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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #154920 in Books
• Published on: 2009-07-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781439104545
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Controversy has steadily shadowed the 1968 sinking of the U.S. nuclear submarine Scorpion. The navy's official version of accidental sinking on a routine mission was challenged by allegations that the Scorpion was in fact torpedoed while shadowing a Soviet task force. Further rumors indict the spy John Walker for providing confidential codes to the Soviets, enabling them to track the submarine. Yet another account purports that the Soviets destroyed the Scorpion in retaliation for the sinking of one of their own subs. The two navies eventually called a truce rather than risk further disrupting relations. Sewell, a submarine veteran, and Preisler, a writer of techno-thrillers, add little new evidence in their version of the story; their new data is unfailingly familiar and they never succeed in making a persuasive case for the conspiracy and cover-up they claim occurred. Instead, Sewell and Preisler devote more time to anecdotes about the Scorpion's crew and their families and little vignettes of the routines on board a nuclear sub. What is undeniably useful is the book's demonstration of the high numbers of accidents between ships and aircrafts that were accepted as routine during much of the Cold War. All Hands Down highlights a truth no less relevant today: international incidents are in good part constructions mutually agreed upon after the event. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"Scrupulously researched, compulsively readable, All Hands Down plunges us back to a dark era of surprise attacks against the United States by devious foreign enemies; of the world at the brink of ruinous warfare; of official cover-up. Fortunately, that era is well in the past. Wait a minute..."

-- Ron Powers, coauthor, Flags of Our Fathers; Last Flag Down; and The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle

Review
"Scrupulously researched, compulsively readable, All Hands Down plunges us back to a dark era of surprise attacks against the United States by devious foreign enemies; of the world at the brink of ruinous warfare; of official cover-up. Fortunately, that era is well in the past. Wait a minute..."

-- Ron Powers, coauthor, Flags of Our Fathers; Last Flag Down; and The Man Who Flew the Memphis Belle

Customer Reviews

A Great Read About A Historic Tragedy
Having read all the books in Jerome Preisler's Tom Clancy's Power Plays series, I knew he could tell a fast-paced story based on real-world politics and interesting characters, and was intrigued when I found out he'd collaborated with a submariner named Ken Sewall on a nonfiction work about the USS Scorpion, as I also enjoy books on maritime history.

I wasn't disappointed. ALL HANDS DOWN reads like a novel.

I was surprised to learn early in the book that Robert Ballard, the undersea scientist who found Titanic, was actually on a secret mission to examine the Scorpion wreck when he did so. Incredibly (to me) the entire Titanic expedition was an excuse, or "cover story", as Ballard was working for the CIA.

The mystery of what happened to this submarine is tied together with heartbreaking stories of the crewmen and their families, and also the story of John Walker Jr., the spy who almost lost the Cold War for the United States. It is told in short scenes that leave you on the edge of your seat.

All in all, a great book that I read in a single sitting. I'd recommend it to anyone.

DIRTY TRICKS
I have always believed that if a person writes a book review he should at least read the book. About a year ago I joined the Yahoo Scorpion group. As a former submariner who served on a sister ship (Shark) I thought it would be interesting. Instead I discovered it was a vile group of want-to-be's who post sexists, anti-Semite and threatening remarks against anybody who has an opinion that doesn't agree with theirs. They even have a Cowards List that includes some of America's best and brightest service men and scientists.

On March 30th, 2008, R.B. Rule posted the following in the yahoo Scorpion site:

"I have declined to write a book review for USNIP and shall return ALL HANDS DOWN to them unread."

On April 3rd, he posted the review titled: "Deeply Flawed Technically, Not Credible".

Mr. Rule did not read All Hands Down. Based on other posts, it seems that he never intended to read the book. His review was part of a plot to discourage others from reading the book. I know this to be true, because on March 9th, 2008, Mr. Rule posted the following on the Scorpion Yahoo site:

"If we want to effectively fight the next war with Sewell, Preisler and ALL HANDS DOWN (AHD), it is suggested we be more pro-active and less reactive, as we appear to have been with SD. One of the few (only?) ways of countering a publisher's advertising campaign for any new book is to post "enlightened" reviews of that book on [...] as soon after release of the book as possible. A number of "early-on" negative reviews of any book (if it merits them) may not only dissuade potential buyers but will also start the book off with an average low-star review rating that, if the reviews are well-reasoned, should dissuade others from giving favorable reviews; hence, making it difficult for the book to achieve an acceptable average rating on Amazon.com

Mr. Rule and his group have used this tactic before to successfully attack other books. Apparently Rule and many of the Yahoo Scorpion people don't believe in free speech. These tactics are more suited for Iran, not the United States.

I just finished All Hands Down and found the story to be reasonable and well supported. Definitely, worth reading. The authors also did a great job honoring the crewmen and their families, for that I salute and thank them.

W. Huber

Retired Submariner Report
Having served on the comissioning Crew of the USS Scamp SSN588 I have always been interested in the accounts of the Scorpion Disaster.This account has been a very telling one of our loss of the SSN589.The account of just what John Walker has been amplified in this book.I think it is a "Must Read"for all Submariners. William Roberts,FTCM(SS)USN,Ret