Slingshot
The Starchild Series, Book 1
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $24.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Trenton Bennett
About this listen
Slingshot is a love story - about a man, a woman, another man, another woman, some gender bending...and a machine, the largest ever built.
Slingshot is a mystery - about a missing aviatrix, a conspiracy, a true-believer. Slingshot is an adventure - about following a dream, the ocean-deep, outer space. Slingshot is about constructing the first space launch-loop, stretching 2,000 km between Baker and Jarvis Islands in the Equatorial Pacific. It's about high finance, intrigue, unlimited ambition, heroism, fanaticism, betrayal...and about opening space to the common person.
With a cast of 69, Slingshot takes you from Seattle's world financial district, to the ocean bottom at 5,000 meters off Baker Island, to the edge of space 80 km above. You play with dolphins and battle sharks. You fly and sail and dive, you work and play and love across the vast panorama of an equatorial Pacific being put to leash to serve humanity's surge into outer space.
While its accurate science and precise engineering will appeal to hard science fiction buffs, Slingshot's major focus is the grand journey, the opening of outer space to the common person by men and women who loom larger than life as they work, play, and love.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2015 Robert G Williscroft (P)2016 Robert G WilliscroftListeners also enjoyed...
-
Operation Ivy Bells
- By: Robert G. Williscroft
- Narrated by: Mark Budwill
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Blending personal experience and real-world events in a fictional wrapping, Operation Ivy Bells offers a never-before-seen glimpse of these heroic men fearlessly facing death to gather the intel that tipped the scales to win the Cold War.
-
-
I hated that this story had to end
- By Midwestbonsai on 10-05-15
-
Trivia and Fun Facts About Space
- Fun and Entertaining Facts About Space, Astronauts, and NASA for Both Adults and Kids
- By: Stanley Burrows
- Narrated by: Andrew Hansen
- Length: 1 hr and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With such a vast universe, there is so much we have learned and much more that we will one day discover. In this book, you will discover new fun facts about space, astronauts, and NASA. You will have the opportunity to test your knowledge with multiple-choice questions.
-
-
A Journey Through Space!
- By casey on 03-24-23
By: Stanley Burrows
-
The Perfect Storm
- A True Story of Men Against the Sea
- By: Sebastian Junger
- Narrated by: Richard Davidson
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Man’s struggle against the sea is a theme that has created some of the world’s most exciting stories. Now, in the tradition of Moby Dick comes a New York Times best seller destined to become a modern classic. Written by journalist Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm combines an intimate portrait of a small fishing crew with fascinating scientific data about boats and weather systems.
-
-
Best as a Listen
- By Cynthia on 01-28-15
By: Sebastian Junger
-
Atomic Accidents
- A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters; From the Ozark Mountains to Fukushima
- By: James Mahaffey
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the moment radiation was discovered in the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative scientific exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters.
-
-
A NUCLEAR POINT OF VIEW
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 01-05-15
By: James Mahaffey
-
How To
- Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems
- By: Randall Munroe
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For any task you might want to do, there's a right way, a wrong way, and a way so monumentally complex, excessive, and inadvisable that no one would ever try it. How To is a guide to the third kind of approach. It's full of highly impractical advice for everything from landing a plane to digging a hole.
-
-
Bad Ideas So BAD They Are NEARLY Irresistable! 🤓
- By C. White on 09-03-19
By: Randall Munroe
-
Atlantic
- Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms,and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories
- By: Simon Winchester
- Narrated by: Simon Winchester
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Atlantic is a biography of a tremendous space that has been central to the ambitions of explorers, scientists, and warriors, and continues profoundly to affect our character, attitudes, and dreams. Spanning the ocean's story, from its geological origins to the age of exploration, from World War II battles to today's struggles with pollution and overfishing, Winchester's narrative is epic, intimate, and awe inspiring.
-
-
Starts Better Than it Finishes
- By Ray on 12-18-10
By: Simon Winchester
-
Operation Ivy Bells
- By: Robert G. Williscroft
- Narrated by: Mark Budwill
- Length: 12 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Blending personal experience and real-world events in a fictional wrapping, Operation Ivy Bells offers a never-before-seen glimpse of these heroic men fearlessly facing death to gather the intel that tipped the scales to win the Cold War.
