Publisher Description
On 17 March 1959, the USS Skate became the first submarine to surface at the North Pole.
Under the guidance of James Calvert this nuclear submarine had navigated through polar ice packs, braved atrociously cold conditions, and broken through layers of thick ice to arrive at their destination; the northernmost point of the world.
This mission, however, was not just about completing a seemingly impossibly feat of Arctic exploration. It also had huge implications for military strategy during the height of the Cold War. Now that submarines were able to travel under and break through the ice, it gave the US military the capability of being avoid detection under the ice while being able to launch their Polaris missiles from points far closer to the Soviet Union.
James Calvert's remarkable account of his two voyages to the Arctic with the USS Skate provides vivid insight into life in a nuclear submarine and how these men were able to complete this treacherous mission.
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About James F. Calvert
James F. Calvert (1920–2009) Vice Admiral, USN (Ret.), one of the Navy’s most decorated officers in World War II, commanded a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, served as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, and headed the First Fleet in the Pacific.
About Tom Perkins
Tom Perkins, an award-winning audio engineer for over forty years, has expanded his skills to narrating and has earned an AudioFile Earphones Award. He learned by working with the world’s best voice talent during his career, and he continues to engineer a variety of projects.