Rating: 
Summary: A Great Scientist's Memoirs
Review: Dr. Craven is the United States' greatest living scientist and a great role model for any student. He no doubt makes other apparently successful scientists feel inferior because of how many different breakthroughs and new technologies he pioneered and perfected. The assignments, accomplishments and honors throughout his life are so impressive that if he was British he would have been knighted long before now. However, in Hawaii Dr. Craven can't even get elected to Congress! Unfortunately, Dr. Craven is not as good a writer as he is a scientist or even a politician. I was going to give this book three stars but I must give it four instead because of the historical significance this book carries. This book will likely still be a historical resource many years from now. This is not a book to read for fun. This is Dr. Craven's sometimes rambling recollections of the unclassified and declassified elements of his double life. Much of his secret life as America's top undersea military scientist is still classified and likely to remain classified for the near future, therefore this will be one of the few definative factual works on the Cold War undersea activities of both the U.S. and Russia. Don't expect any great suspense, action, plot, continuity or revelation in this book beyond his startling "Red September" conclusion. This is an incomplete autobiography written by a man who is constrained not to reveal any still classified information under penalty of treason. Dr. Craven demonstrated his brilliance throughout his naval and academic career and was quite adept at selecting great support people. Therefore, I can't believe Dr. Craven wasn't wise enough to seek help from some top literary professionals in the preparation of this book. If he indeed actually had any people helping him on this book, all they accomplished was the successful sabotage of his life story. It should not take much polish to make such a truly facinating life story into a real 5 star book. Still, for anyone interested in nuclear subs, Polaris missles, national nuclear deterence policy, saturation diving, deep sea recovery and underwater intelligence gathering you should read this book because it is written by the man who had a hand in perfecting all these elements which are vital to the U.S.A. now and for decades to come. No one else in the world can give you a first hand account of the development of all these components!
Rating: 
Summary: An Interesting Perspective on the Cold Ware Beneath the sea
Review: I am a sucker for any submarine stories so when I found this book I thought it would be a wonderful and exciting book. After all this is the guy that built or managed most of the projects so surly he is going to have just an arm load of great stories right? Well let me say that it was a good thing he was a good author because the detail is rather thin. He states that he is prohibited from talking about most of the interesting details because he was a participant, not just an investigative reporter. So the book gives the reader a brief overview of the interesting operational items and goes into depth on more of the management issues. Not really what I was looking for.To be fair to the author he does do a good job in writing the book. Even though there is a limit to the amount of operational "Hunt for Red October" type details in the book, he does make it interesting. I kept thinking the real value to the book is as a companion to some of the many other books out there now that detail some of the stories briefly mentioned in this book. Overall the book was interesting and well written, it was just not a real exciting book.
Rating: 
Summary: boring self-glorification of the author
Review: I don't understand why this book was published by a reputable publisher. Normally this sort of thing would only be published by the vanity press at the author's expense. The whole thing is mostly a bunch of anecdotes that are supposed to depict the author as indispensible and important. There are too many passages like this: "I picked up the phone. On the other end was Admiral Rickover. He says 'Cragen, you dirty old sea-dog. We are completely screwed unless you help us. Can you come to the rescue once again ?'". I'm sure Cragen has had an interesting life, but they way he's telling it, it's quite boring, because he repeats over and over "I am great. I am smart. I am important. Admiral Rickover needs me. I am great."
Fortunately I got it on clearance at B&N for a couple of dollars, and that's about what it's worth.
Rating:
Summary: Through a Glass Darkly
Review: I found the book to be far more tease than substance, perhaps necessarily so. The essense of the book is "I spend a lot of years doing a lot of really cool, interesting, super-secret stuff, but most of it is still secret so I can't tell you much about it." To be sure, the general topics are fascinating -- early and potentially fatal flaws in the design of the hull of the Nautilus, developing the Polaris submarine missile program, deep (we're talking really deep, like maybe 20,000 feet or more) submergence vehicles, and human divers operating at several thousand feet or more beheath the surface. But there is very little detail about the technologies themselves, and not much more about how they were employed. Craven is, admittedly, limited in what he can say since the facts that are of most interest are still highly classified. To the extent he offers much real meat, he does so by referring to other works, while at the same time discounting their accuracy. This raised my interest in the other works, more so than Craven's, even if there's some doubt about their total veracity. It's always more fun to think you know a lot, than to be certain that you don't. His chapter suggesting that a rogue Russion missle submarine sank in 1968 while attempting to launch a nuclear strike on Hawaii contains the most interesting revelations, if only because it provides some fair amount of detail. Unfortunately, in his scrupulous efforts to avoid revealing still classified information, his manner of presenting the story seems too coy, too confusing, and a little tortured. For example, he first identifies the sub as "probably a diesel powered Golf class ballistic missile boat", and says he saw photographs with its hull number clearly visible, but then expresses surprise (thus implying disbelief) when public interviews of the crew's survivors (on 60 Minutes) revealed it to be K129, a Golf class submarine. Later, he again refers to it as a Golf, this time with no qualification. It would have been far less confusing for him