Scorpion Down: Sunk by the Soviets, Buried by the Pentagon; The Untold Story of the USS Scorpion

Offley's superb research and Ferrone's excellent audio rendering of it give listeners a rare and frightening insight into a long-forgotten Cold War incident. The USS Scorpion , a 99-man fast-attack submarine, sank in 1968, at a point when the Soviet navy was becoming more aggressive. The U.S. Navy's court of inquiry decided that the Scorpion was sunk by its own hot-running torpedo, not an enemy vessel. But Offley's research supports his theory that the Soviets sank the sub. As tense as this sounds, the riveting story gains even more power and excitement thanks to Ferrone's clean, spare reading. He keeps up his cool, steady pace for 15 hours and gives each character a definite flavor. In the end, if Offley is the star of the book, the main reason for investing in the excellent audio version is Richard Ferrone. Simultaneous release with the Perseus hardcover. (May)