-
-
I hated that this story had to end
- By Midwestbonsai on 10-05-15
-
Trivia and Fun Facts About Space
- Fun and Entertaining Facts About Space, Astronauts, and NASA for Both Adults and Kids
- By: Stanley Burrows
- Narrated by: Andrew Hansen
- Length: 1 hr and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With such a vast universe, there is so much we have learned and much more that we will one day discover. In this book, you will discover new fun facts about space, astronauts, and NASA. You will have the opportunity to test your knowledge with multiple-choice questions.
-
-
A Journey Through Space!
- By casey on 03-24-23
By: Stanley Burrows
-
The Perfect Storm
- A True Story of Men Against the Sea
- By: Sebastian Junger
- Narrated by: Richard Davidson
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Man’s struggle against the sea is a theme that has created some of the world’s most exciting stories. Now, in the tradition of Moby Dick comes a New York Times best seller destined to become a modern classic. Written by journalist Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm combines an intimate portrait of a small fishing crew with fascinating scientific data about boats and weather systems.
-
-
Best as a Listen
- By Cynthia on 01-28-15
By: Sebastian Junger
-
Atomic Accidents
- A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters; From the Ozark Mountains to Fukushima
- By: James Mahaffey
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the moment radiation was discovered in the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative scientific exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters.
-
-
A NUCLEAR POINT OF VIEW
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 01-05-15
By: James Mahaffey
-
How To
- Absurd Scientific Advice for Common Real-World Problems
- By: Randall Munroe
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For any task you might want to do, there's a right way, a wrong way, and a way so monumentally complex, excessive, and inadvisable that no one would ever try it. How To is a guide to the third kind of approach. It's full of highly impractical advice for everything from landing a plane to digging a hole.
-
-
Bad Ideas So BAD They Are NEARLY Irresistable! 🤓
- By C. White on 09-03-19
By: Randall Munroe
-
Atlantic
- Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms,and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories
- By: Simon Winchester
- Narrated by: Simon Winchester
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Atlantic is a biography of a tremendous space that has been central to the ambitions of explorers, scientists, and warriors, and continues profoundly to affect our character, attitudes, and dreams. Spanning the ocean's story, from its geological origins to the age of exploration, from World War II battles to today's struggles with pollution and overfishing, Winchester's narrative is epic, intimate, and awe inspiring.
-
-
Starts Better Than it Finishes
- By Ray on 12-18-10
By: Simon Winchester
-
The Ice Diaries
- The Untold Story of the USS Nautilus and the Cold War’s Most Daring Mission
- By: Captain William R. Anderson, Don Keith - contributor
- Narrated by: Roger Mueller
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Ice Diaries tells the incredible true story of Captain William R. Anderson and his crew's harrowing top-secret mission aboard the USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine. Bristling with newly classified, never-before-published information, The Ice Diaries takes listeners on a dangerous journey beneath the vast, unexplored Arctic ice cap during the height of the Cold War.
-
-
a great book about brave men
- By TDL Martin on 02-05-20
By: Captain William R. Anderson, and others
-
Sailing a Serious Ocean
- Sailboats, Storms, Stories and Lessons Learned from 30 Years at Sea
- By: John Kretschmer
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After sailing 300,000 miles and weathering dozens of storms in all the world's oceans, John Kretschmer has plenty of stories and advice to share. John's offshore training passages sell out a year in advance, and his entertaining presentations are popular at boat shows and yacht clubs all over the English-speaking world. John's talent for storytelling enchants his audience as it soaks up the lessons he learned during his often challenging voyages. Now you can take a seat next to John - at a lesser cost - and get the knowledge you need to fulfill your own dream of blue-water adventure.
-
-
Fantastic book on ocean sailing
- By Aleksander Styrvold Kristoffersen on 05-09-19
By: John Kretschmer
-
Sealab
- America's Forgotten Quest to Live and Work on the Ocean Floor
- By: Ben Hellwarth
- Narrated by: Christa Lewis
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sealab is the underwater Right Stuff: the compelling story of how a U.S. Navy program sought to develop the marine equivalent of the space station - and forever changed man's relationship to the sea. While NASA was trying to put a man on the moon, the U.S. Navy launched a series of daring experiments to prove that divers could live and work from a sea-floor base.
-
-
An excellent story of adventure and discovery.
