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Sub Tales 5 - OUT NOW

Sub Tales 5 is the fifth and final volume of the Sub Tales collection of US submarine history books by Charles and Frank Hood. It caps off the series with another generous serving of original stories and veteran insights covering the gamut of submarine operations..

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Author Biographies

Charles Hood

Charles Hood is the medical director of the radiology department at Laurens County Hospital in Upstate South Carolina. A graduate of the University of South Carolina and Wake Forest University, he has 30 years of physician experience in the specialty of Diagnostic Radiology. For his contribution to submarine history and philanthropy, Charles was awarded the Robert Link National Commander’s Award in 2020. H... Read More

Frank Hood

Frank Hood treasures his retirement in Nashua, New Hampshire, with his wife Sharon. Before retirement, Frank operated his own Sales Strategy consulting company for 11 years, worked for Hewlett Packard in Sales, Sales Management, and International Marketing for 20 years, and was employed as an engineer by several Fortune 100 companies. Frank is active in the USSVI and recently served as Base Commander for M... Read More

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Book Highlights

Stories of Life Aboard a Submarine

Stories of life aboard a submarine – unexpected emergencies, potential deadly accidents, raw humor, the serious business of Qualifying, wild times in port, hazing, revenge, it’s all here – human and real and intensely entertaining. Read More

What Would You Do?

What would you do? Stay at your station – or abandon to survive? Read More

Early Days of the Silent Service

From the early days of the Silent Service, through WWII, to the Cold War, and the War on Terror, the stories are all true and many first hand. Read More

Ordeals, Pioneers, and Improvisers

Ordeals, Pioneers, and Improvisers. Read Firsthand accounts from the men who were there. See the photos that relate to the incidents. Story after compelling Story of ingenuity and resourcefulness. Read More

Why did they volunteer?

Why did they volunteer – knowing the dangers? What traits did they have in common? Read More

What was their day like?

What was their day like? How did they cope with the constant 24X7 demand of Zero Mistakes? Read More

What Submariners Say About Their Service?

Can you imagine living for months on end under that kind of unrelenting pressure? What Submariners Say About Their Service. Original Compiled Lists of Insights Never Before Collected or Printed. Read More

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Why You Might Like These Books

Like Action? Like Drama?Like History?

Like Action? See these stories:

• Be there when the Corporal lands a Navy helicopter with engine failure on its narrow deck, while bobbing out at sea. The copter and the crew were in peril of being lost at sea. Tense real-life moments from the men who were there. See picture below in Gallery.

• Ride the Chopper as it survives extreme angles up and down in quick order. Men being thrown about like rag dolls.

• Gasp as the Stickleback loses power, surfaces, and then gets rammed by a Destroyer Escort while on exercises.

Like Drama?:

• Be there as men interview with the irascible Vice Admiral Hyman G Rickover and how he treated everyone with disrespect and disdain, on purpose.

• Read about 3 emergency appendectomies aboard US Submarines on patrol during WWII – how were these done without proper implements?

• Read about how men survived the sinkings of their boats.

• Read about how a submarine lost its screw (propellar) at 400 feet and survived.

If you like stories of men dealing with unexpected situations and how they reacted, like George Rocek, who survived not only the sinking of his own submarine, but the Japanese carrier he was put on after his rescue at sea.

If you like all of these – and more…

You Are Sure to enjoy the Poopie Suits series of True Sub Tales. 6 books with 1 more on the way.

Like History?:

• The loss of the F-4, the first US submarine lost at sea.

• Adm Nimitz, a submariner, who ran the war in the Pacific, his background and how he was chosen to be CINCPAC, Commander in Chief, Pacific Theatre.

• The story of the Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear powered submarine and an historical message that almost wasn’t.

• Stories of 4 Presidents who rode submarines, including a German U- Boat.

• Story of the first, and only, successful rescue of men aboard a downed submarine, read about the USS Squalus (SS 192)

• Stories of how submarines were launched and sponsored.

• Stories of famous submarine skippers of WWII.

They are a great read. Many positive Reviews on Amazon. From all the Cold War Biography books available on Amazon, 4 of our books are in the Top 100.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/digital-text/10332432011/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_digital-text

• Experience how the Greenling exceeded crush depth and survived.

• Live the story as the Scamp, risking all. attempts a daring rescue of the crew of a freighter while battling huge waves in the North Sea.

