Under Pressure: Living Life and Avoiding Death on a Nuclear Submarine

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to spend time aboard a submarine then wonder no more. In this biography, Richard Humphreys gives us a no holds barred look at exactly what it entails - in addition, this was no ordinary submarine but a nuclear powered submarine carrying out deterrence patrols during the Cold War. It goes without saying that this was a very dangerous assignment considering the payload it carried, and not only were they responsible for acting as a deterrent to the Soviet Union, and had to be ready to launch nuclear missiles 24/7, but they also had to remain undetected by their Soviet counterparts.<br /><br />Over 140 men crammed into the artificially lit, claustrophobic confines of a submarine for months on end, with extremely small sleeping areas that made bunks feel like coffins....shudder - My worst nightmare! <br /><br />Humphreys certainly provides a detailed and down to earth account of how it felt to live and work in this unique environment, and he also tells of many raucous, booze fuelled nights whilst enjoying shore leave - hardly surprising really, all that pent up emotion had to be expended somehow!<br /><br />I really enjoyed reading about the training course that the author had to undergo to join this elite service, and also descriptions of life on board, and the fact that the excellent food was one of the few things that they had to look forward to, though that could mean eating a roast dinner at breakfast time! One of the things that Humphreys found really special onboard, was listening to the haunting sound of whale song. Though I found some of the details a little technical for me personally, it was still an interesting read.<br /><br />*Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *

Seeking adventure, Humphreys tried to join the French Foreign Legion, but was turned away because he was too young and couldn't get his parents' permission. When he got a little older the Navy seemed a good alternative and the submarine force, as an elite, even more attractive. This is a skeptical and clear-eyed look at the process of becoming a submariner and what it was like to live and work in a submarine.<br /><br />After some rather harrowing training, he discovered that leaving port in a submarine during rough seas (the best time to remain hidden), leads to rather extreme sea-sickness and given the fetid air the boat soon filled with everyone's previous meal. Life on board was boring, claustrophobic, all-consuming, and nerve-wracking, all at the same time. Amusingly, one of the most frequent questions asked by visitors to the boat, was "Where are the windows? How do you know where you are going?"<br /><br />Circadian rhythms get completely discombobulated with watches on a 4-on, 8-off cycle, no natural light (high intensity lights are on all the time), no sunrise or sunset and never knowing whether it's morning or night except by the clock. That leads to instability and being thrown together with people you may not like, for months at a time, becomes another source of tension.<br /><br />Humphreys finishes the book with a meditation on MAD. As he says earlier on, one misstep and its WW III that no one wins. If you have any interest at all in what it's like to be an ordinary seaman on a nuclear sub, then this is the book for you. Expect some claustrophobia.

<b>A vivid no holds barred account of life on a Polaris nuclear sub during the Cold War.</b><br /><br />The author joined the submarine service in 1985 and went on to serve aboard the UK nuclear deterrent for five years at the end of the Cold War. <br /><br />He describes the claustrophobia, disorientation and prolonged periods of boredom, as well as periods of high tension with possible discovery by the Soviets and the regular rehearsals for Armageddon. <br /><br />There are vivid descriptions of his first days aboard, learning the ropes to get the sought after “Dolphins” submariner qualification, plus the impact of sharing a 430ft x 33ft steel tube, 300ft underwater, for up to 90 days at a time with 140 other sweaty bodies.<br /><br />This is raw and candid, account, that won’t be for everyone’s taste, but it really does help you understand why it’s a rare breed who can live, work, sleep, eat – and stay sane – in one of the most extreme man-made environments on the planet.<br /><br />A must for your submarine shelf.<br />

Flying as a method of transport is not the most thrilling way of moving around the world. You are stuck in a metal tube, but not for long and you do get to look out the window. The thought of being cooped up in a black metal tube, an unspecified depth under the sea for months at a time has no appeal at all.<br /><br />But this is what the elite submariners do day in, day out in the oceans of the world for us. They have a fixed day, not one clue where they are and have no personal space and bugger all privacy. They are crammed into a 430ft x 33ft steel tube with 140 other smelly sweaty bodies and need to be able to work under pressure constantly. If that isn’t enough, there are nuclear weapons on board and it is powered by a reactor…<br /><br />Richard Humphrey’s joined when he was 18 and served at the end of the 1980s. It was this time when no one knew if the cold war would suddenly go hot. The threat of being discovered by the Soviets was a real and the thought would chill his bones regularly.<br /><br />My father was in the Navy and joined at the age of 15. When I was younger he tried to persuade me to sign up too, but it had no appeal at all. He never went into submarines, staying above the waves for a number of years. Having read this I think that I made the correct decision. In Under Pressure, Humphrey’s account of his time spent deep in the Atlantic Ocean has a lot to commend it. To begin with, you don’t have to go down in one of those boats and he gives a fairly decent account of life under the waves.<br /><br />The balance of detail and atmosphere is about right too, I guess a certain amount has been withheld from the narrative as these are part of our nuclear security, but he is an entertaining writer. He is honest too, telling what he liked about this career and the part of navy life that he detested. There were even certain parts that made me laugh. If you have ever considered the submarine service, or want confirmation that this is never going to be for you, then you should read this.