- By R. Smith on 08-11-15
By: Ben Hellwarth
-
Philosophy of Sailing: Offshore in Search of the Universe
- By: Christian Williams
- Narrated by: Christian Williams
- Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Veteran sailor and writer Christian Williams invites us along once again on a 5,000-mile voyage of discovery around the North Pacific. Equipped with a new boat, a well-stocked toolbox, and the entire history of philosophic thought, he takes us as crew through squalls and calms deep into a laboratory of the universe that exists only out of sight of land. Funny, erudite, and at times deeply personal, Philosophy of Sailing explores who we are and how encounters with the unknown can be a path to revelation and joy.
-
-
...AKA, an exercise in patience
- By dubbelOHnegative on 04-07-19
-
Storm in a Teacup
- The Physics of Everyday Life
- By: Helen Czerski
- Narrated by: Chloe Massey
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Storm in a Teacup, Helen Czerski provides the tools to alter the way we see everything around us by linking ordinary objects and occurrences, like popcorn popping, coffee stains, and fridge magnets, to big ideas like climate change, the energy crisis, and innovative medical testing.
-
-
Everyday Physics Thoroughly Explained
- By Amazon Customer on 01-19-17
By: Helen Czerski
-
Coming Back Alive
- The True Story of the Most Harrowing Search and Rescue Mission Ever Attempted on Alaska's High Seas
- By: Spike Walker
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the fishing vessel La Conte sinks suddenly at night in 100-mile-per-hour winds and record 90-foot seas during a savage storm in January 1998, her five crewmen are left to drift without a life raft in the freezing Alaskan waters and survive as best they can. One hundred fifty miles away, in Sitka, Alaska, an H-60 Jayhawk helicopter lifts off from America's most remote Coast Guard base in the hopes of tracking down an anonymous Mayday signal. A fisherman's worst nightmare has become a Coast Guard crew's desperate mission.
-
-
Outstanding Story and Performance
- By Stephen Bowlby on 05-22-18
By: Spike Walker
-
The Sea Around Us
- By: Rachel Carson
- Narrated by: Kaiulani Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Published in 1951, The Sea Around Us is one of the most remarkably successful books ever written about the natural world. This classic work remains as fresh today as when it first appeared. Carson's writing teems with stunning, memorable images - the newly formed Earth cooling beneath an endlessly overcast sky, the centuries of nonstop rain that created the oceans, giant squids battling sperm whales hundreds of fathoms below the surface, and incredibly powerful tides moving 100 billion tons of water daily in the Bay of Fundy.
-
-
A Historiographical Gem
- By Reggie on 03-10-19
By: Rachel Carson
-
Voyage of the Devilfish
- By: Michael DiMercurio
- Narrated by: Gene Engene
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A confrontation of nuclear submarines just 200 miles off the American coast is the scenario of this riveting novel by a former U.S. Navy submarine officer. At the center of the deadly conflict are two men on a mission: one wants to find his father's killer, while the other wants to destroy Glasnost and provoke a war. The ensuing underwater chases and battles build to a stunning showdown.
-
-
Unbelievable!!!
- By Allan on 05-31-17
-
Into the Storm
- Two Ships, a Deadly Hurricane, and an Epic Battle for Survival
- By: Tristram Korten
- Narrated by: Dan Woren
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In late September 2015, Hurricane Joaquin swept past the Bahamas and swallowed a pair of cargo vessels in its destructive path: El Faro, a 790-foot American behemoth with a crew of 33, and the Minouche, a 230-foot freighter with a dozen sailors aboard. From the parallel stories of these ships and their final journeys, Tristram Korten weaves a remarkable tale of two veteran sea captains from very different worlds, the harrowing ordeals of their desperate crews, and the Coast Guard’s extraordinary battle against a storm that defied prediction.
-
-
Just average
- By Rickmeister on 03-13-20
By: Tristram Korten
-
Queen of the Lakes (Great Lakes Books Series)
- By: Mark L. Thompson
- Narrated by: Bill Nevitt
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book is an account of ships that have borne the name Queen of the Lakes, an honorary title indicating that, at the time of its launching, a ship is the longest on the Great Lakes. In one of the most comprehensive books ever written on the maritime history of the lakes, Mark Thompson presents a vignette of each of the dozens of ships that have held the title, chronicling the dates the ship sailed, its dimensions, the derivation of its name, its role in the economic development of the region, and its sailing history.
