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Having read naval fiction for nearly 30 years (ever since I bought a copy of Hunt for Red October right after it was published) I've come to recognize that much of the naval fiction out there is very poor from a realism/accuracy standpoint.
Of course Tom Clancy and Larry Bond's stuff is above reproach. Also "The War That Never Was" was quite good as was the very old "First Salvo" by Charles D. Taylor.
What else have you read that has good material? Good material that can be converted into scenarios??? [:)]
Thanks,
Dave

Well...I realize that Clancy's good. But I just made the mistake of reading SSN by Tom Clancy. ...well I'm still not sure why I read it. I was probably trying to pick up some pointers. But it wasn't very good IMHO.

To be honest naval-military fiction has been a struggle. Amazon has helped by giving aspiring authors opportunities that a large publisher would not but its very difficult to weed through them.

Anyways here's a list of books I've enjoyed recently:

The Aden Effect by Claude Berube
Shattered Trident by Larry Bond
Command Authority by Tom Clancy
Seal Team Six Series by Chuck Dixon
Line of Control by Mainak Dhar

The Sixth Battle by Barrett Tillman

ORIGINAL: Chicharito19

Well...I realize that Clancy's good. But I just made the mistake of reading SSN by Tom Clancy. ...well I'm still not sure why I read it. I was probably trying to pick up some pointers. But it wasn't very good IMHO.

True, but in Clancy's defense, this book is not so much a story driven novel as a bunch of scenarios from the Computer Game with the same name thrown together and adapted into a book. So it tends to be very repetitive, and not very good as an entertaining story. It does have the usual Clancy realism and attention to detail though.

As for other authors, I really enjoyed Nimitz Class, Kilo Class and HMS Unseen, written by Patrick Robinson. They are highly recommended! As I Google him now, I realize that he has since then written a lot of new books too. I guess I need to do some book shopping to catch up!

I have to admit...I am getting a little tired of all the "submarines that get hijacked" books.

An interesting novel by an ex-USN Capt PT Deuterman called Scorpion in the Sea. Out of Print but lots used on Amazon.

Its the post cold war navy of the early 90's just after the Gulf War, the USN is settling into a period of complacency and bureaucratic empire building. Then a trawler is sunk and appears to have been machinegunned, and no one will even consider the possibility there is an SSK lurking off Mayport.

The skipper of an obsolete destroyer is at first skeptical about the strange sightings and unexplained events off the coast of Florida. The East-Bloc threat has passed--and others don't have the technical capabilities to challenge the U.S. no one will even consider the possibility there is an SSK lurking off Mayport. The answer lies in the Goldsborough's horrific confrontation with the unseen intruders in this fast-paced, suspenseful post-Cold War naval thriller.

It is an excellent novel and according to one Amazon review the combat systems and techniques are very realistic. I have read this a few times over the years and have to say it is an excellent novel and a real page turner.

Not fiction but I have been reading Sandy Woodward's 100 days. From the point of view of Task Force Commander of Falklands conflictt it really slices all that there it is to it. Written with a real writer, so it is an easy read. Overall strategy, tactics, polticians interfering/hesitating, telling High Command to go f themselves, combat, losses (he really took those personally while trying to maintain stiff British attitude and command), technical performance of their missiles (which was ****), radars, Harriers and a few very exciting spec ops stories.

Any new adds we could add to this fine list?

All the best friends.

The Dan Lenson series by David Poyer. It takes you from from early 90s cruises and combat in The Gulf to near future large fleet actions against China. You learn a lot about individual weapon systems and how modern ships/fleets fight. The last few started getting into more post-war politics in the US and weren't as good. But the rest are excellent.

Awesome heading to the audible site now.......any others for my summer listening/reading?

Thanks friends

Kevin Miller's Raven One is the best aircraft carrier novel I've read.

Not meaning to toot our own horn but "Northern Fury: H-Hour" is out there as well. Although naval combat is a little thin in Book 1, "Limit of Advance" will have much more of it.

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 1&t=324369

I very much enjoyed these stories...

https://cimsec.org/fiction-contest-week/

https://cimsec.org/fiction-contest-3/

Gunner98 wrote: Tue Jun 06, 2023 2:32 pm Not meaning to toot our own horn but "Northern Fury: H-Hour" is out there as well. Although naval combat is a little thin in Book 1, "Limit of Advance" will have much more of it.

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/view ... 1&t=324369

I'm happy to toot your horn and can recommend Northern Fury as one of the most enjoyable books I have read.