If this is not the definitive book, it must come pretty close. As one of the most respected naval analyst, the author covers the birth and development of submersible ships and submarines with minute details from their inceptions to the II WW latest types.

The text is extraordinarily well researched, reflecting its scholar-like approach to the subject; nevertheless it is an easy and relaxing read, expecially if you take into account the deep level of accuracy and precise reconstruction of historical events. Specific aspects of submarine technology are carefully dissected: the naval yard organization, the US Navy Bureaus capacity and their (obviously) rivalry in design competence, the development of powerplants and hulls. A particular attention is dedicated to submarine perfomances evolution, how they were estimated conducting tradeoff studies and inspecting foreign submarines and equipment. In a well orchestrated narration, the book provides a detailed insight into technical and political machinations of subs building programs, explaining the different (to tell the truth I should say conflicting) opinions of political leadership, Staff strategic conceptions for the Arm, service Bureaus technical management and , last but not the least, the real requisites of Commanding Officers, the ultimate users ( and the one that took the risks in combat). A true gem in the volume is the data provided in appendices.They cover mainly submarine propulsion and periscope development: since they are vital technologies, shaping the sub operative capability and seagoing perfomance, full studies are presented giving a clear picture of design and manifacturing practices as demanded by the Navy. Weapons, fire control, sonars, tactics, instruments and systems innovations are also covered. For each of them, the author delivers a clarifying view of "how" scientist and builders achieved leaping technological solutions to enhance fighting capabilities. This authoritative content is supported by a fascinating collection of photographs, complemented by extensive use of cross sections, inboard profiles plus drawings and sketches of abortive designs.

There is no doubt at all, this beatiful hardcover volume will adorn your bookcase, barely withstanding the heavy use it will unquestionably get as a reference source.

Quite simply THE authoritative work on post-World War Two American submarines and the design and tactics philosophies that went into creating them. The photographs were well-chosen and the line drawings are some of the best I've seen of U.S. subs.

This is an excellent book for the serious student of submarine history. It is perhaps the most authoritative reference book on the subject of post WWII submarines. Not only is it detailed and fully illustrated, it contains excellent tables comparing performance, size, etc. of various American submarine classes. One of its most valuable features is its descriptions of the performance characteristics of each generation of submarine and descriptions of how the designers of each successive generation attempted to improve performance. It explores, in depth, the characteristics of various generations of submarine devices, most notably sonar. It is fully footnoted and the footnotes often contain remarkable bits of info.

A must read. Answers many questions that are repeatedly raised in other bokks on simular topics. Freidman does not waste paper....he provides insights to the last line of the last page...
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Where to start ? To get 5 stars, a book must really satisfy many criterias, and this one certainly does.

Its author, Mr. Friedman, deserve among others to be recognized as a brillant pedagogue. The topic is complex but the text is clear and the simple words well chosen, like in his other excellent book: The Hidden Domain. As a reader you are able to think fully about the concepts expressed, without wasting any concentration on sentences analysis. Depending on your learning style, you may prefer like I did the tape version: it lets you think with your eyes closed.

You may have enjoyed David Bohm's unusual interpretations of our world through his master knowledge of quantum physics. You may have been puzzled by Jane Roberts connection with the strange entity Seth. In Bridging Science and Spirit, not only do you get a summary of the most important and philosophical aspects of the above, you are also launched into such powerful explanations of the physical roots of our world that some wild imagination may be needed to fully grasp them.

This book makes you think and almost not believing yourself the potentials of what your mind is trying to visualize: this is why I found the book outstanding.

The author is the leading light in naval writing. He lives up to every expectation in this book, which uses brilliant historical and technological analysis to explain the nature of naval strategy and the utility of navies.

'The key, and the theme of this book, is a very old idea,' Friedman writes. 'About four centuries ago, Francis Bacon wrote that "he that commandeth the sea is at great liberty and may take as much or as little of the war as he will."'

With his customary clarity Friedman describes the relationship between naval powers and land powers, the naval strategies of the world wars and the Cold War, the impact of technology, and current US naval strategy. Like many naval theorists, he relies heavily on discerning lessons from British experience. He applies those lessons to the United States' situation.

No naval enthusiasts will regret reading this book; it will at least clarify their thoughts. Students of geopolitical history are very likely to find it useful, too.

And the Naval Institute Press, as usual, has turned out a handsome volume: you can see your money in the excellent editing, printing and binding. I have no connection with the publisher.