-
-
Another masterful job by Mark Thompson
- By Dave T. on 07-05-23
By: Mark L. Thompson
-
In Oceans Deep
- Courage, Innovation, and Adventure Beneath the Waves
- By: Bill Streever
- Narrated by: Jay Snyder
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In an age of unprecedented exploration and innovation, our oceans remain largely unknown, and endlessly fascinating: full of mystery, danger, beauty, and inspiration. Bill Streever - a longtime deep-sea diver himself - has masterfully woven together the science and history of Earth's last remaining frontier: the sea.
-
-
Boring
- By P Dell on 01-09-20
By: Bill Streever
-
On the Edge of Survival
- A Shipwreck, a Raging Storm, and the Harrowing Alaskan Rescue That Became a Legend
- By: Spike Walker
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 6 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A Malaysian cargo ship on its way from Seattle, Washington, to China ran aground off the coast of western Alaska's Aleutian Islands on December 8, 2004, during a brutal storm, leading to one of the most incredible Coast Guard rescue missions of all time. Two Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopters lifted off immediately from Air Station Kodiak during the driving storm, in an effort to rescue the ship's 18 crew members before it broke apart and sank in the freezing waters.
-
-
An absolutely gripping true story…
- By Kent on 11-08-10
By: Spike Walker
Related to this topic
-
The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald
- Eyewitness Accounts from the US Coast Guard Hearings
- By: Michael Schumacher
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A documentary drawn from testimony at the Coast Guard’s official inquiry looks anew at one of the most storied, and mysterious, shipwrecks in American history. The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald is one of the most famous shipwreck stories in Great Lakes history. It is also one of maritime lore’s great mysteries, the details of its disappearance as obscure now as on that fateful November day in 1975.
-
-
Informative, but rather dry. Sometimes technical.
- By D. Frrazier on 08-21-21
-
Surface at the Pole
- The Extraordinary Voyages of the USS Skate
- By: James Calvert
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Under the guidance of James Calvert this nuclear submarine had navigated through polar ice packs, braved atrociously cold conditions, and broken through layers of thick ice to arrive at their destination; the northernmost point of the world. This mission, however, was not just about completing a seemingly impossibly feat of Arctic exploration. It also had huge implications for military strategy during the height of the Cold War.
-
-
Great moments in Submarine history.
- By james on 05-06-24
By: James Calvert
-
In the Waves
- My Quest to Solve the Mystery of a Civil War Submarine
- By: Rachel Lance
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the night of February 17, 1864, the tiny Confederate submarine HL Hunley made its way toward the USS Housatonic just outside Charleston harbor. Within a matter of hours, the Union ship’s stern was blown open in a spray of wood planks. The explosion sank the ship, killing many of its crew. And the submarine, the first ever to be successful in combat, disappeared without a trace. For 131 years the eight-man crew of the HL Hunley lay in their watery graves, undiscovered.
-
-
A wonderful scientific dive!
- By Stephen on 05-01-20
By: Rachel Lance
-
Queen of the Lakes (Great Lakes Books Series)
- By: Mark L. Thompson
- Narrated by: Bill Nevitt
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book is an account of ships that have borne the name Queen of the Lakes, an honorary title indicating that, at the time of its launching, a ship is the longest on the Great Lakes. In one of the most comprehensive books ever written on the maritime history of the lakes, Mark Thompson presents a vignette of each of the dozens of ships that have held the title, chronicling the dates the ship sailed, its dimensions, the derivation of its name, its role in the economic development of the region, and its sailing history.
-
-
Another masterful job by Mark Thompson
- By Dave T. on 07-05-23
By: Mark L. Thompson
-
Spies of the Deep
- The Untold Truth About the Most Terrifying Incident in Submarine Naval History and How Putin Used the Tragedy to Ignite a New Cold War
- By: W. Craig Reed
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A decade after the Cold War, a violent explosion sent the Russian submarine Kursk to the bottom of the Barents Sea. The Russians claimed an outdated torpedo caused the incident and refused help from the West while 23 survivors died before they could be rescued. When Russian naval officers revealed evidence of a collision with a US spy sub, Vladimir Putin squelched the allegations and fired the officers. In Spies of the Deep, W. Craig Reed shatters the lies told by both Russian and US officials and exposes several shocking truths.
