Very intertaining for the WW II history buff. I read this one in about 5 days.

I have read through the first half of this book but will probably not finish it. Essentially each section is the same: a series of descriptions of navigational measurements and calculations, descriptions of machinery problems, and then the occasional torpedo attack.... The problem (and the reason why I will likely not finish this book) is that to really understand and enjoy this book you need a good understanding of boat navigation and fairly intimate knowledge of the inner workings of a World War II submarine. Otherwise you might as well just skim it and read the results of each attack and the occasional non-navigational annecdote. When I was in junior high school I read both volumes of Silent Victory and can recall a section where the USS Wahoo under the command of "Mush" Morton surfaced after sinking a Japanese troop convoy. Cmdr. Morton then ordered the survivors shot in the water. If a Japanese or German sub captain had taken this action (and of course some did) he would be branded a war criminal and would have been hung after the war if he had survived the war.

I found this book very informative with a lot of factual history of the Wahoo and it's famous crew. I read "The wake of the Wahoo" first then this book followed by "Clear The Bridge" written by Richard O'Kane. Anyone that has ever served on diesel submarines knows about famous Skippers such as Morton and O'Kane. I found this book very hard to put down and would recommend it to everyone interested in submarines.

I found this book very informative with a lot of factual history of the Wahoo and it's famous crew. I read "The wake of the Wahoo" first then this book followed by "Clear The Bridge" written by Richard O'Kane. Anyone that has ever served on diesel submarines knows about famous Skippers such as Morton and O'Kane. I found this book very hard to put down and would recommend it to everyone interested in submarines.

There are a lot of details presented on each target but I found that very boring after a while. The same thing over and over. The submarine Wahoo was a valuable item in the Navy's arsenal but I found so much detail to be a drag. I read about the first three patrols and then laid the book down for a long time before making the effort to finish the work.

I was disappointed because I was expecting another exciting recollection of the submarine warfare in WWII because I had recently read Thunder Below by Eugene B. Fluckey. That account of the USS Barb captured my attention. I read the whole book in three days. I just couldn't wait to pick it up and find out what was in store for the submarine whose logs were filled with creative and effective ways to attack the enemy and became a training tool for the submarine service. The Barb had many of the same torpedo failures as the Wahoo but ingenuity ruled and the most Navy's most decorated individual was a very effective submarine commander. Thunder Below is a wonderful reading experience for those interested in WWII exploits, especially of the submarine service.

There are a lot of details presented on each target but I found that very boring after a while. The same thing over and over. The submarine Wahoo was a valuable item in the Navy's arsenal but I found so much detail to be a drag. I read about the first three patrols and then laid the book down for a long time before making the effort to finish the work.

I was disappointed because I was expecting another exciting recollection of the submarine warfare in WWII because I had recently read Thunder Below by Eugene B. Fluckey. That account of the USS Barb captured my attention. I read the whole book in three days. I just couldn't wait to pick it up and find out what was in store for the submarine whose logs were filled with creative and effective ways to attack the enemy and became a training tool for the submarine service. The Barb had many of the same torpedo failures as the Wahoo but ingenuity ruled and the most Navy's most decorated individual was a very effective submarine commander. Thunder Below is a wonderful reading experience for those interested in WWII exploits, especially of the submarine service.

I got started reading WWII submarine books by reading the fictional, but based on actual experience "Run Silent, Run Deep." Since then, I've read just about every WWII U.S. fleet submarine book in print. This has always been one of my favorites.

O'kane has a very illustrative writing style. You'll feel like you're there when you are reading. Besides the fascinating "running and gunning" accounts, you'll also read anecdotal stories about crew life.

This is really a must read. If you liked "Run Silent, Run Deep," you'll like this true, non fictional account even better. Get the hardcover version, they did a nice job on it.

O'Kane fills this fantastic book with a great account of courage, leadership and seamanship. It is easy to get wrapped up in this as a "war book" since it goes to the top of the class. However, rather than repeat what other fine reviews have noted I would also expand the book to a classic on leadership.

O'Kane is onboard with legendary Skipper Mush Morton.

I run into a lot of people in business who complain about the challenge of motivating both their company personnel and their suppliers/customers. What greater motivational challenge than to take a group of young sailors on a 12,000 mile cruise, packed like sardines in a tube and surrounded by people attempting (far too often with success) kill you.

His and his fellow officer's leadership kept the boat on the offense, with the crew believing in the mission and their fellow sailors.

There's enough detail to get out a plotting board ( or at least arrange the cocktail almonds) to duplicate the seamanship involved in putting the submarine in the middle of enemy convoys on a dark night at the right place to fire at several targets.

