Collapse Depth Paperback – 30 Sept. 2012

I found this book very interesting to read. I have to assume all the technical stuff is correct. The story was well constructed without ever explaining what the special exercise was to achieve and haw the navigator knew about the ocean. Very enjoyable with lots of good characters

I've read a few submarine thrillers and this is the stand-out! Lovely technical detail that makes me feel the turn of each dial and the pressure of the ocean just a few feet away. Great main character and more twists than a screwy torpedo!If you like pressure in the real world of the military try  Black Flag  by Jake Morris

I enjoy military fiction and have read a number of other submarine books. The genre is extremely variable and often disappointing. Some are thrilling and interesting and others formulaic, but Collapse Depth surpasses all in my experience. The title is not very imaginative and did not appeal at first, mainly because it did indeed sound formulaic. However, the book not only stands on its own as a story of intrigue, action and mystery, but also gives unprecedented technical detail of the workings of a modern submarine. Assuming this detail is accurate (and I believe it to be so, even without first hand knowledge), the author has done an outstanding job of combining the technology with a riveting adventure story. The diverse characters are developed in a skilled and balanced way. The 'hero', Jabo, is the centre of some, but not all the action and it doesn't become apparent immediately how important he will be to the plot, once more showing the author's skill. Also impressive, there are no improbable characters and only one real baddie. We know who he is quite early, but we have no idea what he is going to do.The story concentrates on the USS Alabama, a missile boat, (I did think they were called boats, but the author call them ships most of the time and I am sure he knows best) on its way to Taiwan on a sensitive mission. There are some teasers such as equipment malfunctions and the suspected presence of hostile subs, and the boat must drive hard to make its destination. The tension and stress of operating at full speed for a long period is portrayed well and the characters change and respond accordingly as the plot progresses.Top marks, and I hope we see more from Todd Tucker

Not knowing anything about submarines I was intrigued with the amount of detail and what submariners have to go through to earn the dolphins. I read this in one day as I could not put it down

This is definitely one of the best sub-themed books I've read in a while. Very realistic with just the right amount of technical jargon to let you know what certain pieces of equipment are and their purpose without it seeming as though you are reading a manual. The pace is brilliant and the characters spot on...in fact, it's one of only a few books I've read recently that I didn't want to stop reading or to end. Just as well I've bought the follow on novel... :D

Quite a short book with a surprising lack of action - this is more of a tale about sabotage on a submarine rather than an at sea hide, find and destroy tale. I found the book quite predictable in places.You get to know the characters well but felt there were other avenues which could have made the book more exciting..... What happened to sierra 9?worth a read on a train, as easy to put down and pick up again without feeling your missing anything.

It was a most interesting exciting and informative read. The Author went to great pains to accurately describe the running of a nuclear submarine. The problems the officers and men had to cope with. I have been interested in Diesel electric submarine stories for many years and found the nuclear boat stories a little hard to fully understand. My horisons have been greatly extended by the clear and succinct technical workings of this submarine in a totally exciting story. One of the best books I hvw read

This was the first time I have read any of his books this contained lots of information about submarines but also had a good plot , I enjoyed reading it .

Warning: there is quite a bit of profanity in this book, but it is completely appropriate for the setting. With that out of the way, this is a very good story that primarily takes place on an underway nuclear-powered submarine. The other parts of the story include the family members ashore and the impact of a sea-faring life on those people. While that is not the focus of the story, it was woven in well and complements the action aboard the sub. The focus of the story revolves around a series of incidents aboard the submarine and how the crew responds. There is plenty of drama as the crew is forced to test their training and reaction time when catastrophe happens. In an environment that is stressful under normal circumstances, equipment failure can produce anxiety levels not experienced when there is dry land under your feet because any little thing that goes wrong can quickly become a bigger thing that can kill you. This is all conveyed very well by the author and you get a good sense of life in a confined space where you are trapped with virtually no personal space. There are minor typos and grammatical errors, but this was a very good story and I plan to buy the next in the series.

Enjoyable and realistically informative about life aboard a submarine.

I read books 1 and 2. Enjoyed them both, and look forward to a #3.

A fairly exciting yarn about a Trident submarine on it's way to Taiwan, only to be hampered by several incidents that can only be caused from within. Starts out kind of slow, but once all the characters are established it takes off and remains on a consistent pace. Lots of military acronyms, but they are all defined on the spot (and in the glossary)...only once did I have to go back and look one up. The author certainly has extensive knowledge about the mechanical and engineering workings of these subs, and he adeptly describes the processes and functions of each area, especially when confronting a repair issue. Although building to the climax becomes one of those 'what else can go wrong?' type of scenarios, it is well-written and interesting as well as informative. I wish there was more closure regarding some of the characters, but overall it's a satisfying read. Somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, so I rounded up. Good book for any submarine fans.

Although my time in nuke boats was over 40 years ago on a now obsolete class, the author captured the essence of being on a submarine in a fashion that no other has done for me. The plot was credible, and the characters seemed real.I liked that he captured the unusual relationship in submarines between officers and enlisted, as well as between qualified and non-quals. To my experience, the former were far looser and less formal than in the rest of the Navy, and the latter were far more important than mere rank.I enjoyed the description of how the officers' wives found out about one of the casualties on the boat. It was my experience that the women in a Navy town frequently found out about events involving subs, even though the events were classified and every sailor was warned not to talk.My experience also was that the qualification process was more rigorous than is accounted for in the book, but that's a minor point. That he describes the process at all is a strong plus for the story.There were some minor nits to pick:There were some minor spelling or typographic errors which could have been corrected with better proof reading.That heated freon can lead to phosgene gas was well know throughout the fleet at least as long ago as the '60s.There were others, but none that detracted seriously from the story and characters.On the whole, I loved the book, hope that the author writes more along the same lines, and highly recommend it to those seeking a story which accurately describes life aboard a modern submarine.