to simply say, "public sources identify it as a Golf class submarine with hull humber K129, but I can neither confirm nor deny that information," instead of taking us through some obscure references that leave us wondering, is it, or isn't it (an issue that is of interest only because he makes it so). And the symmetry of the location of the sinking, 180 degrees longitude and 40 degrees latitude, is of obvious significance, if only because he keeps repeating it, but he gives not the slightest hint why (or, if he does, it's too obscure for me to appreciate). The book is more satisfying as Craven's unclassified memoirs of his career, and it does have some interesting information about how projects were organized, how a public project served as cover for a covert one that, in turn, served as cover for an even more covert one, and his interaction with some key individuals, primarily Hyman Rickover and Edward Teller. But with all due respect to Dr. Craven, who I'm sure is a brilliant scientist and fascinating personality, he is not of particular interest because of who he is but because of what he did. In the final analysis, my expectations were too high and too unrealistic about what I was going to learn in this book. Those who start it with more realistic expectations will be more satisfied than I was.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting view from the top
Review: I have read several stories about the cold war but I never seemed to get the big picture that I got from this book. I thought this was going to be a book mostly about submarine warfare. I was surprised at all of the other missions that were connected to special operations. It starts out and tries to explain the reasons for deterances and how to utilize them against an enemy. He seems to tell us in this part that we had to have enough to make the enemy take notice but not too much where they felt they had no choice but to make a first strike. The methods that he tells about next where, first the Polaris missile system the problems with the original missile and the benefits and problems of the fuels that they used. After the missile was successful Dr. Craven told about how the Polaris originally had one mega ton warhead and later they figured out how to use MIRVs for a greater deterrence. At this point he tells some personal information about how he got to be head of the program. The story then went into the loss of the Thresher and the possible causes but at this point the story changes and leaves submarines for deep submergence projects. First you learn about the deep submergence rescue vehicle but it is vague on what it does. If you saw the movie the Hunt for Red October you would have a better idea. Next you learn about Sealab I & II and all the problems they had there. I would not have thought that these were so clandestine if I had not read this book. At this point you learn about saturation diving and the problems and benefits of the programs. The next part is more interesting where you learn more about the submarines Seawolf, Whale and Halibut. The only problem is that I have learned more on the history channel than I have in this book because it does not talk about any specific missions. When it talks about the Trieste bathyscaphe the book only references it to talk about how they were going to use the Trieste II as a spy weapon. The fisherman's friend was an interesting story about the lost nuclear bomb and what the fisherman tried to get for that find. The book mention's what they had to do to recover it and what lessons they learned to increase their capabilities under the sea. This knowledge leads to the NR-1. This book does not talk much about the NR-1 if you want to read a good book on it read Lee Vyborny's account in Dark Waters: An Insider's account of the NR-1, the cold war's undercover nuclear sub. At this point he tells about how he had to deal with Rickover and the type of man that Craven thought he was. Craven follows this with the story of the two missing submarines and how they had to go and find them. I was surprise that they were able to pin point both of these subs with some acoustic recording from back in the early 70s. This was the most interesting part of the book when Dr. Craven thinks that the reason for the missing Soviet sub is that it was a rogue that was firing a missile at Hawaii but the fail safes caused an explosion and sunk the sub. I had never heard that story before. The remainder of the book describes the debacle of the Glomar Explorer, how this Soviet spy was after him for years and the ending of the cold war. I can recommend this book if you are looking of an overview of the political strategy used in our military during the cold war. If you are looking for an adventure novel telling you about one of the exciting projects in detail then I think you would be disappointed. As you can tell I enjoyed the book but there were many unanswered questions that left me wanting more.
Rating:
Summary: A real sleeper!
Review: I have to admit, I didn't buy this book. My girlfriend got it for me. I normally don't read about subs as I am interested in Nuclear Weapons and Hazardous Device Disposal. What a pleasant surprise to find that the book is written by one who was involved with one of the biggest EOD Nuclear evolutions in the published literature - the Palomares incident. This book is the true definition of a sleeper. The first couple of chapters did little to entice me. In fact his "I-me-I-did-this" attitude and lack of refined writing skills put me off a little bit. By the end of the book, I was completely hooked, and hoping he writes another book before he passes away. You see, his involvement with submersible operations put him squarely in (under? lol) the center of many notable Cold War events. His take on things, bolstered by the fact he was an actual participant in many, put several operations in a totally different light for me. One such event was the true story behind Clancy's 'Hunt' book. Up until I read Craven's book, I thought the retellings of the operation were, too, well, Hollywood. Craven's explanation makes perfect, although chilling, sense, and has the ring of clarity and truth. Another topic was the Hughes / CIA Glomar Explorer.Many things about that operation made NO sense to me, until I read this book. While Craven is reticent to divulge many details, his explanations are like a knowledgeable individual peering over your shoulder as you watch and read other treatises on events. I recommend this book, with the caveat not to concentrate on the author as much as the events. In this light, this is an excellent and worthy next acquisition.
