"Tony Matthews has written extensively on military and espionage history with more than thirty works to his name. His experience and knowledge are clear to all, manifest in this deeply researched work in which he catalogues in great detail four maritime disasters in WW2."
Martin Willoughby, The Wessex Branch of the Western Front Association

This second edition of a book first published in 1982 is a basic reference book on the subject of Royal Navy (RN) submarines from the inception of the technology to the present. It is high level in that it covers the essentials of the designs over the past century, without getting into every detail associated with modifications or refinements within basic classes. Cocker presents (generally) a two-page summary of each class of boats operated by the RN, starting with the Holland design of 1901. Accounts for each class generally include a line diagram of the design, a table of specifications and performance metrics, and a number of notes that vary in detail based on need. Photographs and a list of the losses of each class rounds out the information provided. Notwithstanding some of the reservations noted, the book is a helpful guide to the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet over the past 120 years and will provide a quick reference for anyone needing to know the particulars of a given class... Read more
The Northern Mariner, Winter 2021

"For, with ample detail on the evolution of a reborn German submarine industry in the 1930s and a scattering of new insights in niche areas, it is a worthy purchase at the retail price of £25."
Duncan Connors, University of Winchester - The Mariner's Mirror, February 2022

As featured in
The Bookseller

If you want to find out anything about every aspect of post war RN submarine design, engineering, weapons, the art of passive sonar detection, and even Cold War scenarios for midget submarine operations, this is the book. The hallmark of any Norman Friedman book is the exhaustive research involved and the high quality of accompanying photos and diagrams. This book is a brilliant example of his craft, in a word, masterly.
Peter Wykeham-Martin, Warship World