The Taking of K-129: How the CIA Used Howard Hughes to Steal a Russian Sub in the Most Daring Covert Operation in History

Multi-layered detail and expertly researched. Every minor event is captured and woven into the deeper story, every character set out and expanded upon making this a finely crafted masterpiece of a genre often hampered with entry level guff and speculation. There is a particular talent in the expansion of so many historic and generally secretive personnel and achieving an ensemble cast that meshes and moulds as the whole thing is brought together. Impossible to describe how good this was.

The book was good, but the documentary on TV that came by coincidence a couple of days after reading this book gave the book more meaning.

A terrific book that you'd never believe was true but it is. Well written.

Once picked up difficult to put down. Especially if Ex.Navy.

As the Cold War slides away deeper and deeper into history, ever more interesting stories from this time emerge. The story of the American operation to secretly impound a Russian submarine, sunk in an accident, from the Pacific sea bottom North of Hawaii (some 4000 m deep...) surely belongs to the more spectacular ones.The submarine in question was the prosaically named K-129, a Diesel-Electric ''Golf' class sub that was outdated even when it sank in the late 1960s - and yet, it carried 3 ballistic missiles whose secrets seemed to justify a tremendous expenditure of manpower, ingenuity and cost on the seemingly impossible - and highly secretive - salvage operation. An operation that required the development of entirely new technology, that culminated in the construction of a unique ship called 'Glomar Explorer' - allegedly a deep ocean mining ship owned by the eccentric Howard Hughes.This is a superbly well written book. The author has managed to weave various attractive strands into the story, such as the development of the U-2 and Blackbird ultra-fast spy planes (by the same CIA leadership that later ran the program to snatch K-129), to pick just one example. Whether the whole effort was really worth it can be disputed; what is abundantly clear is that the sheer energy, commitment, innovativeness and competence behind the salvage of K-129 clearly pointed to which side would eventually have to come on top in this odd conflict that thankfully stopped before it ever turned 'hot'.

Boring..... Long winded..... and there.....

I just finished The Taking of K-129. I can't believe how riveting it was. I couldn't wait to read it. (only had a couple of hrs a night to enjoy it) I felt the CIA did a terrific thing with this project. I wish the government had of kept the ship and used it to bring up some of the U.S. subs. Finally kudos to Mr Dean!

Excellent book

You may have heard a brief overview of this story: How the CIA used the cover of an eccentric billionaire to pull off one of the most massive covert operations in the Cold War. Its been recounted and featured a few times in various mediums. But you will not find a more detailed, thorough, and riveting account of this spy-saga. This book is not a bland chronology of events, but a lively and engaging, tale of real-life spies, brilliant engineers, government subterfuge, and audacious (but true) schemes that result in pushing the boundaries of known technology and the delicate international balance between rival superpowers.The book's narrative style guides the reader through the knotted history starting with the origins of Cold War intelligence gathering through to this brazen retrieval of a Soviet sub some three miles under the ocean surface. While it reads like a nearly hard-to-believe spy novel, the book sacrifices no detail or apparent embellishment in its framing of all the characters and main players in the story. From covert operations and political maneuvering, to the extraordinary science and engineering needed to complete this enterprise, the book glides from one real life character to the next and their parts in a series of passed notes, secret offices, and encoded messages in a world before cyber attacks or cell phone hacking.The wealth of detail--on both the technical and conspiratorial sides--will engage readers interested in the science of pushing the limits of human know-how to those who love a great tale of espionage and risk taking. This is a must read for anyone who delights in a true story that is almost too much to believe . . . but really occured.

The story of all that went into the CIA’s effort to raise a sunken Russian submarine from over 16,000 feet down is truly monumental. Its a testament to engineering, American can do attitude, and audacity. This book tells the story well while revealing little known insights into the events that transpired. The author also covers the story from different angles, such as that of the Russian response decades on, and a section devoted to the involvement of Howard Hughes. A unique story that makes for a fascinating read for any student of Cold War history.

This is a very interesting read, and all the more so because its fact not fiction. I read it in record time, and my son then read it in two days!