MWSA Review

Anyone familiar with the military knows that each branch—and each type of job within a branch—has its own culture and set of experiences. Yet one type of assignment may be unique among them all: serving onboard a submarine.

In Sŭbmarine-ër: 30 Years of Hijinks & Keeping the Fleet Afloat, Jerry Pait covers a career on these craft that began as junior enlisted and ended as a lieutenant commander. The book consists of “chapters,” though each is better thought of as an ad hoc story about a person, place, or prank. As the title suggests, the tone is largely lighthearted, with moments of tension quickly giving way to resolutions that involve a misguided sea creature, lost navigator, or oblivious Soviet vessel.

Those interested in this particular slice of Navy life will find many anecdotes both technical (how subs muffle the sound of their engines) and colorful (how a stubborn seal ended up onboard). Unfortunately, the book also includes jarring and unneeded comments about non-sub topics, from describing lesbians as “250-pound dykes” to asides such as “you have no idea how hard it is to remove information from a wife’s mind.”

For readers willing to accept this approach—and interested in learning how one determined man (and a friend) can steal an entire submarine’s worth of cups—this book will serve as a detailed guide.

Review by John McGlothlin (March 2023)

 

Author's Synopsis

Lieutenant Commander Jerry Pait's semi-autobiographical collection of sixty stories recounts his thirty years in and around the U.S. Navy's submarine fleet. Ranging from light-hearted to wrenching, all are poignant inside looks at naval operations rarely seen by outsiders. Topics include the real story behind the shuttle Challenger tragedy, risking his own life underwater, discovering a Soviet spy living across the street, surviving when a DELTA rocket ignites, critical missions, and the everyday lives of men and women of the fleet. Dive into Submarine-er for hijinks and breathtaking adventures with this poignant memoir by a true American hero.

Format(s) for review: Paper Only

Review Genre: Nonfiction—Memoir/Biography

Number of Pages: 350

Word Count: 100,800