I have a strong feeling that in today's society we tend to confuse heroism with victims. True heroes are those who understand the risks they are taking and yet continue their mission despite the risks. For O'Kane and the crew it is a story of functioning as true heroes for months on end.

UPDATE : This fall (2006) the Navy confirmed that the sunken submarine located recently in the Sea of Japan was in fact the Wahoo. After 50 years the final resting place of Morton and the crew has been located.

O'Kane fills this fantastic book with a great account of courage, leadership and seamanship. It is easy to get wrapped up in this as a "war book" since it goes to the top of the class. However, rather than repeat what other fine reviews have noted I would also expand the book to a classic on leadership.

I run into a lot of people in business who complain about the challenge of motivating both their company personnel and their suppliers/customers. What greater motivational challenge than to take a group of young sailors on a 12,000 mile cruise, packed like sardines in a tube and surrounded by people attempting (far too often with success) kill you.

His and his fellow officer's leadership kept the boat on the offense, with the crew believing in the mission and their fellow sailors.

There's enough detail to get out a plotting board ( or at least arrange the cocktail almonds) to duplicate the seamanship involved in putting the submarine in the middle of enemy convoys at the right place to fire at several targets.

I have a strong feeling that in today's society we tend to confuse heroism with victims. True heroes are those who understand the risks they are taking and yet continue their mission despite the risks. For O'Kane and the crew it is a story of functioning as true heroes for months on end.

The book is a fantastic book! The content of the book is very well presented based on actual incident reports, first hand experience by Dick O' Kane (first 4 war patrols) and men from the 5th and 6th war patrol. Note: The Wahoo did not return from it's 7th war patrol.

The book does an excellent job of explaining what it was to work, fight and live in a WWII era submarine. I had a much greater appreciation for the job and sacrafice made by the submariners. My grandfather was a good friend of Dick O'Kane; it was very interesting to hear about the stories from Admiral O'Kane's point of view. It only makes me respect Admiral O' Kane even more.

The description of "unrestricted submarine warfare" is chilling when the results are so clearly described. The power of the submarine in navel warfare is apparent.

I also highly recommend "Clear the Bridge".

The book is a fantastic book! The content of the book is very well presented based on actual incident reports, first hand experience by Dick O' Kane (first 4 war patrols) and men from the 5th and 6th war patrol. Note: The Wahoo did not return from it's 7th war patrol.

The book does an excellent job of explaining what it was to work, fight and live in a WWII era submarine. I had a much greater appreciation for the job and sacrafice made by the submariners. My grandfather was a good friend of Dick O'Kane; it was very interesting to hear about the stories from Admiral O'Kane's point of view. It only makes me respect Admiral O' Kane even more.

The description of "unrestricted submarine warfare" is chilling when the results are so clearly described. The power of the submarine in navel warfare is apparent.

I also highly recommend "Clear the Bridge".

Dick O'Kane served as U.S.S. Wahoo's executive officer during her first five war patrols, the first two under Marvin Kennedy, the next three under Dudley W. Morton (who, according to O'Kane, was never actually called "Mush" by anyone serving with him). O'Kane held the XO's post aboard Wahoo from the time she was built at Mare Island Navy Yard until he was promoted at the end of the Wahoo's fifth war patrol to take command of Tang, in which he would become the war's top-scoring American submarine commander.

Morton and O'Kane formed a particularly tight command team in Wahoo, with Morton deliberately forgoing the CO's usual position at the periscope during attacks in favor of having O'Kane do the observations. Morton felt that, so long as he had a reliable officer at the periscope, he could better assure a successful attack by stepping back and concentrating on the overall tactical situation without having to worry about the purely mechanical aspects of bearings and ranges. It was a system that worked remarkably well.

In 2003 I edited Wahoo's war patrol reports for publication. Those give the basic facts, but O'Kane's book adds the heart, and a lot of the day-to-day detail. For instance, it turns out that Morton did most of the sewing in Wahoo, and that O'Kane was a singularly lucky cribbage player.

Since he was no longer aboard, O'Kane reconstructed the last two war patrols from the official report of the sixth, along with details supplied by some of the men who had what turned out to have the good fortune to leave Wahoo following that patrol. Wahoo's seventh and final war patrol, when she was lost with all hands, O'Kane reconstructed based on his personal knowledge of Morton's character and likely actions, along with Japanese reports of shipping losses and of an attack on a submarine in La Perouse Strait that could only have been Wahoo. His speculation about a faulty Mark-18 torpedo's contribution is interesting, but Japanese records don't seem to bear it out.

This is first hand history, written by an outstanding submarine commander who also happened to have a nice touch with the narrative form. Wahoo should be one of the basic volumes in any submarine library.