This book was quite interesting to a point. I read this after attempting to read another submarine book which was full of typos (I gave up reading that after chapter one). On the plus side, Humphreys can string a sentence together and he has accurately described the inside of a sub. Unfortunately there are no funny anecdotes other than someone inadvertently swearing at Maggie Thatcher through a hatch. There are no war stories or mishaps, and no real engagement with the author’s sub buddies. All I really got from this book was that I’m pleased I didn’t choose a career as a submariner but respect those that can put up with 3 months under the sea in a tin can, breathing recycled air, and when they’ve returned, they have no clue where they’ve been! Join the navy, see the world, unless you join the silent service.

3.5/5, rounded up to 4<br /><br />It was a great read, but a little too repetitive at times, which is why it was 3.5 instead of four, but still, so fascinating and unique. It’s not every day someone shared their experiences of working on a submarine and I thought the author did a great job with explaining terms and painting a picture for us all of his experiences.<br /><br />Definitely had a few chuckles while reading this. Just thought it could be repetitive at times. <br /><br />Thank you to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Brits make the best military biography authors. The book is written with down-to-earth attitude and a complete lack of jingoism. There's no war stories here, instead a detailed description what it is like when you spend 3 months under the sea in a metal tube with a hundred other men.

The son of working-class British parents, Humphreys was bright enough to win a scholarship, but the experience of an English public school convinced him that a life of adventure trumped education. After an unsuccessful attempt at professional soccer and rejection from the French Foreign Legion at age 17, he joined the Royal Navy in 1985. Britain’s fleets no longer ruled the sea, but the country did possess four Polaris missile–firing nuclear submarines. Before beginning five years of service, Humphreys experienced basic training, which “is pretty consistent across the armed forces,” involving ceremony, interminable drills, draconian inspections, and staff dedicated “to making your life a misery.” Being fit and a veteran of public school bullying, he made it through mostly unscathed, and he delivers much wry commentary. Moving on, Humphreys delivers a vivid description of a profession that requires technical skill, obsessive multitasking (men routinely perform several jobs), and absolute absence of claustrophobia: He explains the unique experience of living in cramped quarters with 143 men breathing the same stale air during three month patrols away from sunlight and family. To avoid detection, missile submarines never “transmit sonically.” The author reminds readers that the Cold War hadn’t yet ended, and no one doubted that an order to fire missiles meant Armageddon. For the most part, readers will enjoy an expert account of nuclear submarine technology, operation, command structure, and culture. Regarding the last, the author describes how smoking was permitted, as was drinking to excess—although that was curbed after an intoxicated sailor murdered his captain in 2011. The humor often centers on bad smells and the overworked toilets.

Humphreys has written an engaging take about daily life on a British SSBN during the waning days of the Cold War. This is very much a book about the quotidian matters of life in a tin can below the waves with another 140-odd other men, and thus he discusses food, hygiene, privacy, boredom, etc.<br /><br />I wanted to give this book a higher rating, but it has two problems. The first is that it has to compete with Hennessey and Jinks' <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/27384611.The_Silent_Deep_The_Royal_Navy_Submarine_Service_Since_1945" title="The Silent Deep The Royal Navy Submarine Service Since 1945 by Peter Hennessy" rel="noopener">The Silent Deep: The Royal Navy Submarine Service Since 1945</a>, which covers nearly everything that Humphreys does is a less personal but more comprehensive fashion. The second problem that I have is that it feels at times like Humphreys is self-censoring - he clearly has a lot of thoughts of nuclear deterrent, human behaviour in a confined, stressful environment, and politics, but he leaves these at the door. He alludes occasionally to how his views changed over the years but it's rarely clear why. In short, the view of submarine life is excellent, but I do wish that the author had been a little autobiographical.

*I received this free of charge in exchange for an honest review*<br /><br />This is a great pick! It's a non-fiction about the author's time as a submariner on a nuclear submarine during the Cold War. It's very readable and so informative. It's an enjoyable read and written really accessibly.<br /><br />It's not for the faint-hearted though as there are graphic mentions of sex and bodily substances of all kinds. There is also a lot of bad language.<br /><br />But if that isn't a problem for you, then dive in! I am not the biggest non-fiction reader, so I am picky. The one thing I want most out of my non-fiction is readability, and Under Pressure has this in spades. I highly recommend it, especially for reluctant non-fiction readers, like me.