-
-
Feeble Attempt to Frighten
- By PopGoesWeasel on 07-13-21
By: W. Craig Reed
-
Atlantic
- Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms,and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories
- By: Simon Winchester
- Narrated by: Simon Winchester
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Atlantic is a biography of a tremendous space that has been central to the ambitions of explorers, scientists, and warriors, and continues profoundly to affect our character, attitudes, and dreams. Spanning the ocean's story, from its geological origins to the age of exploration, from World War II battles to today's struggles with pollution and overfishing, Winchester's narrative is epic, intimate, and awe inspiring.
-
-
Starts Better Than it Finishes
- By Ray on 12-18-10
By: Simon Winchester
-
The Trial of the Edmund Fitzgerald
- Eyewitness Accounts from the US Coast Guard Hearings
- By: Michael Schumacher
- Narrated by: Traber Burns
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A documentary drawn from testimony at the Coast Guard’s official inquiry looks anew at one of the most storied, and mysterious, shipwrecks in American history. The sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald is one of the most famous shipwreck stories in Great Lakes history. It is also one of maritime lore’s great mysteries, the details of its disappearance as obscure now as on that fateful November day in 1975.
-
-
Informative, but rather dry. Sometimes technical.
- By D. Frrazier on 08-21-21
-
Surface at the Pole
- The Extraordinary Voyages of the USS Skate
- By: James Calvert
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Under the guidance of James Calvert this nuclear submarine had navigated through polar ice packs, braved atrociously cold conditions, and broken through layers of thick ice to arrive at their destination; the northernmost point of the world. This mission, however, was not just about completing a seemingly impossibly feat of Arctic exploration. It also had huge implications for military strategy during the height of the Cold War.
-
-
Great moments in Submarine history.
- By james on 05-06-24
By: James Calvert
-
In the Waves
- My Quest to Solve the Mystery of a Civil War Submarine
- By: Rachel Lance
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the night of February 17, 1864, the tiny Confederate submarine HL Hunley made its way toward the USS Housatonic just outside Charleston harbor. Within a matter of hours, the Union ship’s stern was blown open in a spray of wood planks. The explosion sank the ship, killing many of its crew. And the submarine, the first ever to be successful in combat, disappeared without a trace. For 131 years the eight-man crew of the HL Hunley lay in their watery graves, undiscovered.
-
-
A wonderful scientific dive!
- By Stephen on 05-01-20
By: Rachel Lance
-
Queen of the Lakes (Great Lakes Books Series)
- By: Mark L. Thompson
- Narrated by: Bill Nevitt
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book is an account of ships that have borne the name Queen of the Lakes, an honorary title indicating that, at the time of its launching, a ship is the longest on the Great Lakes. In one of the most comprehensive books ever written on the maritime history of the lakes, Mark Thompson presents a vignette of each of the dozens of ships that have held the title, chronicling the dates the ship sailed, its dimensions, the derivation of its name, its role in the economic development of the region, and its sailing history.
-
-
Another masterful job by Mark Thompson
- By Dave T. on 07-05-23
By: Mark L. Thompson
-
Spies of the Deep
- The Untold Truth About the Most Terrifying Incident in Submarine Naval History and How Putin Used the Tragedy to Ignite a New Cold War
- By: W. Craig Reed
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A decade after the Cold War, a violent explosion sent the Russian submarine Kursk to the bottom of the Barents Sea. The Russians claimed an outdated torpedo caused the incident and refused help from the West while 23 survivors died before they could be rescued. When Russian naval officers revealed evidence of a collision with a US spy sub, Vladimir Putin squelched the allegations and fired the officers. In Spies of the Deep, W. Craig Reed shatters the lies told by both Russian and US officials and exposes several shocking truths.
-
-
Feeble Attempt to Frighten
- By PopGoesWeasel on 07-13-21
By: W. Craig Reed
-
Atlantic
- Great Sea Battles, Heroic Discoveries, Titanic Storms,and a Vast Ocean of a Million Stories
- By: Simon Winchester
- Narrated by: Simon Winchester
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Atlantic is a biography of a tremendous space that has been central to the ambitions of explorers, scientists, and warriors, and continues profoundly to affect our character, attitudes, and dreams. Spanning the ocean's story, from its geological origins to the age of exploration, from World War II battles to today's struggles with pollution and overfishing, Winchester's narrative is epic, intimate, and awe inspiring.
