The Submarine: A History,

In this excellent and rather lengthy book, Thomas Parrish uses detailed vi- gnettes to illustrate how submarines, the men who operated them, and the organizations that produced them changed naval warfare between great powers during the twentieth century. The author does this with a deft hand, providing a wealth of details concerning many notable personalities and techni- cal facts of his arcane subject in a way that both informs and entertains. One has only to read the first three pages, which quickly discuss the short and tragic life of the Confederate submarine CSS H. L. Hunley, to get an accurate feel for how the rest of the book will progress.