Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book about a truly remarkable accomplishment.
Review: While the setting is over 60 years ago the story of heroic effort is timeless. In light of the sinking of the submarine, Kursk, the lessons that should have been learned 60 years ago haven't been learned by the Russians. The efforts of Mr. Momsen and his crew were only equaled by those inside the submarine itself. The book is able to place the reader in the submarine to see what it feels like. Knowing you are trapped and have no way out except for men who you can't even communicate with. The pressure placed on the divers and crew was tremendous considering the environment and knowledge they had. We can only hope the US has learned its lesson from this story and the recent tragedy in Russia.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Story, Good Writing, A Timely Page-Turner
Review: Peter Maas'"The Terrible Hours" hooks you immediately and never let's go.Part of that is achieved by keeping the story very short. Don't let the 320 pages fool you -- this is a 250 page book goosed by large type and dialogue. That's not a criticism. In fact, Maas' brevity allows this true story to dominate the book without the background that can sometimes bog down these real-life adventure tales. A great story it is. On the eve of WWII, the American submarine Squalus sank on a training mission in 200 feet of water. Fortunately for the submariners, Lt. Cmdr. Swede Momsen, a sub commander turned rescue expert, had worried about how to extract men from submerged vessels. His worries led to the design of special breathing apparatus and a diving bell that could free men from sunk subs. Prior to his efforts men stuck on a downed sub, even in relatively shallow water, had no way out. A slow and cold death for those who survived an initial sinking was an absolute certainty as those on several American subs that went down in the 1920's and 1930's discovered. Momsen, against bureaucratic indifference and even hostitlity, dedicated his life to developing the tools that gave such men a chance. The Squalus disaster was his first chance to deploy his tools. The rescue was able to save all of the men who had escaped (thirty-one) to dry compartments as the sub partly filled with water during it's test dive. This is a gripping drama well told. Maas weaves the story of Momsen's struggles to get sub rescue technology taken seriously in the Navy with the harrowing tale of the trapped mens' wait for delivery. The book is a page turner and a very good read. It's also short enough you could probably finish it in a day, if the mood strikes.
Rating:
Summary: Insightful and Timely
Review: I couldn't get enough information about the Russina sub Kursk that sank earlier this year. I tried to envision what it would be like to be trapped on the bottom of the ocean, waiting and wondering if help would ever reach them. "The Terrible Hours" provides detail about just such a situtation. It is not only the story of how 33 submariners were saved, but the courageous exploits of one man, Swede Momsen, who refused to let the Naval bureaucracy stop him in his pursuit to find a way to save these men. The author provides a very thorough description of the development of such things as the iron lung and diving bells, both invaluable in saving submariners during the early years. It was wonderful to see the Navy honor Mr. Momsen recently by naming a ship after him. His tireless efforts have resulted in many lives saved that otherwise would have been lost. The book is based on actual accounts provided by the survivors, and interviews with te key people involved. An excellent story.
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Story but not a Great Book
Review: The rescue of the crew of the Squalus by Swede Momsen and a heroic team of Navy divers in 1939 is without a doubt a compelling and suspenseful subject matter. Maas obviously has a great deal of respect for Momsen, pointing out petty jealousies and a sense of apathy on the part of the Navy that often deprived Momsen of the credit he was due. In The Terrible Hours, Maas oftentimes tries to add a little drama and suspense, for example ending chapters with an ominous warning or hint of upcoming trouble that I thought was a little over the top. Overall, I thought the book was entertaining but could have been better. Maas includes no maps, floorplans of the sub or even a simple diagram to give the average non-Naval officer reader (like me) a sense of the confines of the submarine. He has no notes, so you wonder at the source of many of his facts such as the actions and conversations of the Squalus crewman and their spouses ashore when news of the sinking spread. Aside from the impressive cover, there is nary a photograph. He also spends a great deal of time describing the salvage of the sub itself, after any survivors were removed, which turned out to be somewhat anti-climatic since the reader's curiosity as to the cause of the sinking is never really satisfied. Overall I give it 3 stars, 3 1/2 if Amazon let me, but I was a lot more impressed with the writing, Notes, photographs and charts of the Philbrick book on the Whaleship Essex- it included all of the material that could've made Maas' book better, even though it chronicled an event dating more than 100 years earlier.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing True Story of Courage
Review: On May 23, 1939, the Squalus, the U. S. Navy's newest submarine, dived under the icy waters off the New England coast. Soon, perhaps immediately, water began gushing in to the rear engine compartments. The cause of this disaster was never satisfactorily determined. The sub sank, tail first, to the bottom of the ocean, 250 feet down. No one in history had ever been rescued from a sub on the bottom. And 250 feet down is a long way down. This book is the story of Swede Momsen, the Naval officer and inventor who, along with his divers, rescued 33 of the crewmen of the Squalus. It is a story of risk and heroism, of frustration and success and of accomplishing the impossible. It is quite an amazing story, which should be told time and again.