Rating:
Summary: An invaluable American finally gets to tell his story
Review: It is unusual for an author in his 70's to write memoirs of very secret and critical projects. The main events go back to the 50's and 60's and most of Craven's peers and colleagues are long retired or dead. Craven appears to be a substantive scientist, and the book is written certainly from his point of view. Just his reinterpretation of the events around the Glomar Explorer make this an interesting read. Since everything was top secret or higher, we will never really know the truth, and I would doubt that any historian or biographer will ever be able to dig out many of the events in these most secret programs he discusses. However, any older engineer that knew a bit about these things at that time will find the book worthwhile. When I made a quick first pass through the book, I was not so impresssed, but then doing a second, more serious read I liked what I saw. What some would consider self-centered, others would view as the confidence needed in a scientist and administrator to get things done. Due to the secrecy of the programs, there is a lot held back, and I thought this took some carefulness in the writing that would make some topics appear disjointed. I presume Craven had a diary and notes and a good memory to be able to play back some of these events, and again I would be puzzled by how many notes can you keep when everything is top secret. I found this a good read, but I have a historical interest in technology events of that period. If you have similar interests, you will not be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Was the Cold War Silent?
Review: This is not a work of documented history; the events described were drawn from undocumented personal recollection. It was written as a rebuff to BLIND MAN'S BLUFF written two years earlier which had exposed his activities working with the Polaris missile project. Thus, he endeavors to present the facts by one who was involved from the very beginning on a four-decade program of undersea intelligence which must remain secret. Our government is releasing highly classified information via the Internet, not just in Washington, but in Huntsville, AL where the Redstone Arsenal (full of missiles) is located. I discovered this a few years ago from the secretary of one of the high offices. Her job was to enter this information so that anyone anywhere in the world could have access to this important research which should have remained secret. This book does not expound upon some of the projects, but now it is available to the public and to foreigners. Just because the Soviet Union has fallen apart, that does not mean there are not other foes who can use this intelligence against us. John Craven lives in Hawaii and has met with a group of the former submariners for a breakfast gathering the past twenty three years to recall things which are better left unsaid. To wish it had not received the notoriety will be too late to protect this nation's safety. The index helps to find the references he makes to the action taking place under the oceans. It would have been better if he had used the history of this program as a basis of a fictional account. That way, no one would know what is true and what not.
Rating:
Summary: Was the Cold War Silent?
Review: This is not a work of documented history; the events described were drawn from undocumented personal recollection. It was written as a rebuff to BLIND MAN'S BLUFF written two years earlier which had exposed his activities working with the Polaris missile project. Thus, he endeavors to present the facts by one who was involved from the very beginning on a four-decade program of undersea intelligence which must remain secret. Our government is releasing highly classified information via the Internet, not just in Washington, but in Huntsville, AL where the Redstone Arsenal (full of missiles) is located. I discovered this a few years ago from the secretary of one of the high offices. Her job was to enter this information so that anyone anywhere in the world could have access to this important research which should have remained secret. This book does not expound upon some of the projects, but now it is available to the public and to foreigners. Just because the Soviet Union has fallen apart, that does not mean there are not other foes who can use this intelligence against us. John Craven lives in Hawaii and has met with a group of the former submariners for a breakfast gathering the past twenty three years to recall things which are better left unsaid. To wish it had not received the notoriety will be too late to protect this nation's safety. The index helps to find the references he makes to the action taking place under the oceans. It would have been better if he had used the history of this program as a basis of a fictional account. That way, no one would know what is true and what not.
Rating:
Summary: Insight into the personalities of the players
Review: Two books on submarine operations during the Cold War are on the market. The earlier, Blind Man's Bluff, has a copyright date of 1998, while the more recent, The Silent War, has a copyright date of 2001. The authors of Blind Man's Bluff refer several times to John Craven, auther of The Silent War, while Craven refers to Blind Man's Bluff in several places, sometimes to question its analysis. The Silent War was written by one of the principles in submarine circles during the Cold War, John Craven. As such, he is in the paradoxical position of knowing more of the details than the authors of Blind Man's Bluff, while being bound by security regulations to say less. As a result, his book presents an interesting picture of the personalities involved, and an occasional interesting technical tidbit [two examples: big waves can be created on demand by driving a large ship at high speed - and turning it abruptly at the last second; materials have a critical temperature, below which they become brittle, rather than flexible.] - but less operational detail. The book is written in the first person and with a sense of excitement that one would expect from an author having lived through the experiences personally. Despite stumbling over an occasional cliché or misspelled word, the writing is competent to very good. Which to read? If you want to know what happened, I'd go for Blind Man's Bluff. Its content overcomes the better writing and sense of presence of The Silent Sea. If you want to know something about the people that made it happen, I'd go with The Silent War.
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