U.S. Submarines Since 1945, Revised Edition: An Illustrated Design History Hardcover – August 15, 2018

Norman’s book was always a good and smooth read even for non-native speakers like me and this one is no exception. This book is very informative and in a sensitive area like modern submarines it’s precious to have a collection of dis-classified in depth information.As for the quality of printing, it looks alright for me and I don’t have any complaints.

The book represents an updated and slightly expanded version of the original published in 1994. At that time, none of today's Virginia SSN, Columbia SSBN, underwater UUV's, etc. were in planning or design stage. As such, many who bought the original edition will find Friedman's "Beyond the Cold War" and Appendix A ("Midget Submarines") well worth the new investment.Almost anything associated with modern submarines begins with high classifications, as the author notes in the Preface. "Many significant features have appeared in unclassified or declassified publications or in unofficial publications whose comment is clearly plausible. One important point emerged as I was writing the book. The Soviets were able to penetrate U.S. security to a remarkable extent. Examples: of parallels to U.S. projects inlude the Nobska automated submarine (Alfa), the turboelectric design concepts for THRESHER (again, Alfa) and the Subroc/BQQ-2 combination (SS-N-15 and Victor-class bow sonar). We were not alone being penetrated. ....the Soviet obtained the combat direction system designed in Norway for the Ula and German Type 212 submarine classes and retrofitted it into some Victor III-class submarines. Other evidence indicates that many Soviet sonars were copies of British and French types." A clear warning for today's cyber efforts worldwide by trolls (and spies) of today's tsar in the Kremlin.For those who have not purchased the original volume, it begins with the early-post WW 2 "1947 Attack Submarine" efforts and a series of diesel-attack submarines (Comparison of SCB 2A and SS-563), followed by "Alternative Design Schemes-1953" and "Submarine Options, Fiscal Year 1956". The great design change represented with "Selection of the Barbel, 1956" covers in detail the new hull design concept that launched much of today's worldwide submarine designs.As the U.S. in the mid-50s still possessed, and relied upon, a plethora of diesel-attack submarines of WW 2 origin,. the Guppy conversion and modernization program is covered thoroughly ("Typical Guppy Characteristics"), followed by three chapters on closed-cycle designs (Closed-Cycle Submarine Designs, June 1948 and "...., 1948-52) (remember the Soviets attempted similar designs, based on earlier German research); emergence of the short-range hunter-killer (SSK) designs, beginning in he mid-1950s (chapters: "SSK Requirements in 1948", "SSK Requirements, ..... 2,000-Submarine Force"), "SSK Designs, 1947", and "SSK Redesign, 1949"). Chapters than focus on "Small Submarines, 1955", and "BuShips Concept Studies, 1955".Getting to the modern SSN era, begins with a chapter titled "From Nuclear Prototype to Production" (p. 125), moving through Skipjack-class SSN, followed by "Nuclear Submarines: The Second Generation" (Sturgeon and Glenard Lipscomb-classes), and Los Angeles and Her Successor (Ch. 10). Strategic Submarines (Ch. 11) covers everyting from the early cruise-missile shooters (Regulus I / II) SSGN designs, through the Polaris SSBNs, into the Ohio SSBN of today.Throughout all of these chapters, there is a focus on equipment carried by these submarines, fire control systems, weapons, sound proofing efforts ( 1960s RETORIC program, for example) - and sonars in particular. The final main chapter covers Seawolf / SSN-21, Virginia SSN, Ohio-Class SSGN, and the new SSBNX - Columbia, and UUV developments. Unfortunately, because these classes are so new, and classified data so limited, none are covered in the depth of those first three generations of submarines post-1945. Despite this limitation sub-chapters on "Regaining the Acoustic Advantage (New Arrays)" casts valuable information programs rarely heard of (CAVES, various TB programs, and other sonars on the Virginia-class SSN). Appendix B has been updated (a list of the fates of all submarines, from launch dates to decommissioning - which tracks the rapidly declining numbers of I-688 / Improved Los Angeles-class).Appendix C covers Submarine Data characteristics; Appendix D, New Information - an across the board update on nuclear submarines (beginning with Nautilus-class) that was not contained in the original edition. Follow Notes section runs 35-pages (!), followed by a useful Index.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

History, strategic shifts.

