AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

Thunder Below is now in Paperback


One of my favorite non-fiction submarine books, Thunder Below by Ret. Adm. Eugene Fluckey, is now out in paperback. Adm. Fluckey commanded the submarine U.S.S. Barb in the Pacific in World War II. His submarine got in theater relatively late in the war, so he wasn't one of the highest-scoring skippers, but he was one of the most colorful. I think his crew was the only one to paint a train as a victory mark on the sub. Barb destroyed a bridge as the train was going over it.

As far as I know, Adm. Fluckey is still alive and in his early nineties now. This book has been in "development hell" for Stephen Spielberg at Dreamworks pictures for a number of years now. I hope it eventually makes its way out.

Amazon.com: Books: Thunder Below!: The Uss Barb Revolutionizes Submarine Warfare in World War II

Special Edition Saving Private Ryan DVD
In separate Sielberg news, I hear that there will be a special edition "60th anniversary of D-DAY" DVD of "Saving Private Ryan" released any day now. I loved the movie, but I thought they kind of "cheaped out" in using P-51s as the "tank buster" aircraft. This was out of character with the over-all attention to detail and historical accuracy. It would have been better to use P-47s or British Typhoons. I understand that flying P-51s are common, but P-47s and Typhoons are hard to come by. Nevertheless, CGI Ju-87 Stukas were used convincingly in Enemy at the Gates which was made shortly after Saving Private Ryan and at a much lower budget., so it seems to me that adding some CGI P-47s would be in keeping with preserving the legacy of the movie.