As one of the most intelligent writers on modern naval affairs, Friedman was the ideal person to write a book on this topic. The book looks at the crucial role of sea power in determining the outcome of conflicts from the Crimean War through the Cold War. His observations about the current state of U.S. forces are well thought out and very insightful. The reader might be surprised to find that Friedman actually agrees with much of the current structure employed by the U.S. Navy. This book serves as a very important addition to the body of literture on the strategy of Sea Power.

This volume, one of many in Norman Friedman's naval design histories, is amazingly thorough in its coverage of U.S. aircraft carrier design from the 1930s-era Saratoga and Lexington through the nuclear-powered Nimitz-class, as well as the offshoot amphibious assault carriers.

The book is filled with design schematics, ships' specifications and more esoteric naval information than you could possibly absorb in a lifetime. The rich wealth of information is the consistent strength of this series that makes it a bit overwhelming for the casual reader looking for a narrative history of U.S. carrier.

The emphaisis here is on ship design, its impact on operations and little else. If there is any shortcoming to be found within the book, it is that it is rather old, having been last updated in 1983, when the Nimitz class was just hitting its stride and long before the design innovations fueled by the Navy's growth in the waning years of the Cold War.

This is an excellent book for those who want technical information about the US Navy Aircraft Carriers. The book covers detail information about the design, construction, and modifications of all of the classes of US carriers built since the beginning of carrier aviation. In addition, the book covers other designs the US Navy thought about but never bothered to build. This book is not for the novice but for those who need detail technical information, this is the book to get.

This is a great book for those who are interested in the technical information about the US Navy battleships. In great detail the book covers the evolution of the battleships from the early monitors of the post Civil War period to the cancelled Montana Class during WWII. Although a bit outdated since it was printed during the period when the Iowa Class was being reactivated, the seventeen chapters greatly explain each class of battleships as well as differences among the sister ships. Technical information regarding design, design proposals, dimensions, types of guns/calibers, machinery, armor, internal hull arraignment, etc. are included. This book is not for the novice, but for those naval historian/architectures or those who simply enjoy reading/studying the technical aspects of the book is a must have.

The only reason I did not give this book a 10 rating is that its publication pre-dates the inactivation of the IOWA Class Battleships. A later revision to include all the modernizations of the 1980's will boost this book up that last notch. Norman Friedman is generally considered the last word in technical publications. The only work of his that I have read that dealt a little more with the human aspect was his excellent treatise on Desert Storm. But we're talking Battleships here. About the only technical detail the author left out was precisely how many rivets were driven in each ship. But then, only an ex-riveter like me would really want to know that. If you want to know what kind of bureacratic requirements were involved along with the technical requirements and the state-of-the-art capabilities at the times of conception, design and construction of U.S. Battleships, then this is the book for you. No serious student of Naval Architecture or Naval history should be without this book on their shelf within easy reach. Richard A. Landgraff DREADNAUGHT CONSULTING

This was Dr. Friedman's first commercially published book. Compared to some later works it is more concise, has a broader focus, but it is one of the most valuable works ever published. It gives the explanations and reasons for why battleships were built the way they were -what drove the design tradeoffs - and how different navies emphasized different parameters. It also has an excellent photo selection that well illustrates each section, and a set of useful data tables. The only flaw is that as Friedman's earliest commercial work, it is less thoroughly footnoted than some of his later productions. This is one of the most highly recommended books possible for those seriously interested in the technology of the XXth century 'dreadnought' battleship.

Friedman is one of America's best military autohrs and historians. His FIFTY YEAR WAR is the best account of the strategies and politics of the cold war. This DESERT VICTORY is an excellent, though somewhat short, review of the Kuwait war.

I'm rather hoping Friedman writes an account of last month's Iraq war ASAP, it is sure to be the best of the dozens of books sure to come out of the war.

I sugest this work to anybody who is academic or industrial people

This is THE book on unclassified Naval Radar up till the early 1980's. The Prof was at his best when he wrote this one.
Starts out with a complete history on the subject and proceeds to put the reader through a mini Naval RadarHist course in a readable manner.

As a serious RadarHist, nit picker, I cannot say that I could find any more than a few typos.

A hint Do Not loan this book out! You might not get it back!

If you are a cruiser fan throw away all of your other reference books and get this one. The book traces the history of the U.S. cruiser and it's development with great pictures, drawings and charts. Every class of cruiser is treated in detail with particular emphasis on the many WW2 classes and variations. Especially intresting is the detail given to the modificiations of pre Dec.7 1941 ships after experience in fighting those ships. If you are a modeler this book will be of great assistance in getting the detail you want on any particular ship. The book is worth every penny of the cost. I strongly reccomend for any admirer of some of the most beautiful ships this country has ever produced.