If you are as fascinated as I by submarines, you'll find this to be an incredible book. Now I'd be less than candid if I told you that you can just sit down and go through this as it isn't easy reading. In fact, much of the writing is a bit on the dull side as it is basically an outline description of whatever is being patented.

However it is those patents that are fascinating. You'll find Erikson's and Holland's patents from the 1800s. You'll also find such things as a sub-mounted smoke generator that is attached to the sub and floats to the surface in front of a battleship to cloud vision from the ship. There is a combination aircraft/submarine, the design for a deck launched cruise missile and its housing, vertical missile launching tubes, power plants, and a true plethora of designs from full submarines to subsystems.

The book is divided by decade starting in 1860 and continuing up to the 1990s. I found the early stuff to be the most interesting and I'm sure you will agree.

I have to say this is an incredible book and an excellent value for the money. I'm sure you will agree. For those who don't need a paper book, you can get a downloadable PdF copy for $$7.10 or a CD for $9.99.

June  2006

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