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October Fury | 
 enlarge | Author: Peter A. Huchthausen
Publisher: Wiley
Category: EBooks
List Price: $15.95
Buy New: $9.99
You Save: $5.96 (37%)
Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 15093
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Pages: 281
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 6.3 x 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.922
ASIN: B000PY4K66
Publication Date: August 12, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
"Huchthausen knows the hidden history of the Cuban missile crisis . . . October Fury contains startling revelations."
-- TOM CLANCY
Drama on the high seas as the world holds its breath
It was the most spectacular display of brinkmanship in the Cold War era. In October 1962, President Kennedy risked inciting a nuclear war to prevent the Soviet Union from establishing missile bases in Cuba. The risk, however, was far greater than Kennedy realized.
October Fury uncovers startling new information about the Cuban missile crisis and the potentially calamitous confrontation between U.S. Navy destroyers and Soviet submarines in the Atlantic. Peter Huchthausen, who served as a junior ensign aboard one of the destroyers, reveals that a single shot fired by any U.S. warship could have led to an immediate nuclear response from the Soviet submarines.
This riveting account re-creates those desperate days of confrontation from both the American and Russian points of view and discloses detailed information about Soviet operational plans and the secret orders given to submarine commanders. It provides an engrossing, behind-the-scenes look at the technical and tactical functions of two great navies along with stunning portraits of the officers and sailors on both sides who were determined to do their duty even in the most extreme circumstances.
As absorbing and detailed as a Tom Clancy novel, this real-life suspense thriller is destined to become a classic of naval literature.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Also on the blockade line February 20, 2008
K. Robarge
I read this documentary because I was on the blockade line during the Cuban Missile Crisis and wanted to read more about actual navel encounters from a source who was there too. Author Peter Huchthausen avoids most of the political intrigue (which is well known) and takes a different approach by telling the account of the 4 Russian diesel subs, armed with nuclear torpedoes, that were sent to Cuba to survey the approaches in preparation for the arrival of Russian missile submarines. Two-thirds of the book is about these 4 subs, which are based on interviews with the Russian crews after the fall of the Soviet Union. Huchthausen was stationed aboard the destroyer Blandy as a junior officer and his first-hand experiences provides new details of how the Navy enforced the blockade and the Russian fleet reactions.
As a sonar tech aboard the Blandy's sister ship, the Mullinnix, I was able to relate to the ASW procedures, destroyer life and the technical stuff but the novel suffers from too much repetition and needed better editing. There were a few glaring errors (were there others I missed?) most of which the average reader will not notice but those who served will. For example; being able to view the Groton sub base from the Thames River RR bridge, which cannot be done or the use of the word "fooking" instead of the other "f" word made me wonder what navy the author served in; certainly not the US Navy. There are several demeaning remarks towards the enlisted crew of the Blandy so I agree with other reviews that this novel has a haughty, officer's view of Navy shipboard life. As for the Russians, the author frequently quotes them but their words were very American in phrasing, word use and slang, so I doubt what was actually said, although the point was made. The Russians sub crews though, are described as being very professional and adept but burdened by cantankerous equipment, poor living conditions and a lack of communications that renders their fleet suspect as the giant threat they were depicted to be during the Cold War.
There is a lot of technical material (anti-submarine warfare methods and equipment, shipboard life and navy slang) that the ordinary reader most likely would not understand. A glossary would have been helpful, and as a documentary there are too few pictures of ships, planes and equipment that would have been helpful in supporting the
author's detailed descriptions.
I give the novel 3 stars based on the editing and research errors, lack of glossary, too few pictures and a one-sided (officer's) view of this event.
 very well researched and written book! January 13, 2008
I really enjoyed reading this book. I was in the Navy during this period, but not involved in this action. I can relate to the US side of this story and was facinated by the Russian side. Very well done.
Great Read. a little biased November 19, 2007
Stuart Austwick (Flag Pond, TN USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
AN excellent book to read, I really enjoyed reading what the Russian sailors had to tolerate and I am glad that part of our history is over.
This book does a reasonably good job, in revisiting the Cuban crisis.
Most definitely not a Tom Clancy book, but a good read never the less.
It would have been a lot better had it also described what the enlisted personnel went through o both sides, as officers in both navies tend to think they actually run the ships. They pass the orders yes, run the ships how??.
No doubt though this book is a great read especially for its historical revelations.
Submarine Down August 2, 2006
Delos Fidler (Dallas, Texas)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Very well written and engrossing. Contained insights I did not know prior to reading the book.
Good, Fast Reading Marred by Defects: 2 May 30, 2006
Mcgivern Owen L (NY, NY USA)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
"October Fury" is set against the Cuban Missile Crisis in the Fall of 1962. This was when the United States was supposedly "eyeball to eyeball" with the Soviet Union over Russian missiles in Cuba. Author Huchthausen was a crewmember of the USS "Blandy", which assisted the U.S. Naval blockade of that Caribbean island. He extensively interviewed sailors from both Russian and U.S. ships involved in the deployments. Readers will receive a definite grasp for the prevailing undertones in both navies. One lesson is crystal clear: The Russian Navy was a paper tiger, though few U.S. citizens were aware of that fact at the time. Russian subs were in poor mechanical shape and not ready for a protracted siege with a superior foe. Russian rules of engagement were so onerous that the firing of any shots was very unlikely. Actual command of vessels seemed divided between the skipper and the political officer aboard. In OF, Soviet commanders are portrayed as quite responsible, solid and capable naval professionals who cared for the welfare of their crews. They appear as the polar opposite of war mongers. Their true conflict appears to have been between they and their hidebound higher-ups back in Mother Russia. OF capably paints a small picture of that halcyon crisis which probably did not exist. The big geo-political picture has been portrayed elsewhere, perhaps by those driven to burnish President Kennedy's image for posterity. A popular viewpoint is that Premier Khrushchev of Russia dismantled the Cuban missiles when JFK secretly did the same to our weapons in eastern Turkey. (As a side note, this reviewer is still appalled by the rudeness and disrespect that Chief of Naval Operations Anderson showed Defense Secretary McNamara. That guy should have been sacked!). The 3 star rating above results from a reduction in rank due to the appalling (!) inadequacy of the so-called maps. Also, there is no glossary for the plethora of Navy slang. Who makes these decisions to omit? Why are are authors-or more likely, publishers-so remiss? Repair of these defects in future printings would elevate "October Fury" to a more deserving permanent rank of 5 stars. The foregoing is a virtual mirror review of this observer's thoughts on Mr. Huchthausen's "Shadow Voyage", which was plagued by the identical drawbacks. Potential readers are forewarned!
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