Rating: 
Summary: "K-219"
Review: "Down three thousand fathoms deep, Deaths of millions in her keep; With her, in eternal sleep -- Sergei Preminin." With these words begins Russell Hoban's poem immortalizing an extraordinary deed of an ordinary Russian submariner. "Hostile Waters" also recounts Seaman Preminin's selfless sacrifice, which saved the lives of countless unsuspecting Americans. But this is only one of the riveting episodes of desperation and courage chronicled in this true story about a doomed nuclear submarine. Authors USN-AWS Capt. (ret.) Huchthausen and Soviet Capt. 1st. Rank Kurdin were participants in the ongoing Cold War events which led to the tragedy of K-219. Written with the assistance of accomplished novelist Robin A. White ("Siberian Light", "Ice Curtain"), their book reads like a spellbinding adventure of disaster and heroism on the sea. In 1986, the Soviet Navy, in its futile attempts to match its superior American counterpart, was sending its fleet of obsolete boomers to patrol the eastern coast of the US. Capt. Igor Britanov knew that his noisy, decrepit boat was being tracked from the moment she left her home port, and that once in American waters, he was being shadowed by a state-of-the-art hunter-killer. Following an unintentional collision by the USS Augusta, K-219 sustained severe damage which left her flooding and burning, with an open missile-hatch, on the surface. In a cascading chain of catastrophe, her nuclear reactor began to overheat. As the US military went on DEFCON alert, K-219 foundered in her desperate and dangerous death-throes. You, the reader, will intimately experience the Soviet crew's minute-by-minute struggle for survival. You will bond with the Russian Captain, whose fatherly affection for his men inspired their loyalty and dedication to the point of personal sacrifice. You will be astonished by the attrocious actions of the American Captain, which alienated his own crew and ultimately cost him his career. You will be disgusted by the competative uncooperativeness between the American armed forces, and the open hostility between individual branches of the Navy. You will be dismayed by the utter callousness of the US and Soviet governments whose disregard for human life imperilled the world. And you will never forget Sergei Preminin, who voluntarily entered the hot reactor and manually cranked down the stuck baffle-plates, thus preventing a meltdown mere miles off the American coast. For an eye-opening and disturbing view of US Cold War politics, and an even-handed and compassionate portrayal of the Opposition, read this "ten-star" story!
Rating:
Summary: Non-Fiction Action Thriller
Review: "Hostile Waters", by Peter Huchthausen, Igor Kurdin and R. Alan White. Thorndike Press, Thorndike, Maine, Large type edition, 1997.An excellent book, dealing with the loss of the K-219, a Soviet Nuclear submarine, off the east coast of the United States. This book is non-fiction but it reads like a fast moving, modern day thrill novel, thanks, probably, to the efforts of author R. Alan White. The book also reads like a "you are there!" recitation of the events of the sinking, undoubtedly due to the efforts of Igor Kurdin, of the Russian Navy. Finally, there are some pointed comments about higher-level actions and reactions, probably due to the efforts of Captain Peter Huchthausen, USN, Retired. It is impressive that three different writers from such disparate backgrounds could produce a book that is such a well-written story of the events in the sinking of the K-219. It all comes together in such an interesting fashion that it was difficult to put the book down. As we watch the world react to the aftermath of September 11 2001, we wonder why the CIA and the FBI did not have better communications with each other agency. The provincialism and secrecy of the USN submarine service is well documented in this book. In some ways, this is a theme of this book; rivalry between service branches and within each service hinders cooperation and communications. On page 225, for example, you can find: the U.S. Navy's "... number one enemy: the United Sates Air Force". Personally, I can recall working as reliability engineer on a small Navy project in 1987, and I referenced an Air Force document as substantiation for my calculations. I was told, "Wrong color blue". Navy Blue versus Air Force blue.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful reading, strongly recommended.
Review: A compelling account of a tragic accident and the loss of a USSR K219 submarine in the sea of Bermuda during the cold-war era. What makes this book so powerful is the contrast of courage and cowardness, responsibility and indifference, hostility and friendship among the participants of this story. The only complaint I have is I don't understand why this book had to be written in a Clancy kind of style (I mean if it is a "real" story), but I guess people's opinions would vary on that. I wish Mr.Britanov, his colleagues and their families stay well. They tell me while the quality of the regime could vary vastly, there can be always heroic people with extraordinary courage no matter where.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting insight into Sub life, albeit short
Review: A very informative story of a real reactor accident on a Soviet Sub during the Cold War. Great for anyone who enjoyed Clancy's Hunt For Red October. Very dramatic for nonfiction, the courage of a few to save the group was shown throughout. Unfortunately the book is over quickly. As soon as you're really into the feeling of being tightly cramped into a Russian sub, the book is over. Still an exciting read for anyone interested in sub life, and death.
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Summary: Outstanding Book
Review: Hostile Waters takes the reader into the world of the Soviet Navy in late 80's. The story of the K-219, an old Yankee class (as designated by NATO) ballistic submarine which cathes on fire off the coast of the United States. The story is taut once hte fire breaks out and you feel the pain of the captain as he watches his submarine literaly falling apart around him as his beloved crew trys to stay alive. I would recommend reading "Hostile Waters", then switching over to "Big Red" to see the contrast in the submarine service between the United States and then Soviet Union.
