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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 359.93834
EAN num: 9780743297981
Format: Illustrated
ISBN number: 0743297989
Label: Simon & Schuster
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 288
Printing Date: April 15, 2008
Publishing house: Simon & Schuster
Sale Popularity Level: 82774
Studio: Simon & Schuster
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Product Description:
Forty years ago, in May 1968, the submarine USS Scorpion sank in mysterious circumstances with a loss of ninety-nine lives. The tragedy occurred during the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, and it followed by only weeks the sinking of a Soviet sub near Hawaii. Now in All Hands Down, drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews, many with exclusive sources in the naval and intelligence communities, as well as recently declassified United States and Soviet intelligence files, Kenneth Sewell and Jerome Preisler explain what really happened to Scorpion.
In January 1968, a U.S. intelligence ship, USS Pueblo, was seized by North Korea. Among other items, the North Koreans confiscated a valuable cryptographic unit that was capable of deciphering the Navy's top-secret codes. Unknown to the Navy, a traitor named John Walker had begun supplying the Navy's codes to the KGB. Once the KGB acquired the crypto unit from the North Koreans, the Russians were able to read highly classified naval communications.
In March, a Soviet sub, K-129, mysteriously sank near Hawaii, hundreds of miles from its normal station in the Pacific. Soviet naval leaders mistakenly believed that a U.S. submarine was to blame for the loss, and they planned revenge. A trap was set: several Soviet vessels were gathered in the Atlantic, acting suspiciously. It would be only a matter of time before a U.S. sub was sent to investigate. That sub was Scorpion. Using the top-secret codes and the deciphering machine, the Soviets could intercept and decode communication between the Navy and Scorpion, the final element in carrying out the planned attack.
All Hands Down shows how the Soviet plan was executed and explains why the truth of the attack has been officially denied for forty years. Sewell and Preisler debunk various official explanations for the tragedy and bring to life the personal stories of some of the men who were lost when Scorpion went to the bottom. This true story, finally told after exhaustive research, is more exciting than any novel.
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Rated by buyers 
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This is a horrifying and fantastically well researched tale of the Cold War. While it primarily details how the Soviets secretly sank a US submarine in May 1968, it also ties in how the despicable and infamous spy John Walker was directly responsible for the capture of the USS Pueblo in January 1968 and the sinking of the USS Scorpion in May of the same year. This traitor continued to spy for the Soviets for almost 20 years until he was caught in 1985. He still feels he did no wrong. The Soviets claim (off the record) that the sinking of the Scorpion was in retaliation of the US sinking the Soviet sub K-129, which actually sank on its own, apparently while trying to launch a nuclear attack on Hawaii. (see "Red Star Rogue" for that horrific story. This is the sub that Howard Hughes raised with his ship, "Glomar Explorer")
Only some of this tale has been declassified, and the families have still not formally been told the real reason for the loss of the sub. Interestingly, Bob Ballard of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, famous for finding the Titanic, was also the one who verified the location of the sub and photographed the damage to it. He did this just prior to finding the Titanic. In fact, the Titanic mission was a *cover story* for finding the Scorpion! Turns out ol' Bob had been working for the CIA for a couple decades!
According to the book, because President Johnson didn't take any action against the North Koreans for capturing the Pueblo (a blatant act of war), he knew the public would insist on military action if it was revealed that the Soviets attacked & sank one of our subs. At the same time, if the public found that a rogue element of the Soviet Union had tried to launch nuclear missiles at Hawaii just 2 months before the Scorpion sinking, then all-out war would be unavoidable. It was decided by both governments to pretend that neither event ever happened!
I've also read "Red Star Rogue" and definitely recommend that incredible and also horrifying story. People think the Cuban Missile Crisis was perhaps the closest we got to actual war during the Cold War. Not even close. It appears that the K-129 actually *launched* a nuclear missile. We have no idea what caused it to detonate while still in the tube, sinking the sub, but it's the greatest stroke of luck the USA has ever had. I'd also recommend "Blind's Man Bluff" for more on submarines during the Cold War.
Rated by buyers 
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As a former Cold War Submariner, I have some pretty good background on submarines and their operations. My submarine service and familiarity with 'the boats' is what piqued my interest in this book.
This book simply makes too many leaps of faith to be considered seriously. I note that some other reviews have stated that this book was "well researched"... and yet my copy of the book contains no bibliography. Have other readers of this book noticed this rather glaring omission, or is my copy the only one with the bibliography left out?
There are too many shadowy characters in this book as far as I am concerned. Most notably for me, the supposed two sailors that were said to have been on another submarine operating in that same area (that's pretty curious!) and yet they took no note or interest in an underwater explosion? And the shadowy characters get even more shadowy when the reader is told that the sailors are told to keep quiet 'or else'? This is the stuff of fiction/action dramas - more along the lines of 'Red October' (movie version) if you ask me.
As a former submariner, I couldn't possibly recommend this book as a serious look at what may have happened to USS Scorpion. There are just too many leaps of faith to be very credible.
Rated by buyers -
This book simply does not add a single item of fact about this incident that has been reported in numerous other accounts. It was a most frustrating "read". I really do not like books that speculate on what those in the story "might have done", or, "most likely would have done" etc. I do not understand the reason this book was written, other than to make money for the authors, due to the very valid and ongoing interest in this most curious incident. Waste of time.
Rated by buyers 
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i did not find this book credible. he has some hearsay type evidence from interviews or from someone who overheard something. the attack from the helicopter is basically a theory. if he had a credible living witness that would back his theory it might be different.
there are many things that can go wrong on a submarine and it looks like the crew had some time to don a life vest. i would suggest flooding in the forward torpedo room would be more plausible (possibly the Mk 37 theory).
i would suggest that the navy release the photos of the torpedo room (edit out any classified gauges,etc.
Rated by buyers 
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Incredible story of submarines and spies. A hugely interesting book on the things we never knew about the Cold War. G. Gordon Liddy might not be right about everything (I suppose) . . . but the G Man sure told it straight when it came to this one!
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