-
-
Starts Better Than it Finishes
- By Ray on 12-18-10
By: Simon Winchester
-
Sealab
- America's Forgotten Quest to Live and Work on the Ocean Floor
- By: Ben Hellwarth
- Narrated by: Christa Lewis
- Length: 13 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sealab is the underwater Right Stuff: the compelling story of how a U.S. Navy program sought to develop the marine equivalent of the space station - and forever changed man's relationship to the sea. While NASA was trying to put a man on the moon, the U.S. Navy launched a series of daring experiments to prove that divers could live and work from a sea-floor base.
-
-
An excellent story of adventure and discovery.
- By R. Smith on 08-11-15
By: Ben Hellwarth
-
The Death of the USS Thresher
- The Story Behind History's Deadliest Submarine Disaster
- By: Norman Polmar
- Narrated by: Sean Crisden
- Length: 5 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When she first went to sea in April of 1961, the US nuclear submarine Thresher was the most advanced submarine at sea, built specifically to hunt and kill Soviet submarines. In The Death of the USS Thresher, renowned naval and intelligence consultant Norman Polmar recounts the dramatic circumstances surrounding her implosion, which killed all 129 men onboard in history's first loss of a nuclear submarine.
-
-
I REMEMBER THESE HEROES
- By JustBill on 03-31-20
By: Norman Polmar
-
Under Pressure
- The Final Voyage of Submarine S-Five
- By: A.J. Hill
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On Monday, August 30, 1920, the S-Five, the newest member of the U.S. Navy's fleet of submarines, departs Boston on her first cruise. Two days later, as part of a routine test of the submarine's ability to crash dive, her crew's failure to close a faulty valve sends 75 tons of seawater blasting in. Before the valve can be jury-rigged shut, the S-Five sits precariously on the ocean floor under 180 feet of water. They have little air, no water, and only the dimmest of light by which to plan their escape.
-
-
Riveting Tale -- Thumbs up if your a submarine fan
- By GH on 09-07-13
By: A.J. Hill
-
Graveyard of the Lakes
- Great Lakes Books Series
- By: Mark L. Thompson
- Narrated by: Scott MacDonald
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Graveyard of the Lakes, Thompson suggests that most of the accidents and deaths on the lakes have been the result of human error, ranging from simple mistakes to gross incompetence. In addition to his compelling analysis of the causes of shipwrecks, Thompson includes factual accounts of more than 100 wrecks. Graveyard of the Lakes will forever change the listener's perspective on shipwrecks.
-
-
Graveyard of the Lakes
- By Bernard Slicker on 02-11-18
By: Mark L. Thompson
-
To Rule the Waves
- How Control of the World's Oceans Determines the Fate of the Superpowers
- By: Bruce Jones
- Narrated by: Jacques Roy
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For centuries, oceans were the chessboard on which empires battled for supremacy. But in the nuclear age, air power and missile systems dominated our worries about security, and for the United States, the economy was largely driven by domestic production, with trucking and railways that crisscrossed the continent serving as the primary modes of commercial transit.
-
-
Eye opener of how the seas impact today
- By Thomas VandeVanter on 03-11-23
By: Bruce Jones
-
The Ice Diaries
- The Untold Story of the USS Nautilus and the Cold War’s Most Daring Mission
- By: Captain William R. Anderson, Don Keith - contributor
- Narrated by: Roger Mueller
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Ice Diaries tells the incredible true story of Captain William R. Anderson and his crew's harrowing top-secret mission aboard the USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine. Bristling with newly classified, never-before-published information, The Ice Diaries takes listeners on a dangerous journey beneath the vast, unexplored Arctic ice cap during the height of the Cold War.
-
-
a great book about brave men
- By TDL Martin on 02-05-20
By: Captain William R. Anderson, and others
-
Deadliest Sea
- The Untold Story Behind the Greatest Rescue in Coast Guard History
- By: Kalee Thompson
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Deadliest Sea by Kalee Thompson is the spellbinding true story of the greatest rescue in US Coast Guard history. Recounting the tragic sinking of the fishing trawler, Alaska Ranger, in the Bering Sea and its remarkable aftermath in March 2008, Deadliest Sea is real-life action and adventure at its finest. The full story of an amazing rescue - where extraordinary courage, ingenuity, will, and technology combined in one of the most remarkable maritime feats ever recorded - has never been told before now. It’s The Perfect Storm meets Deadliest Catch.
