Under Pressure Audiobook By A.J. Hill cover art

Under Pressure

The Final Voyage of Submarine S-Five

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Under Pressure

By: A.J. Hill
Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Hanging on display in the United States Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., is a battered and scratched steel plate, two feet in diameter, edged with more than one hundred little semicircles. For more than 80 years, people have wondered how it came to be there and at the story it could tell.

Under Pressure: The Final Voyage of Submarine S-Five is that 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 - to Baltimore for a recruiting appearance at the end of the week. 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.

The salt in the seawater combines with the sulfuric acid in the sub's batteries to create a cloud of chlorine gas. They have little air, no water, and only the dimmest of light by which to plan their escape. By shifting the water in the sub toward the bow torpedo room, the crew is able to stand the 240-foot-long sub on its nose, bringing it close to vertical, and, using trigonometry, he calculates that at least part of the boat's stern is now above sea level. In a race against time the crew starts cutting a hole out of the highest point in the sub: the telephone-booth-size tiller room. With no acetylene torch, no power tools -- nothing but ratchet drills and hacksaws -- the crew must cut through nearly an inch of strengthened steel or die in the attempt.

An incredible drama, a story of heroism and of heroes, Under Pressure is that most remarkable of books, a true story far more dramatic than any fiction.

©2002 A. J. Hill (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
Naval Forces Ships & Shipbuilding United States Military Transportation Submarine War
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Editorial reviews

On August 30, 1920, the S-Five, the newest addition to the U.S. Navy's fleet of submarines, left Boston for Baltimore on her first cruise. Two days later, the crew commenced a practice "crash dive" but a combination of errors and poor mechanical design sent 75 tons of seawater charging inside. Narrator Michael Butler Murray's authoritative, well-paced performance builds a heart-pounding picture of the panic inside the submarine as she submerges to the ocean floor at a depth of 180 feet. Murray's pauses and emphasis on words intensify the drama and suspense as the crew scramble to save themselves as their air and water run out. Listeners won't be able to tear themselves away from this gripping true story.

What listeners say about Under Pressure

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    35
  • 4 Stars
    9
  • 3 Stars
    3
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    30
  • 4 Stars
    13
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    37
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Riveting Tale -- Thumbs up if your a submarine fan

I had never head of the S-Five before this account. I am a long time submarine book fan. It started for me in eight grade when I read "Run Silent, Run Deep." Since then, I have always been drawn to stories about submarines. When I saw this book come out on pre-order, I eagerly awaited it. I was not disappointed.

The story is terrifying and uplifting all at the same time. Hill does an excellent job as author giving just enough material to keep you interested but not too much to overwhelm the interested. Murray does an excellent job in narration. You can easily listen to this at 1.5X or even 2X.

This book will appeal to historians. Although this is a true story I think it will also appeal to science fiction readers. I recommend this book. give it a read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good read

Fascinating and amazing story of near death at sea. The lost of the S-5 and rescue is a great tale.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating glimpse into early submarine history

While I have a fascination with naval history, it mostly relates to surface vessels. I had never heard of the S5. This story brought home the dangers in those early years and the bravery of the crews

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

True life suspense

Kept me on the edge of my seat wondering if they would survive the ordeal and how. Everything was against them. Can’t believe it happened but it did. Great story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Overall not bad but...

a 7+ hour book about a 36-hour ordeal is excessive. Especially when you know the outcome. The Audible description is also misleading. It implies they got out on their own. If you accept the premise that being able to signal through the hole they "drilled" then that claim is arguably "accurate".

And if you accept the premise that even with a hole large enough to signal through they were still at death's door when outside help finally got them out despite the "vent hole" and that only great good fortune brought two merchant ships to their aid and otherwise they never would have gotten out, that argument falls flat.

The book really is twice as long as it needed to be to be "action packed" and a "thriller".

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!