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Surface at the Pole

The Extraordinary Voyages of the USS Skate

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Surface at the Pole

Written by: James Calvert
Narrated by: Tom Perkins
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About this listen

On 17 March 1959, the USS Skate became the first submarine to surface at the North Pole.

Under the guidance of James Calvert this nuclear submarine had navigated through polar ice packs, braved atrociously cold conditions, and broken through layers of thick ice to arrive at their destination; the northernmost point of the world.

This mission, however, was not just about completing a seemingly impossibly feat of Arctic exploration. It also had huge implications for military strategy during the height of the Cold War. Now that submarines were able to travel under and break through the ice, it gave the US military the capability of being avoid detection under the ice while being able to launch their Polaris missiles from points far closer to the Soviet Union.

James Calvert's remarkable account of his two voyages to the Arctic with the USS Skate provides vivid insight into life in a nuclear submarine and how these men were able to complete this treacherous mission.

Public Domain (P)2020 Tantor Arctic & Antarctica Weapons & Warfare
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Interesting but not riveting

This is a really well written memoir of some of the first submarine explorations under ice. The captain documents many firsts in submarine polar travel, including surfacing under the magnetic pole. The book is very interesting if you have any interest in submarines of WW2 and the Cold War or if you are interested in Arctic exploration stories. Just don’t expect it to grip you like an adventure novel.

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