Product Description

On the eve of World War II, the Squalus, America's newest submarine, plunged into the North Atlantic.Miraculously, thirty-three crew members still survived.While their loved ones waited in unbearable tension on shore, their ultimate fate would depend upon one man, U.S. Navy officer Charles "Swede" Momsen -- an extraordinary combination of visionary, scientist, and man of action.In this thrilling true narrative, prize-winning author Peter Maas brings us in the vivid detail a moment-by-moment account of the disaster and the man at its center.Could he actually pluck those men from a watery grave?Or had all his pioneering work been in vain?

InThe Terrible Hours, Maas reconstructs the harrowing 39 hoursbetween the disappearance of the submarine Squalus during a test diveoff the New England coast and the eventual rescue of 33 crew memberstrapped in the vessel 250 feet beneath the sea. It's also the story ofMomsen's triumph. Under the worst possible circumstances, Momsen led asuccessful mission and helped change the future of undersealifesaving. Not only has Maas written a carefully researched andsuspenseful tribute to a true hero, in the process he has salvaged along-forgotten, riveting piece of American history. --SvenjaSoldovieri ... Read more

Customer Reviews (133)

"...a true hero."
"...a true hero" are the final words of Peter Maas' book about Charles Momsen, Annapolis graduate whose inventiveness in a military system that valued conformity pulled off the first deep water submarine rescue in history.

At the time (1939), US Naval culture considered submarine service to be for losers.But Momsen had the foresight and personal courage to not only volunter to serve in submarines, but also the ingenuity to get the Navy to approve experiments in deep water diving.When on the cusp of WW II the submarine Squalus sank for unknown reasons in 250 feet of the Atlantic on a shakedown cruise and dive with a crew of 57, Momsen was assigned the task of saving the crew and salvaging the state of the art submarine.

Maas puts us in the middle of the challenges, frustrations, obstacles...human, technical and those of nature.We learn the story of the crew trapped inside and of their families.Maas describes the limited history of deep water diving and our own human limits. Fighting against time, Momsen and his team lived "what can go wrong, did go wrong..." Although we know from the book's cover there was a rescue, we don't know until completed the score of lives saved and how obstacles were resolved.

Maas also tells us how he first learned of the story and his challenge in getting it written.

This book is a wonderful discovery.In a contemporary age when our icons
fail to live up to their images, Charles Momsen and his story remind us that there are unsung heroes for us to "keep the faith".

Remarkable story of disaster at sea
This book is expertly written by a very popular author and contains every emotion you can imagine.It's a true life story of a dangerous rescue at sea set off the New England coast.It's hard to put this book down.It's as exciting as the most well written mystery.It's truly one you will remember.

Writer in need of an editor?
I was interested to learn about this true story but couldn't make it past the third chapter.The writing was terrible, or perhaps it was the editing that was at fault.Regardless, this was very poorly done. I'm sorry to say it, but it's so.

Book thrown together with little effort
This book appears to be thrown together without a lot of effort, i.e., it has no photographs, no illustrations, no maps, no index, and no bibliography.

Anyone with a strong interest in the subject should try to find a copy of the older book by Nat Barrows, "Blow All Ballast".

Courage and dedication
The Terrible Hours: The Greatest Submarine Rescue in History
Absolutely the best non-fiction book I have ever read. ... Read more