Blind Man's Bluff

The Untold True Story of American Submar

By: Sherry Sontag, Christopher Drew, Annette L. Drew

Narrated by: Tony Roberts

No espionage missions have been kept more secret than those involving American submarines. Now, Blind Man's Bluff shows for the first time how the Navy sent submarines wired with self-destruct charges into the heart of Soviet seas to tap crucial underwater telephone cables. It unveils how the Navy's own negligence might have been responsible for the loss of the USS Scorpion, a submarine that disappeared, all hands lost, thirty years ago. It tells the complete story of the audacious attempt to steal a Soviet submarine with the help of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes, and how it was doomed from the start. And it reveals how the Navy used the comforting notion of deep sea rescue vehicles to hide operations that were more James Bond than Jacques Cousteau.

Blind Man's Bluff contains an unforgettable array of characters, including the cowboy sub commander who brazenly outraced torpedoes and couldn't resist sneaking up to within feet of unaware enemy subs. It takes us inside clandestine Washington meetings where top submarine captains briefed presidents and where the espionage war was planned one sub and one dangerous encounter at a time. Stretching from the years immediately after World War II to the present-day operations of the Clinton Administration, it is an epic story of daring and deception. A magnificent achievement in investigative reporting, it feels like a spy thriller, but with one important difference'everything in it is true.

Read by Tony Roberts.

©1998 Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew; (P)1998 HarperCollins Publishers

Interesting, but....

While this book is neither well-written, nor well-read, it does contain interesting information about the use of submarines, diesel and nuclear, during the Cold War. It provides insight into the decision-making processes of those in the government as well as in the submarine service. If this a subject you already have knowledge of, don't bother. If not, I at least found it interesting.

Not a submariner, but a sailor nonetheless

No wonder they have been pulling this particular book from navy library. This book is awesome and recommend it to sailors out there!

VERY interesting information

What made the experience of listening to Blind Man's Bluff the most enjoyable?

It presented facts from different sources that brought the story of the Glomar Explorer and K129 into very sharp focus.

Who was your favorite character and why?

There are really no identifiable characters in that this is a true story of SPY vs SPY in the major leagues.

Did Tony Roberts do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Story was well read but would benefit from sme perceptive editing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

My schedule did not allow this but I would certainly have done so if I could.

Any additional comments?

Should be read with Scorpion Down to see the entire picture of the the intelligence capabilities and use of subs.

Abridged! Ugg.

I read the book and the audio book LEFT OUT some of the best stories. The story itself is great, I'm just disappointed they left so much out.

Qualified in submarines in June 1964

This is by far one of the best books on the Cold War that I have read, My enlistment ran from October ‘63 to August '88. During that time I met people in this book and even sailed with some. This book filled in a lot gaps and holes in my memory.