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DANGER'S HOUR
by James Francis
New American Library, April 2002
434 pages
$6.99
ISBN: 0451410416


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Commander Richter is fighting fatigue after five weeks of shadowing the latest prototype Russian submarine, the Uriy Dolgorukiy. Richter's own USS Tulsa is newly built and is currently on its first sea trials in the Norwegian Sea. Besides keeping a wary eye on the Russian sub, Richter must assess the capabilities of both the Tulsa and his men. This isn't an easy task for a man new to command, but Richter is determined to do his best at both jobs.

Little does Richter know that despite all his precautions, the Russians are aware of his presence in the area. The RFS Gepard, with Commander Borzhov at the helm, has been deployed to the Norwegian Sea to scare off the Tulsa. Borzhov plans a simple enough maneuver, but when the moment of meeting comes, the veteran submariner is away from the deck and a junior officer is in charge. Lt. Meltzer takes it upon himself to do more than originally planned. He sends his submarine charging through the water at the Tulsa. When the Tulsa makes a sudden move to the surface, the two subs collide.

The Gepard is able to surface after the crash, but the Tulsa is out of control and flooding. The American sub quickly sinks to the ocean floor. With dead and wounded men all around him, it takes all of Richter's skill to keep his crew from panicking and his sub from breaking up any further. Unable to call for help, he must rely on the Russians to notify the U.S. Navy. Unfortunately, that notification comes only after the collision has been discussed in the highest circles of the Russian government. By the time a rescue is initiated, the Tulsa has been on the bottom for thirty-six hours and a wounded Richter has turned over command to his own junior officer. Time is running out for the crew of the U.S. sub, and bad weather in the frigid northern seas only complicates matters further.

James Francis served for eighteen years in the British Royal Navy as a senior medical officer specializing in diving and underwater medicine. His expertise comes to bear in this taut adventure written before, but reminiscent of, the August, 2000, sinking of the Russian submarine RFS Kursk. Filled with suspense, the book describes the many details involved in a rescue attempt and the capability of a crew to survive for an extended period of time given the right combination of luck and good leadership. Helpful to the reader is a back-of-the-book glossary that explains marine terms and the naval hierarchy. Readers of suspense and adventure should give this book a high rating. Female readers should be warned of one thing, though. Francis' interjection of a subplot involving the wife of one stranded submariner fails the test of reality. The emotional response of his female character lacks the complexity one would expect from an American woman. This is a small issue, though, and one that takes nothing away from the rest of this well written book.

Reviewed by Mary V. Welk, June 2002

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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)


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