The first submarines to be commissioned by the British Admiralty were five 'Holland' class boats in 1900. Arriving in 1901, they heralded a new age of naval warfare. However, due to naval rivalries and hierarchies and an institutional misinterpretation of sumarine tactic and strategy, the British submarine service took a long time to grow. The First World War saw German success with U-Boat warfare but the British response was more inventive than effective - it included feasibility studies into the employment of sea lions and gulls to defeat the underwater menace. Full realisation of the submarine's fighting capabilities did not come until the Second World War. The advent of sonar, radar and the application of air power changed both the tools and tactics of war. In the post-war period submarines went 'nuclear' and played a pivotal role in the stratagems of the Cold War.

This knowledgeable and passionate account of submarine history is complimented by nearly 200 illustrations, from the crude beginnings to the highly technological present, and will appeal to those interested in the tactics and politics of war as well as those with a specialist interest in the submarine.