Pig Boats; The True Account of the Fighting Submariners of World War II

Fred Freeman Toronto, New York: Bantam Books, 1982. Authorized Abridgment, 8th Printing [stated]. Mass market paperback. xiii, [1], 449, [1] pages. Illustrations. Some wear/discoloration. This was originally published as United States Submarine Operations in World War II. It was written from records prepared by Rear Admiral R. G. Voge, Captain W. J. Holmes, Commander W. H. Hazzard, Lieut. Comdr. D. S. Graham, Lieut. H. Kuehn and from submarine patrols reports and data from the United States Strategic Bombing Survey. Includes Foreword by Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz; and Introduction by Rear Admiral R. G. Voge who captained the USS Sealion and the USS Sailfish. Chapters include Submarines to War; The Fighting Defense; All-Out Attrition; Pacific Sweep; and Japanese Sunset. An Authorized Account Dedicated to the Valiant Submariners of the U.S. Navy Who Lost Their Lives in World War II. Theodore Roscoe dramatically tells the true story of the Pacific showdown, as the submariners themselves recall all the nerve-shattering, depth-charging action from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay. This ‘standard’ in the study of submarine warfare. first published in 1949, abridged and repeatedly reprinted, remains the basic primer for those interested in the U.S. Navy's submarine war against the Axis in World War II. Based on war patrol reports, action reports, and other wartime (then) classified information. Enduring enough to be nicknamed ‘SUBOPS’, this well-regarded publication was commissioned by the Bureau of Naval Personnel and although not without error or fault, remains one of those books that are routinely listed as source material for almost any/all submarine works dealing with the WWII. United States Submarine Operations in World War II by Theodore Roscoe is a classic history of the role of the United States Navy submarines in World War II, earning him the title of "grandfather" of World War II American Submarine historiography. The book's sweeping narrative maintains it as a classic text in the American submarine force; excerpts are often read at ceremonies where submariners earn their Submarine Warfare insignia. After World War II, John M. Will of the US Navy Bureau of Personnel hired Roscoe to reduce Richard Voge's 1,500-page Operational History of the submarine war to publishable size. His resulting book was published in 1949 by the U.S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland. The work was further condensed in paperback by Bantam Books as Pig Boats. Theodore Roscoe (February 20, 1906 – May 29, 1992) was an American biographer and write. Roscoe wrote for newspapers and later magazines, including Argosy, Wings, Flying Stories, Far East Adventure Stories, Fight Stories, Action Stories, Adventure, and Weird Tales. Roscoe traveled widely, included trips to Haiti and North Africa. During a visit to Casablanca, Roscoe befriended a member of the French Foreign Legion. Roscoe later used this man as a model for his Foreign Legion narrator, Thibaut Corday. Roscoe also wrote non-fiction for The American Weekly. Roscoe's work was praised by H. L. Mencken in an 1929 profile in the Rochester Democrat Chronicle. Mencken said "Many of the so-called literati could learn a lot from Mr. Roscoe. He gets things down with amazing facility". Roscoe was commissioned by the United States Naval Institute to write the detailed and massive histories United States Submarine Operations in World War II (1949) and United States Destroyer Operations in World War II (1953), as well as a 737-page book detailing United States history with a focus on the role of the US Navy (titled This Is Your Navy (1950) and given to navy recruits at boot camp). He subsequently wrote several other books on naval history including The Trent Affair, November, 1861: U.S. detainment of a British ship nearly brings war with England (1972). Condition: Good.

Keywords: Naval Operations, Undersea Warfare. Submarine, Chester Nimitz, Richard Voge, U-Boats, I-Boats, United States Navy, Silent Service, Torpedo, Shipping

ISBN: 0553130404

[Book #82350]

Price: $45.00

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