-
-
Good story line
- By Jayson on 03-31-20
By: Kalee Thompson
-
On the Bottom
- The Raising of the Submarine S-51
- By: Edward Ellsberg
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The sinking of the submarine S-51 was one of the greatest tragedies in American naval history. Due to a miscommunication and subsequent collision between the sub and a passing steamship on a September night, the S-51, including 33 of its crew of 36, sank to the ocean depths. The tragedy of the S-51 captivated the nation, and was a fixture in the pages of American newspapers. The story took on a whole new dimension when the navy decided to take over the salvage of the 1,000-ton behemoth from a civilian company.
-
-
Great book
- By Cody Davey on 04-17-20
By: Edward Ellsberg
-
Voyage of the Devilfish
- By: Michael DiMercurio
- Narrated by: Gene Engene
- Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A confrontation of nuclear submarines just 200 miles off the American coast is the scenario of this riveting novel by a former U.S. Navy submarine officer. At the center of the deadly conflict are two men on a mission: one wants to find his father's killer, while the other wants to destroy Glasnost and provoke a war. The ensuing underwater chases and battles build to a stunning showdown.
-
-
Unbelievable!!!
- By Allan on 05-31-17
-
Project Azorian
- The CIA and the Raising of the K-129
- By: Norman Polmar, Michael White
- Narrated by: James Lurie
- Length: 5 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Despite incredible political, military, and intelligence risks, and after six years of secret preparations, the CIA attempted to salvage the sunken Soviet ballistic missile submarine K-129 from the depths of the North Pacific Ocean in early August 1974. This audacious effort was carried out under the cover of an undersea mining operation sponsored by eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes.
-
-
interesting history
- By Ed on 02-10-24
By: Norman Polmar, and others
-
Atomic Accidents
- A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters; From the Ozark Mountains to Fukushima
- By: James Mahaffey
- Narrated by: Tom Weiner
- Length: 15 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the moment radiation was discovered in the late nineteenth century, nuclear science has had a rich history of innovative scientific exploration and discovery, coupled with mistakes, accidents, and downright disasters.
-
-
A NUCLEAR POINT OF VIEW
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 01-05-15
By: James Mahaffey
-
Deep Descent
- Adventure and Death Diving the Andrea Doria
- By: Kevin F. McMurray
- Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On a foggy July evening in 1956, the Italian cruise liner Andrea Doria, bound for New York, was struck broadside by another vessel. In eleven hours, she would sink nearly 250 feet to the murky Atlantic Ocean floor. Thanks to a daring rescue operation, only 51 of more than 1,700 people died in the tragedy. But the Andrea Doria is still taking lives. Considered the Mt. Everest of diving, the Andrea Doria is the ultimate deepwater wreck challenge.
-
-
A must read for every deep diver
- By DocYinYang on 10-20-19
What listeners say about Slingshot
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Emily
- 06-08-17
Spectacular
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
This had such a cool concept! Let's make space travel affordable for everybody! And it did not disappoint. It was incredibly detailed, but not boring, and everybody who was involved in creating the launch loop was brought in. It felt pretty awesome because most authors tend to ignore the backstage / behind the scenes people, so it felt refreshing to read / listen to that. Williscroft had written a truly amazing book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nomi
- 03-21-17
Enjoyable
The story felt clunky at times, with so much time spent on little details that the story gets lost. Better editing would have been nice. The story was awesome however. Unique and fun I loved it.
Great performance by the narrator. Loved it.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Deborah
- 03-02-17
Too detail orientated
The main story line of this book is interesting and the narration is good. But, there is so much detail and historic trivia added that it listens like a power point presentation. There are snipits of sexual interaction thrown in here and there that just don't work in the story. If I hadn't agreed to do a review, I would have stopped listening after the first chapter.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Midwestbonsai
- 01-23-17
Detailed descriptive and precise wordsmithing
What if space travel was made affordable for every single person on the planet? What if space travel could be proven to be eco-friendly and safe? Would you go?
Slingshot: The Starchild Series written by Robert Williscroft is a multi-faceted book. It will appeal to science fiction, romance, adventure and conspiracy enthusiasts alike.
This is a story about one man’s dream to build a launch loop that can send anyone and everyone to outer space affordably and eco-friendly. The building of the launch loop is amazingly detailed and the building of the sky tower is an action packed adventure. Each step of the book from the idea to the design to the building is realistic and made more so by Williscroft’s detailed descriptions.
