Captivating (but Unspectacular) Cold-War Drama

The official conclusion from the Navy for why the USS Scorpion sank in 1968 remains "undetermined". Most theories conclude something catastrophic involving torpedoes, batteries, or other onboard systems. Kenneth Sewell and Jerome Preisler conclude otherwise - suggesting an intentional warshot by the Soviets in the atmosphere of North Korea's capture of the USS Pueblo, the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, and the loss of their own missile sub K-129. The authors point to mysterious time inconsistencies and continued refusals to release "classified" mission orders from the time of the incident to suggest an attack was contrived and the US Navy accepted the loss of 99 men & covered it up.
It's an interesting theory, worth consideration - but presented in a fairly confusing "scattergun" manner. The authors present all of the necessary data but do a relatively poor job weaving it together (If you're genuinely interested in the premise, Ed Offley's 'Scorpion Down' does a better job describing a Soviet tit-for-tat trade-off theory). Regardless, it's an interesting read - with slightly subpar execution.

The narration from Malcolm Hillgartner is similarly solidly "adequate" The production values are acceptable and Hillgartner's diction, cadence, timbre, and tone are professional - but neither are anything special. The recording neither adds nor detracts from the overall quality of the book.

Taken altogether, 'All Hands Down' rates 7.5 stars out of 10. It is appropriately offered as part of the 'Plus' initiative: worth a listen if you can get it as part of your subscription.. but not worth a Credit.

[NOTE: The second-by-second description of the hypothetical death of the submarine in the final chapter is *Incredible* - coming close to making the book worth a download on it's own]

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