Big Red: Three Months On Board a Trident Nuclear Submarine

I was stationed aboard the USS Nebraska when this book was written. This particular patrol I had scratched my eye and ended up wearing an eye patch for a portion of the patrol but the biggest news was I almost lost my life on this patrol. I want to Thank God for our good ships Doc on being so good at his job. If I didn't have him I would have more than likely died at sea. I came down with appendicitis and we were no where near land. It took several days just to get me back to land and luckily they did. The Doc was able to fill me full of antibiotics and a few other things to help with the pain until they could get me to a hospital. Imagine this.....you are on a submarine in California BUT the only hospital you can go to is in Florida. You have to ride all the way across the United States just to go to the hospital. My appendix ruptured when they took me in for surgery so somebody was looking out for me. Have a great day and a enjoy. Thanks Doug Waller for such a GREAT Memory of a small portion of my 22 year Naval career.

This book opened my eyes to the sacrifice that the brave warriors of the third leg of the nuclear triad make to keep our opponents from attacking the USA. Six months under water far from home and family is a lot to ask of anyone. The pressures to train for multiple jobs to insure that the mission can always be accomplished and the crew survives adds a whole lot of pressure to the job. This was written about a peacetime patrol. Under more dire circumstances it would be terrifying. Anyone wearing the dolphins on their chest has my deepest gratitude.

I bought this as a gift for my father-in-law, who was headed out on a trip. He enjoys reading about military history, and a friend had recommended this book. It was a hit. He began reading it before he left... and was really enjoying it. We could tell, because he started sharing details with us almost immediately. (And, yes, the book went in his carry-on.)If you enjoy military matters - outside of war stories - you may enjoy this book, too. It's a bit dated, having been published over 20 years ago. But for anyone interested in naval history and affairs, this would probably be a good read... or a good gift.

I really respect the author for putting the time and effort into such and informative book. Big Red is a very detailed account of life on a Trident submarine that should answer most; if not all questions an interested reader may have about the day-to-day grind as a submariner. Personally, I was interested in the nuclear capabilities of the mighty Trident. Specifically, can the big nukes be fired from underwater? How long does it take to spin up a missile and launch them? How many men does it take to operate one of these behemoths? All of my questions have been answered.It's important to keep in mind that these submarines exist as a deterrence and a last resort. If you are looking for a real-life thriller, comparable to what you might see from Hollywood (U-579, The Hunt for Red October), or something like a Tom Clancy story, you will probably be disappointed. There is little action in this book, aside from the endless training drills and exercises. Instead, Big Red is the result of comprehensive journalism that is packed full of information for readers curious about this nuclear submarine and its capabilities.

This should be required reading in public schools. Then everyone would realize that just ONE of these subs contains enough firepower to wipe a large country off the map. God bless the poor souls brave enough to spend 3 months under the sea in these things.

As a former Trident submariner, I appreciate the careful close look and the broader wide look that this book brings to the Trident experience of the men that have served onboard.

I enjoyed this book greatly. This reminded me of my time on board a submarine in the 80's. I was on an SSN, however many of the experiences were the same. The memories were the same. While reading this book, I had the opportunity to remember old friends and relive old experiences. This book would be an interesting read for all submariners or anyone interested in what life is like on a submarine.

Excellent book accurately depicting life on a nuclear submarine in today's Navy. Good job describing the inner workings of command along with people's responsibilities while the sub is underway. Worth reading if you want to learn what our men undergo in the "silent service".

Bought as a gift for my father who actually designed submarines, he confirms that this is all based on true accounts and is extremely readable.

Ich finde das Buch toll. Viele Details über den Alltag an Bord. Eigentlich genau das was ich gesucht habe. Mal weiter stöbern, ob es das Buch auch auf Deutsch gibt