Rating:
Summary: A Real-Life Page Turner
Review: Peter Maas is an old style reporter. He is from the school that demands creating stories from the facts at hand. This book is a history, but it does not read like one. This story moves along at a 30 knot clip and demands your attention to the details of this incredible and almost unbelievable rescue story. Maas actually developed this story from an article about Charles "Swede" Momsen he previously published in the "Saturday Evening Post" in 1968. At that time, as he explains it, the story was more or less overshadowed by many of the historical events of '68. Not to mention that a story about World War II hero was not exactly great reading during the tumultuous war-protester years of the 1960's. The last thing that people wanted to read about was a war hero from the previous generation. The author only recently returned to his old story because he felt that people are much more responsive to the "Saving Private Ryan" and "Greatest Generation" heroism. He is correct, though I hope to God it is not a passing fad. There is so much that this generation and those to come could learn and benefit from reading about Swede Momsen and people like him. It is a great story of perserverence and never giving up on your ideas and dreams. Many of the deep-sea rescue techniques and submarine safety issues can be directly tied to Charles Momsen's efforts nearly 70 years ago. It seems very strange to be reading about this story and the rescue of the survivors of the "Squalus" during its 1939 disaster and then reflecting on the Russian submarine, "Kursk," that just sunk in the Barents sea last month. With all the bureaucracy that Swede Momsen had to fight through just to get his diving bell built, or create a team of expert rescue-divers that could be used save the lives of sailors trapped in a steel coffin; it's understandable how the Russians and the entire Soviet bureacracy was never able to develop the forsight towards rescuing their own downed subs. Instead they relied on someone else's technology, which no doubt may have cost them valuable time. One may never know. However this story is a great depiction that during rescue efforts, when time is essential, it is necessary to have a forward thinking individual like Swede Momsen on your side. Someone who is not afraid to try new ideas and with a lot of hard-work and pushing the right people in the right places he can make sure his ideas will become reality. His efforts and his diligence was what saved the thirty-plus survivors of the "Squalus." It was also these same efforts that would make it so future submarine accidents simply did not happen. Who knows how many future lives were saved? This is that type of story. You will be inspired and it is a great story to tell all your friends about. That sometimes one man can make all the difference.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping, but makes you yearn for more
Review: Now how can I fault this book? With the recent popularity of The Perfect Storm and other tales of adventure, tragedy, and heroism at sea this book ought to be a must read for everyone! The characters and facts are put forth in calm, clear, and chilling detail. Though I knew of "Swede" Momsen and the facts of diving before, the early cavalier attitude of the Navy towards sub sinkings shocked (but did not surprise) me. "Swede" deserves a larger place in history. But I >can< fault this book, if only to say that it could have been twice as big and I'd still have enjoyed it. Mr. Maas, you left out so much! Not only did Momsen invent these sub rescue devices, he seems to have pioneered the art of heliox diving among other things. I'd read an entire book about that!
Rating:
Summary: Definitely worth the read!
Review: This book was captivating from the very beginning. I could hardly put the book down. It was enjoyable to read about someone who has made such a difference, yet he seems to be relatively unknown outside Naval circles. The only reason I would not give the book 5 stars is its lack of a diagram of the sunken submarine.
Rating:
Summary: A Terrible Tragedy - A Fascinating Read
Review: Perhaps the most amazing thing about this book is that the US Navy could construct a 310-foot long submarine, and not even be able to rescue her crew at a depth of 243 feet. Except that one man, whose bravery, courage and tenacity created the devices and the procedures to retrieve these hopelessly lost men. A real page-turner ... you keep wanting to know what happens next ... far better than any fiction submarine novel, it's a shame that so many had to die before the US Navy got off its duff and began serious rescue procedures. Unfortunately, the progenitor was hardly credited by the US Navy, typical of many gov't agencies and even American business that suppresses innovation and exploration by its employees. Thank God this man was not constrained by such foolishness. His work forever changed the egress procedure for submariners. Even after the story ends there's more ... including a tragic and bizarre encounter with the refloated Squalus submarine (recommissioned as Sailfish) and the surviving crew of sub that first found her, the Sculpin, lost in battle with a Japanese destroyer off the Truk Islands. Swede Momsen, the inventor depicted here, is a true American hero and should always be remembered for his efforts. Made more dramatic with the recent tragedy aboard the Russian Oscar II attack sub, the Kursk. Don't miss this book!
Rating:
Summary: Gave me the chills
Review: Reading this book in the aftermath of the Russian Submarine Kursk disaster really gave me the chills. The author does a great job explaining how horrible the conditions are when you're sitting hundreds of feet down on the ocean floor in a dead submarine hoping that someone on the surface can find and rescue you before your oxygen runs out or you freeze to death. The book really shows how a few ingenious American heroes overcame huge obstacles and saved the lives of sailors who surely would have perished if it were not for their quick thinking. I really enjoyed reading this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who is as interested US Submarine history.
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