A revised edition of this book had been on my mental wish list for a long time, and after selling my copy of the original edition a couple years back, I'm happy one is finally available. This is definitely the most in-depth single-volume reference on American submarines of the Cold War era currently available. Leaving off where Friedman's "US Submarines Through 1945" left off, it traces the breathtaking evolution of submarine design, tactics, weapons, and electronics during the Cold War. Like the other books in the series, it's based largely on previously classified internal documents and obscure open literature, providing an incredibly detailed insight into the design of these submarines.And detailed it is. Although the main text is only about 220 pages long, there's enough detail in here for a book three times its length. Every paragraph and photo caption is thick with it, as are the 35 pages of technical notes and the numerous drawings by the author and James Christley. Numerous paper projects and unbuilt weapons and systems are described, such as the rocket-armed "Moray" interceptor, an amphibious tank landing submarine, the APHNAS SSGN, and a twin-hulled Regulus carrier. Besides the submarines themselves, there's a wealth of detail on virtually every sonar, torpedo, and fire control system installed aboard American submarines between 1945 and the present day. This is a technical history through and through. It's incredibly stripped, lean, and efficient, and anyone looking for exciting stories and personal accounts is advised to steer clear.With the revised edition comes some interesting new content. The final chapter has been completely rewritten and now includes information on the Virginia class, the four Ohio-class SSGN conversions, new sonars and processing systems, and UUVs. The list of post-war US submarines has been updated to reflect changes in the last 24 years. Appendix D includes 10 pages of technical notes which have recently been declassified, mostly on the "Skate" through "Sturgeon" classes, including new details on the losses of "Thresher" and "Scorpion."Although the original 1994 publication is a classic, the main problem with the revised edition is that the new material has been surgically grafted onto the original, rather than organically incorporated into it. The first 11 chapters are exactly the same, and no attempt has been made to incorporate the new information included in Appendix D into the text. The odd editing quirks in the original are still present, and "George Washington Carver" is still listed as the lead boat of the "Gato" class. There's an abrupt change in photo quality and font starting with Chapter 12. Speaking of photo quality, the paper quality still isn't that great, many of the photos are rather murky, and some fine detail is missing in the drawings. In no way, however, does this justify the one-star rating one reviewer gave it.Although the quality of the revised edition leaves something to be desired, this is still an exceptionally high-quality reference book, filled with the kind of details you won't find anywhere else. You'll certainly learn more about analog fire control systems, wide aperture arrays, and closed-cycle propulsion systems than you'd ever hope to know. If you don't own a copy of the original edition, this revised edition is well worth buying. If you already own the original, you might want to wait for the price to drop a little bit.

Great resource

While described as a revised edition published in 2023, this book is nothing more than a reprint of the 2018 edition with a new cover and no book jacket. The content is good, but it should have been described as a reprint, not a revision, therefore the 3 star rating.

Added to the previous edition and was well worth my purchase.

Friedmans abimity to weave technology, strategy, tactics and the grand political scenery at its best

This work provides insight into many developments within the design and production of submarines in the US Navy inventory after 1945. As someone with little prior knowledge of the submarine force, I found the work very authoritative, although I assume there is material which is not included because of ongoing security concerns. The pictures and diagrams were comprehensive, useful and well done. My one disappointment was that the book is not published on glossy paper, which makes some of the photographs appear a little muddy. However, the paper does meet standards for library permanence.I would heartily recommend this book for those with any interest at all in submarine development.

Highly recommned book on this topic.

Lots of technical detail and informative graphics.

Ich habe das Buch wegen der vielen englischsprachigen positiven Rezensionen gekauft. Leider kann ich diese Bewertungen nicht bestätigen. Das Buch hat insgesamt vielleicht zwanzig kleinformatige Illustrationen, der Rest ist Fließtext. Wer hier Planskizzen oder auch nur Zeichnungen erwartet, wird enttäuscht. Ich hoffe immer noch, einmal ein gutes Buch über moderne atomgetriebene U-Boote zu finden. Die Suche geht weiter...