• Read about the “Death Run ‘79’ where men barely survived both a major steam leak and a hurricane.

• Many, many more stories like these.

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Charitable Support from Sales of Books

As of August 2023, we have published eight books of true stories about the US Submarine Force. We have now donated $52,000 from the sales of these books to the Scholarship Fund of the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. (USSVI). These monies represented all profits from the sales of our books through May 2021.

We thank all of you who have supported our mission. Deserving young people who benefit from the scholarship funds that we have raised in conjunction with the USSVI will get a chance to raise their future, and by extension, the future of our entire country for many years to come. This would not have been possible without your support.

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Explore Our Books

SUB TALES 5

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SUB TALES 4

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SUB TALES 3

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MORE SUB TALES

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SUB TALES – STORIES THAT SELDOM SURFACE

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THE SILENT SERVICE REMEMBERS – VOLUME 3

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THE SILENT SERVICE REMEMBERS – VOLUME 2

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THE SILENT SERVICE REMEMBERS – VOLUME 1

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Reviews on Amazon & Facebook

Sub Tales 3

“Submarine sailor and brother who have done their research and know what they are talking about. Being an ex- Bubblehead I have read all 5 of their previous books and none have disappointed.”

The Silent Service Remembers – Vol 2

I devoured this book, completing it in three days. This book, the second in a series of three chronicles the experiences of submariners from World War 2 through the Cold War and beyond. The book is not an expose of classified missions, although some are alluded to, but a compilation of the experiences of individual submariners, each with his own chapter. Some chapters were written by the submariners and others are the product of interviews by the authors. Both approaches are extremely informative and provide a peak into the challenges that the submariners confronted during their Navy careers. The stories are uplifting and should make the reader appreciate the sacrifices made by this elite brotherhood of American sailors.

Poopie Suits & Cowboy Boots

Excellent read for realism and content, for great stories you can totally relate to and almost makes you want to join up, again.

Sub Tales – Stories That Seldom Surface

When “Sub Tales” was released, I looked forward to reading about some of the true stories and events that have taken place throughout the history of submarines in the American navy. The stories are the product of hours of painstaking research on the part of the authors, searching through archival news coverage, as well as first-hand accounts from submarine veterans who were actually present at the time of their occurrence, and who could offer on-the-scene perspectives that one wouldn’t get from other sources. As I have pored over each chapter, I have learned so many things I never knew – the evolution of submarines over the decades, the interesting story behind the launch of the first nuclear-powered sub, the unusual baseball game that was played at the North Pole by the crew of the USS Seadragon in the summer of 1960, and more…

Reviews by Civilians & Veterans

Sub Tales 3

“One hundred years from now someone will pick up one of your books and read about how Submarine Sailors worked hard and had fun along the way. Thank you for doing what you do.”

Sub Tales – Stories That Seldom Surface

Sub Tales is another truly fantastic book by the authors of Poopie Suits and Cowboy Boots. As I read story after story from submariners that exhibited grace and level headedness under pressure I couldn’t help but be impressed with those that volunteer their time, often thanklessly, so that the rest of us can rest securely under the blanket of freedom they help provide. This book is a paean to these warriors. We will never be able to fully appreciate the depth of sacrifice these individuals made because the very nature of their service precludes us from knowing the full measure of it. Sub Tales is deftly woven, engaging, and very much a page turner. I highly recommend it to anyone that is interested in the exploits of the extraordinary volunteers to the “silent service”.

More Sub Tales

I’ve read all of the submarine books that have been published by the Hood brothers and they are all great reads. Sub Tales and More Sub Tales in particular are riveting because they tell stories, that as noted, seldom surface. Submarines are the silent service and these are stories that give a glimpse into the world of submariners. The stories encompass all time frames from the beginning of the US Sub Service all the way through the cold war. Very entertaining and hard to put down. Highly recommended.

The Silent Service Remembers – Vol 2

This is a great book that gives you an actual account of what one of the elite branches of our military are about. The book is about submariners, a group of men (now women also) that have volunteered to serve the country aboard a vessel that is designed to sink. These are stories written by the sailors who lived the experience that most of the world will never experience. There is a wide variety. Some will make you laugh, some will bring a tear to your eye, and some will make you think, “What were they thinking???” If you want to enjoy the real life experiences of this group, get the book, you will enjoy it.