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Argonaut The Submarine Legacy of Simon Lake by John J. Poluhowich |
From the inspired fiction of Jules Verne to the dark menace of the Cold War, submarines have captivated the imaginations of millions for more than a century. Many inventors have been credited for the submarine, but one significant figure has been seriously overlooked. Without the efforts of Simon Lake, underwater navigation would be quite different from what it is today. Argonaut illustrates Lake's creativity and passion.
Lake was the classic American inventor, whose rival, John Holland, reaped most of history's praise for submarine design. However, it was Lake who in 1894, at the age of twenty-seven, launched the first practical submarine in the rivers of New Jersey. In 1898, his steel vessel the Argonaut completed a thousand-mile trek up the Atlantic coast.
Questionable governmental trials resulted in the awarding of navy contracts to Lake's rival, the Holland Torpedo Boat Company, prompting Lake to build submarines for Russia and Austria. The United States did not request Lake's service until 1908 and did not recognize his contributions to underwater navigation until after his death in 1945.
John J. Poluhowich has prepared the most complete biography of Lake to date, devoting chapters to Lake's early fascination with underwater navigation, his struggles with design, and his disappointment in the government. Argonaut presents Lake as an unsung hero worthy of praise and appreciation from the modern scientific community.
Argonaut is ideal for the general reader, students of history and sea exploration, and anyone inspired by Lake's perseverance and spirit of imagination.
JOHN J. POLUHOWICH is a professor of biology at West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas. He has written numerous articles dealing with such topics as submarine history, backpacking, woodcarving, cooking, and natural history.
Number Four: West Texas A&M University Series
Argonaut
ISBN 0-89096-894-2
$24.95
LC 99-14479. 6 1/8x9 1/4. 192 pp. 30 b&w photos. 11 line drawings. Bib. Index.
Military History. Naval History.
Publication Date: November 1999.
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