Furthermore, Williscroft brings in all the people involved – the divers, the Mohawk high iron workers, the misguided environmentalists, machinists, dolphins, construction workers, hi-financers and more. He shows you small slices of their lives – what they do, how they love, where they come from and that they all share a common dream. The story talks about the doers and the behind the scene people who make everything happen but who are nothing more than mere shadows. Williscroft allows these people to shine in this book – they are the heroes.
Williscroft brought this idea to life through his attention to detail, his descriptive and precise wordsmithing. His story flows smoothly albeit very detailed. He develops his characters with great care and a fullness that leaves the listener connected to the story line and characters. Williscroft immerses his listener fully into the story and keeps them there throughout.
Several twists at the end will leave the reader gasping and stunned; it is a story that should not be missed by anyone who enjoys science fiction and space travel!
Williscroft’s attention to detail, at times, became a bit overwhelming but I would say it was necessary to make it realistic. This is an epic audiobook of 13 hours but I found myself having a hard time shutting it off. My attention was being focused and held firmly enabling me to visualize the launch loop and experience the adventure and the emotional toil the ending takes.
The narrator, Trenton Benton performs the audiobook very well. He is talented in the different characters he portrays. I found his performance enjoyable and pleasant. My only dislike was a good portion of his female voices which were too high-pitched making them sound unprofessional and too young. However, I thought he did a great job.
There were no issues with the audio production of this audiobook. Everything was clear and concise.
Audiobook was provided for review by the author.
Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog
[If this review helped, please press YES. Thanks!]
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Matthew
- 03-16-17
Apparently yet another series begins...
Is there anything you would change about this book?
Edit
Edit
Edit
There is a great deal of redundancy and verbiage that I feel clutters up the story.
What do you think your next listen will be?
Already accessing. Fire on the Flight Deck! Just a break from space!
What about Trenton Bennett’s performance did you like?
Man, he nailed it. Not perfect, but some of the voices he gave to characters, in particular the females, was VERY impressive. TB is a clearly and up and coming Audible talent!
Was Slingshot worth the listening time?
Yes
Any additional comments?
I was provided this audio book by the author in exchange to this unbiased review.
That said, this book definitely "grows" on you. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, and for all it's sprawling and conceptual flaws, it sniffs around the start of a rather interesting series.
Recommended with those reservations.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- PreRaphaelite
- 02-16-18
Great story
Very engaging story of a believable future vision. The action was interesting, and he did a great job describing the events and their sequence. Reading about the setting made for a mini vacation, with the sun and sea. Good suspense! It would be nice to see something like this come to life! Likable characters, including the dolphins. Loved that he has woman characters in senior positions. However, their characters were undermined by calling each other "girl" and hugging and kissing strangers, which usually doesn't happen in professional settings. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mike Hickman
- 02-17-20
A republican hack.
The writer spouts the disproven republican conspiracy theories. The writer also over-glorified fox news. Any reader should be made aware of this and take what the writer says with a grain of salt. Some are outright lies.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- R. C. Jackson
- 11-30-20
Do NOT waste your money
I did not get far into this book before wanting to figuratively throw it across the room, and I've only felt that way about one other book in my nearly 60 years.
It starts with a completely gratuitous shark attack. Not too long after, there is ANOTHER gratuitous shark attack. Apparently every time anyone dives and there are sharks around, they immediately attack.
The men are barely described, but they are from every part of the planet. Only one per location so as to artificially diversify the cast as much as possible. Every one of them is more or less a stereotype.
The few women are all tall, "lithe" (the author LOVES this word) and model-gorgeous.
The author spends much time proving that he understands technical subjects, e.g. scuba diving. The text practically screams "LOOK AT ME I KNOW ALL ABOUT DIVING!!"
I just couldn't face any more. Out of the >1000 Audible titles I've purchased, this is the only one I wanted to return, but alas I bought it over a year ago.
Your average college freshman could out-write this person.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Texas78132
- 04-30-17
Great story. Interesting ideas.
Any additional comments?
This was an interesting book and I enjoyed listening to it. The details were well written and the narration was great. Although I'm not usually a sci-fi reader I got into this and I would recommend this book to anyone. I hope there is a 'The Starchild Series, Book 2'.This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful