A Time to Die: The Untold Story of the Kursk Tragedy

Writing the account of the Kursk disaster from a safe time distance, Robert Moore has produced the definitive study of the tragedy that befell the Russian Northern Fleet in August 2000. He explains with much clarity the technical dimensions of the fatal accident, the clumsy response of the Russian political and military leadership, the important role of the British and Norwegians rescuers and the drama of the victims' relatives. It reads like a first rate novel and is the most comprehensive book written on the subject. It also contains some black and white photographs, a general map of the area discussed and a diagram of the various Kursk compartments.

Synopsis: The Kursk was the largest, most-powerful nuclear submarine in the Russian fleet. It was one of only a very few of their premier ships - designed before the Soviet collapse and completed by the Russian government. It was larger than anything in the American fleet. In August of 2000 there was an accident caused by a malfunction in a poorly maintained dummy torpedo during a war games exercise near the Arctic circle. The explosion of the dummy caused the explosion of every non-nuclear piece of ordinance on the sub and it immediately sink to the floor of the ocean 370 feet down. Most of the sailors died right away but about 20 survived in the aft compartments for several days. The book details the poor quality of Russia's underwater rescue teams (their annual budget for 1999 was $14,000 - their leaders joked about using it to buy a car so they could drive to an underwater rescue site) and their unwillingness to accept Western offers to help until it was too late for their sailors. It also details the trevails of some of the victims' families and the Russian government's clumsy responses to the crisis and their own newly-freed press. The book's title comes from a poem written by one of the men from the aft compartment. He gave it to his wife just before he left to participate in the war games. When there is A Time to Die Although I try not to think about this, I would like time to say: My darling I Love You. My review: This is a fascinating, yet depressing book. I learned a lot about submarines and underwater rescue but it involved the loss of over 120 men. The look into the new Russia and Vladimir Putin's first crisis as President is worth reading the book in and of itself.

As a work for non specialists, "A Time to Die" is an excellent, well written, and thoroughly explained piece of journalism. It is written for laymen, yet does not condescend to people without a background in submarine operations. The K-141 'Kursk' sank on August 12, 2000 off northern Russia during a training exercise after an aged torpedo exploded in the bow of the boat, sinking the ship rapidly to the 350 foot deep seabed. 28 men survived in the aft of the ship and lived in a cold and dark environment for several days before being killed by a rapid flash fire. The elements that led to the tragedy are compelling. The Russian navy was (and is) in utter disrepair after the breakup of the USSR, and rescue submersibles were among the first budget cuts made. Only several days after the 'Kursk' sank was help from England and Norway solicited, due largely to national pride (and fear of espionage). The entire debacle happened only a few months into the Putin administration and proved to be a watershed in Russian politics. Moore tells the story from the viewpoint of the survivors, the would-be rescuers and the victim's families, with special emphasis on deteriorating Russian capabilities (and the preventable nature of the disaster) and the political forces that doomed the survivors to a sure death. Overall it is a superb telling of the salient points of the tragedy, its investigation, and aftermath. The photographs alone are worth the price of the book, particularly the pictures of 'Kursk' in drydock after the accident. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a general treatment of the technical side of the disaster and an in-depth covering of the political machinations involved.

A great book about a sad disaster. The Kursk was the pride of the Russian attack submarine fleet and one of the newest ships in the Navy. On an exercise in the Arctic Ocean, the submarine blew up and sank. Twenty six people survived the blast but died on the bottom of the ocean because the Russian Navy did not have adequate rescue facilities or did not want ask foreign governments for help. This was truly needless death.Moore does a good job of detailing the death of this submarine and the decline of the Russian Navy. Although the book is great to read, it does start off slowly, and the circumstances of the explosion is still in doubt. Some say the warheads of one of the torpedoes went off, while Moore states categorically that it was the fuel of the torpedo which caused a flash fire and set the other warheads off. The reason for the submarine exploding is still in doubt, but the aftermath is all too real in the suffering of the families of the crew members. I have read another book about this subject--Kursk Down, but this is a superior read.

For anyone with an interest in post-Soviet affairs, naval/submarine operations, or just a chilling, absorbing story, this book is a must. It is an engrossing mix of bravery, stupidity, and post-Cold War politics. Basically, the Kursk was the pride of the Russian submarine fleet, which is a poor and neglected shadow of its former self. The story begins with lack of money, leading to shortages and neglect, compounded by incompetence and bad luck. As a diving medicine consultant of 25 years experience, I can say the author does a superb job explaining the complex world of diving, gas mixtures, operations, and risks. This stuff is tricky to follow but only once (saying "air" when he should have said "oxygen") does he stumble. The reader will understand everything as the author leads us from the initial disaster, through the official reactions, the operational complexities of rescue, and families, officials, and international politics. Finally, you're left with an appreciation of the determination of the career submariners and a disgust for most (but not all) their superiors. This book will satisfy readers with many interests, but its outcome will satisfy no one.