Rating: 
Summary: Hostile Critic
Review: I was excited when I found this book on Amazon and quickly purchased it. Once I got it I drove right in. Unfortunately this pre-reading excited set an expectation in my mind which was not fulfilled with the actual text. I also have a rather strict interpretation of a non-fiction book; I want an accurate telling of the story, not a lot of extra adjectives at every turn. The description of the book and some reviewers here have stated that the book read like a good novel, many state it is similar to The Hunt for Red October. In my opinion the book is no where near the level of Red October and if I wanted fiction I would buy fiction. At every chance this author tried to raise the level of excitement by over dramatizing each event. Even the initial cast off was stated in batted breath tones. And let's just say that for a fiction writer he really did not do a good job. Overall the actual incident was interesting and what I found the most value in. I am glad that I did read the book just for a telling of the event. Unfortunately the writing was wooden and the over dramatizing of the test left a bad taste in my mouth.
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Summary: HOSTILE WATERS--AN UNTOLD STORY
Review: Maybe you remember. The book says something to the extent that, "a certain event almost jeopardized the summit meeting with Reagan and Gorbechav." This book tells you what that event was. It is a TRUE story. A very haunting story, and I'm one who lives in southern Arizona, far away from the scene of this event. This book is like a Hunt for Red October from hell. I won't tell you ANYTHING about what happens, because it is important that you read this yourself. Another classic example of our government hiding things from us hard-working blue-collar workers. Another amazing thing about this story is that IT READS LIKE A NOVEL, but it isn't. At the end, I found myself CHEERING for the RUSSIANS because the Americans were (sorry) so STUPID and SELFISH. To many people, "russians" is synonymous with "evil". I hope this book changes your view of the Russians, as it changed mine--they are no better or worse than we are, as we are all human beings.
Rating:
Summary: "The Hunt for Red October" only true
Review: The parallels between this book and "The Hunt for Red October" are rather spooky considering "Hunt for Red October" was written first and is fictional while this book is non-fiction. Makes me wonder if some of the key players in this story were acting out "The Hunt for Red October" for real. As an ex US submarine officer, I found some to the facts here difficult to believe. It is possible that the Soviet navy was just very different from the US. Still it is difficult to believe that the Soviets did not know how to do an air drop at sea or design fail-safe reactors. I found the characters: their lifestyle and politics interesting. The officers of a submarine must have been a very conservative sample of Soviet society yet, here in 1986, they were feed up with the Soviet regime and mocked its politics.
Rating:
Summary: "The Hunt for Red October" only true
Review: The parallels between this book and "The Hunt for Red October" are rather spooky considering "Hunt for Red October" was written first and is fictional while this book is non-fiction. Makes me wonder if some of the key players in this story were acting out "The Hunt for Red October" for real. As an ex US submarine officer, I found some to the facts here difficult to believe. It is possible that the Soviet navy was just very different from the US. Still it is difficult to believe that the Soviets did not know how to do an air drop at sea or design fail-safe reactors. I found the characters: their lifestyle and politics interesting. The officers of a submarine must have been a very conservative sample of Soviet society yet, here in 1986, they were feed up with the Soviet regime and mocked its politics.
Rating:
Summary: Forget Clancy--This is Real
Review: The scenario: An aging Russian nuclear submarine loaded with nuclear warheads has a catastophic emergency near the coastline of the United States, only days before the Gorbachev-Reagan summit in Iceland in 1986. Some men are dead, others are dying, and it is up to the captain to make the command decision of his life: Does he save his men or does he obey orders from Moscow and try to bring the dying ship back to Russia to keep it out of the hands of the Americans? Add to this an overzealous American nuclear sub commander who seems bent on causing World War III, a cast of fascinating characters ranging from the heroic Russian commander to the cowardly political officer to crewmen who willingly go into the reactor room even though it means almost certain death and you have a nonfiction book that reads like a taut, nailbiting thriller. The book was co-written by Peter Hutchthausen, former U.S. Naval Attache' to the Soviet Union, Igor Kurdin, Executive Officer on board the ship, and R. Allen White, a writer of thrillers. The authors interviewed the surviving crewmen extensively for this book, and one look at the bibliography and acknowledgements shows that this book was extensively researched. The book is told in the typical military thriller format, with the action shifting between points of view of the various participants, Russian and American, in chronogical fashion complete with military time. The book is even more interesting in the view it gives the reader of the collapse of the mighty Russian military. The Russian subs are way behind the American subs in technology, budget cuts have meant fewer repairs and other cost-cutting moves, which of course further endanger the Russian crew, who live bleak lives on a remote base short of consumer goods and long on corruption. One feels for the men who put their lives on the line when so little is done to ensure their safety or the well-being of their families. Tom Clancy himself calls "Hostile Waters" "one of the most fascinating true submarine stories I have ever encountered." The story is much more exciting than the recent sub best-seller, "The Desperate Hours" by Peter Maas, and I highly recommend "Hostile Waters" to all readers. You will not be disappointed.
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