Nautilus to Columbia: 70 years of the US Navy’s Nuclear Submarines

Price: EUR61.01 - EUR 28.74
(as of Mar 16, 2026 22:10:11 UTC – Details)

A highly illustrated history of the US Navy’s nuclear submarine program, from the postwar years to the 2020 Columbia-class SSBNs.
James C. Goodall covers the origins, design and development of the US Navy’s fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. This program was developed under the command of Hiram G. Rickover, the “Father of the Nuclear Navy” who oversaw the commissioning of the very first nuclear-powered attack submarine, the USS Nautilus (SSN 571) in 1952. This was a truly revolutionary design. Until the advent of nuclear power, the world’s submarine fleets traveled on the surface at night to charge their batteries, and only dove below the surface when enemy ships or planes were spotted. With the development of the USS Nautilus, the US Navy now had the ability to stay submerged for not just hours or days, but to hide out of harm’s way for weeks or months at a time
This highly illustrated book covers all of the 220+ submarine hulls built and delivered to the US Navy from the USS Nautilus through to the Navy’s newest class of submarine, the Columbia class SSBNs. The story of the Nuclear Navy from its origins up to the present day is told through more than 1,300 images from official and archive sources, as well as the author’s own personal collection, some of which have never been published before.

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Publisher ‏ : ‎ Osprey Publishing
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 21, 2023
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1472856503
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1472856500
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.75 x 1.2 x 12.5 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #134,450 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #6 in Submarines (Books) #57 in Nuclear Weapons & Warfare History (Books) #236 in Naval Military History
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