Publication date UK format 3/1/23 book 373 pages
I would like to thank the author, publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to pick this to read and review. all my reviews are honest.
Synopsis
"In 1974, a mining vessel, the Hughes Glomar Explorer (ostensibly owned by eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes), descended to the floor of the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. Its purpose was not, as was publicly recorded, to tap into natural manganese deposits, but rather to recover a sunken Soviet nuclear submarine that had mysteriously disappeared six years earlier. The secrets and intelligence onboard that submarine could, the CIA hoped, win them the underwater Cold War. In Neither Confirm Nor Deny, historian Todd Bennett recounts the logistics, drama, and media fallout of the most daring and expensive Cold War intelligence operation that the CIA carried out. When the Glomar's claw accidentally broke the submarine in half, and when burglars stole documents from the Hughes mansion in Los Angeles and ransomed them to the CIA for $1 million dollars, CIA director William Colby embarked on a media campaign to silence or counter investigative reports that threatened to expose the $350 million boondoggle. What followed would change the relationship between the Fourth Estate and the U.S. intelligence community and disrupt the balance of security and transparency for decades to come, coining in the process what would become known as the Glomar response: "The CIA can neither confirm nor deny....""--
My Review
This was a very interesting read. From the very start, I was intrigued and engrossed. I had never heard about this before, so I just had to read it as I just knew I would learn a lot. I just couldn't believe how much America was willing to spend on this mission. Also, not knowing how much intelligence they would gain from a cold war Russian submarine. You could tell that this book was well researched. It made for some shocking revelations. This book flowed so well, so it was easy to read and take in. It took me around a day and a half to finish, but there was never a dull moment. I learnt so much from reading it and was shocked that the Russians never fought back. It was brilliant learning about how they managed to build this ship and keep it secret. It was fascinating how they used a billionaire to hide it all. Then, when he relationship broke down with a manager, how much chaos decended. Leading to interesting court cases. Robberies of important paperwork eek so much conspiracy and controversy. I loved it all. I really do recommend reading this if you are interested in learning about what was once very secret files.
So much praise goes out to the author and publishers for bringing us this fascinating intricate case. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this fantastic author.
Where you can buy this book
Amazon US K 16.19, PB $26.00
Waterstones PB £25.00
Google Books EB £18.79
B&N PB $30.00, EB $22.49
Amazon UK K £17.14, PB £24.53
All prices are subject to change at any time. Please remember to review all books you finish reading so others can find these amazing books. All reviews help just remember not to tell people what the book is about as everyone has already read the synopsis. Just include what you liked and felt when reading the book.
HAPPY READING