Rating: 
Summary: Sacrifice, Heroics and Frogmen.
Review: As a SCUBA diver I'm biased towards any book of the sea. Especially one such as this. I have read other accounts of this episode, and find this is the best.I liked it so much, I sent it to my father, a WWII Coast Guard sailor, who took up the sport soon after leaving the service. I recommend this to anyone interested in historical aspects of submarine warfare, to rescue operations, and salvage.
Rating:
Summary: Very authentic book
Review: I was in Submarined in the 60's. Guppy IA boats have a main induction lock that is engaged after the main induction is shut to insure that it doesn't drift open. After reading this book, I now know why. I have also made bouyant ascents as described in the book. It was a great book.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific read
Review: I often judge a book by the after taste. When I finished, I spent hours on the Web looking up the Squalus, the survivors and the life of Swede Momson. The book was great! Maas has great pacing. There was no down time. The cherry on the cake was the epilogue.
Rating: 
Summary: Minimally suspenseful. No visual reinforcement.
Review: Despite the fact that 26 men died in the submarine Squalus sinking 61 years ago, at no time did I, as a reader of this narrative, feel that the 33 survivors were in acute danger. The description of events that happened inside the boat immediately before, during, and after the sinking made it obvious that there were indeed survivors (because who else could've remembered such detail?), so that key element of suspense was removed almost from the beginning. Had the author told the tale from the perspective of the rescuers only, the book would have been more gripping, but much shorter - and it isn't long as it is, 259 pages in hardcover. The most glaring deficiency is the lack of any visual reinforcement. There're no photographs of the men and rescue equipment involved, despite the fact the rescue operation was a "media event". There's not even a diagram of the sub's interior for the reader to get his/her bearings. While the dedication and competence of Charles Momsen and his rescue team was unquestionably admirable, I just wasn't inspired to cheer as the last survivor was plucked from the deep. In the end, the book is not much more than a tribute to the laudable career of "Swede" Momsen.
Rating:
Summary: The Terrible Hours
Review: Tense, exciting, well read, enjoyable topic, a thrilling story. Thouroughly enjoyed by friends as well.
Rating:
Summary: The Terrible Hours
Review: A real page turner. Content of this story made me believe that there are still true American heroes, and "Swede" Momson was one of them. The story is written as though you very much cared and knew the men trapped on that sub. I felt with Maas' descriptions, that I was actually in the sub suffering the cold and horror that the men endured during their entrapment. I highly recommend this book as it is a true story and the writing is as excellent as it is fast paced and descriptive.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent read about a truly amazing man
Review: This book clicks along at a pace that rivals a Tom Clancy novel. The difference is that "Swede" Momsen actually lived and the story told here is true. It's hard to imagine a time when even a minor submarine accident meant certain death for her crew. It's equally hard to imagine being on the surface, listening to the men trapped below banging on the hull with hammers, begging to be rescued...and knowing it was simply impossible. Momsen's life's work made those tragedies a thing of the past. This book tells the story masterfully and is highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great Story - Excellent reading
Review: This is a great story of a giant of a man - Swede Momsen - who has received little recognition for his superb dedication. In the beginning, it might be a little techinical for the non-Navy reader, but hang in there. It gets very suspenseful and is well worth the time. The end of the book tells the story of Momsen's design work that led directly to today's high speed, deep diving subs. Excellent work.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended!
Review: Excellent read. While this story is centered around a dramatic submarine rescue, the first of its kind, it's also about answering challenges and beating back the adversity that comes with them. Momsen's perseverance more than 60 years ago has saved countless lives since. He is a true hero. It amazes me that he is not a better known figure in American history.
Rating: 
Summary: A good little read
Review: This is an enjoyable little book, even if it is largely a regeneration of earlier stories Maas had written on the incident and people involved. At least Maas acknowledges this in the book. Nevertheless, Maas tells the story in a factual, but easy style that is informative, yet fun to read.
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