barb with him in command. From his baptism of fire during his first patrol in command to the first ever launching of rockets by a submarine, his stories fill you with awe and make you wonder if they could be possibly true. I can say I was lucky enough to get a personalized copy from the author and will cherish it as I begin a career in the US Navy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent book on submarine warfare.
Review: Everybody rates this book EXCELLENT except for one reviewer on this web site who must be one of those sub skippers who kept his boat under at 60 ft day and night. I've read about 20 WWII submarine books and Gene Fluckey's book about the Barb is one of the best. It's the equal to Dick O'Kane's book on the U.S.S. Tang. Both were outstanding submariners and both later went on to become Admirals. BOTH skippers won the Congressional Medal of Honor, something awarded to only 7 WWII sub skippers out of more than 200, and 4 of the 7 were posthumous. Gene Fluckey was one of those who received the medal for daring and successful action, not for going down with his ship. They don't give the medal out lightly, especially in the United States Navy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A great story from a great man
Review: From the Medal of Honor winning author, comes a tale of great heroics. The Barb was the most succesful WWII sub. She sunk more shipping than any other, all because of the leadership which drove this boat. You will be troubled to find a more compelling and realistic encounter of WWII Sub patrols out on the shelves. I am priviliged to have met Admiral Fluckey's crew when they visited the academy. All are truly great men.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: As Advertised
Review: I bought this book from Amazon after reading the reviews here -- a big thank you to all you reviewers! Adm. Fluckey does a terrific job of recreating the tension and detailing the actions of his wonderful ship and crew; unlike more static narratives, this one comes alive with the voices of these heroes. Adm. Fluckey deserves special praise for the detailed research he did as well, tracking down even the Japanese radio messages to help illuminate his amazing story. A must-read!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Outstanding book
Review: I have just completed reading "Thunder Below" and "Clear the Bridge" back to back and being an ex-submariner the contrasts between the two commanding officers is remarkable. I couldn't put Thunder Below down until it was finished. Adm. Fluckey was a commanding officer every sailor dreams of serving under. I just missed serving under him when he was COMSUBPAC in 1966. The combination of the patrol reports and the illegal diary along with remembered conversations puts the reader in the middle of the action. The exploits of the Barb and her crew contains the ingredients of a great movie, and I understand Steven Spielberg has purchased the rights. This review is more of a salute to the Barb and her crew than a book review, and Adm. Fluckeys writing style is to be creditied. Thanks Admiral for a great book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: If you read one WWII submarine memoir, be it this one
Review: If you read but one WWII submarine memoir, be it this one. Far from a dispassionate account of the exploits of a successful submarine skipper, with Thunder Below, you are there. I've read many a book about submarines; but Fluckey's lively and coherent style makes it much easier to understand life aboard a WWII sub. Most other books, O'Kane's for example, I'd recommend for students of history or submarine warfare. Not this one. Anyone who likes a good tale, be it fiction or non-fiction, could like this one. And it's not just his account he presents either; it's also richly filled with accounts from the Japanese, other American subs, and an illegal diary kept by one of his crewman. So a balanced, all around perspective is given that is lacking in other memoirs. Fluckey's presentation of an American wolf pack attack that decimated a Japanese convoy unknowingly filled with Allied POW's (and some of their subsequent rescue) is one of the most moving stories I've ever read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome everytime I read it!
Review: This is my favorite military history book! And the only submarine book that I can read from cover to cover. I've tried others but they just don't seem as captivating. I first read this book in 1996 and I've read it at least 8 times since then. I'm amazed by the story telling ability of Admiral Fluckey. The story is exciting but still conveys the dangers of being in a sub, especially during wartime. And Admiral Fluckey seems to be a truly modest man because instead of making a big deal out of his own achievments, he makes a simple statement of the crew's achievements. He writes well and the story definitely keeps a readers attention. A must read for everyone.

I hope that someone does make a movie out of this book! It would make an awesome movie!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome everytime I read it!
Review: This is my favorite military history book! And the only submarine book that I can read from cover to cover. I've tried others but they just don't seem as captivating. I first read this book in 1996 and I've read it at least 8 times since then. I'm amazed by the story telling ability of Admiral Fluckey. The story is exciting but still conveys the dangers of being in a sub, especially during wartime. And Admiral Fluckey seems to be a truly modest man because instead of making a big deal out of his own achievments, he makes a simple statement of the crew's achievements. He writes well and the story definitely keeps a readers attention. A must read for everyone.

I hope that someone does make a movie out of this book! It would make an awesome movie!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Take a case of beer out of the shower........
Review: This is the best first person account of submarine operations in the Pacific I have read to date. Adm. Fluckey does a great job of taking the reader through each of the patrols and how the Barb truly does revolutionize submarine tactics as well as strategies. If you own just one book on the Silent Service operating in the Pacific, then but this book.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Lucky Fluckey does it again
Review: Thunder Below is the personal account of Commander (later Rear Admiral) Eugene Fluckey's adventures as skipper of the legendary WWII submarine, USS Barb. This is a wonderful book that reads more like a thriller than a naval history. I was hard pressed to put it down and only wish it could have gone on another 445 pages. Along with Admiral Fluckey's engaging prose, the book is full of photos of the Barb and her crewmembers, as well as charts of her various patrols and engagements. Fluckey's good humor and enthusiasm permeate every page, all the more remarkable when one considers he was well into his seventies when he wrote it...and the old fellow is still alive and kicking! I've learned that Thunder Below has been optioned by Hollywood. This is unquestionably the kind of book that can make the transition to the silver screen. Hope it's done soon, for the sake of Admiral Fluckey, the remaining Barbarians, and all the men of the silent service.


<< 1 2 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates