The Ice Diaries: The True Story of One of Mankind's Greatest Adventures

Having worked in Submarine Repair in the 70s and 80s I am always looking for books about the boats. This was a great narrative of gaining foothold in the Arctic, a race to establish dominance in a new sea, in a new era, that on the nuclear powered submarine.

The book was important for me to read about the actual trials and tribulations NAUTILUS (SSN 571) went thru as they commenced transit from the Bering Sea thru the Chukchi Sea submerged until they surfaced in the Davis Straits off Greenland. Reason being my own personal experience as a crew member of the USS REDFISH (SS 395) of SUBDIV 32 based in San Diego,CA. We were tasked to conduct under ice preliminary explorations for the same DR. WALDO K. LYON of USNEL IceLab using his initial topside fathometers to measure the thickness of the ice pack while submerged for 8 hours and 43 minutes off Point Barrow, Alaska during both the Summers of 1952 & 1953. We survived both REDFISH Expeditions and got as far as Banks Island on the surface thru the ice floe stackups. DR.LYON sent me a letter about how easy it was to view the ice pinnacles at 150 feet or deeper using the NAUTILUS closed circuit TV. Quite a change from our viewing aboard REDFISH both in 1952 & 53. As you can see I definitely enjoyed the book and it brought back memories of thick ice formations inside the pressure hull as well as the ice floes on the surface grinding along the hull like a Giant Can Opener doing just that to our Main Ballast Tanks!!!!! We ended up in Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for a badly needed OVERHAUL as well as R & R. A Good Read for sure. LT. JOHN R LASTOVA, Jr. LCDR.USNR (Ret.) 2/15/2009

This book will provide you an exclusive look and feel into the locked enviroment of a sub and it's crew as they attempted to transit the polar route. As only a submariner will note, other important achievements were made in their attempts to travel under the ice. (1)The Emergency Air Breathing System now known as EABs became a standard on all US Submarines. (2)The reinforced sail/superstructures from these mission attempts. A great book that presents to the reader the hard work, dedication, talent and life of present day crew members currently on patrol. F. Silvia TRICCSMA Test Director ret.

Having been blessed to be a crewman in US Nautilus on all three of her Arctic cruises, one in 1957 and two in 1958, with the last successfully gaining the North Pole, I'm familiar with all the details. However, it was such a pleasure to read our late skipper's recent and highly updated accounting of those wonderful days. Anderson's first book,'Nautilus 90 North', written just after the Polar trip of 1958 was also a great read, but of necessity, omitted much of the background information and intrigue that led up to all these trips, especially the 1957 trip. Capt. Anderson was one of the most remarkable and humble men I've ever had the privilege to know, and as was his nature, always put the interest of the crew and ship before himself. This is reflected in his writings and as I read 'Ice Diaries', I could hear his soft Tennasee accent speaking right off the pages. Anyone who has an interest in history, the sea, the Navy, or especially submarines, will enjoy this book. It is a complete accounting of our adventures across two years of under ice excursions and I highly recomend it. It should be on every school library shelf in the country. John C. Yuill

You might not think that an account of a real world event such as the first visit to the North Pole (and transit of the Arctic Ocean) with its outcome well known could be suspenseful and gripping. If so, you have not read "The Ice Diaries: The Untold Story of the USS Nautilus and the Cold War's Most Daring Mission" by William R. Anderson (the commander of Nautilus during that historic voyage) and Don Keith. Although the story has been told before, this time many previously classified aspects are explored in detail and perhaps for the first time the real nature of risks and daring are evident. Anderson and Keith describe the first two attempts to reach the Pole, both defeated by inexperience, faulty equipment, and sheer lack of knowledge of underwater Arctic conditions. But Anderson and the crew of Nautilus persevered and performed brilliantly to achieve not only reaching the Pole, but to cross all the way from the Pacific to the Atlantic in doing so. "The Ice Diaries" is a page-turner of the best sort. And it is pleasing to report that Anderson took great pains to make clear the contributions of everyone involved, although he remained modest about his own role. Fifty years afterwards, it may be difficult to realize what an extraordinary achievement it was, and the impact it had, both upon public opinion and on Cold War strategic thinking. The voyage of Nautilus from the Pacific to the Atlantic via the North Pole can justly stand alongside the Apollo moon missions as one of the greatest adventures of the Twentieth century made possible by evolving technology.