Going deep : John Philip Holland and the invention of the attack submarine
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 351-368) and index.

A history of the controversial attack sub traces the story of the submarine's invention, exploring how self-taught innovator John Philip Holland's obsession with the idea of controlled undersea navigation led to decades of skepticism, setbacks, and innovation.

"The enthralling history of the attack submarine--and the story of its colorful creator, John Philip Holland--that reveals how this imaginative invention changed the face of modern warfare. From Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea to The Hunt for Red October, readers the world over have demonstrated an enduring fascination with underwater travel. Yet the riveting story behind the invention of the submarine--an epic saga of genius, persistence, ruthlessness, and deceit--is almost entirely unknown. Like Henry Ford and the Wright brothers, John Philip Holland was completely self-taught, a brilliant man raised in humble circumstances, earning his living as a schoolteacher and choirmaster. But all the while he was obsessed with creating a machine that could successfully cruise beneath the waves. His struggle to unlock the mystery behind controlled undersea navigation would take three decades, during which he endured skepticism, disappointment, and betrayal. But his indestructible belief in himself and his ideas led him to finally succeed where so many others had failed. Going Deep is a vivid chronicle of the fierce battles not only under the water, but also in the back rooms of Wall Street and the committee rooms of Congress. With a rousing narrative of adventure--surrounded by an atmosphere of corruption and greed--at its heart, [this book] is a story of bravery, passion, and the unbreakable determination to succeed against all the odds."--Jacket.