Watertight: How I Survived the Submarine Service Without Losing My Mind Audiobook By Karl Heckman cover art

Watertight: How I Survived the Submarine Service Without Losing My Mind

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Watertight: How I Survived the Submarine Service Without Losing My Mind

By: Karl Heckman
Narrated by: Karl William Heckman
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This entertaining and wry memoir of a US Navy Nuclear Reactor Operator who served on USS Seawolf (SSN-575) and USS Parche (SSN-683) during the Cold War is gripping. Written for his daughters as a look into the experiences which shaped his life and theirs. Watertight resonates strongly with all those who have served in the military, but especially among that dedicated corps who served in the submarine service. The rest of us are along for an entertaining ride as well.

©2014 Karl William Heckman (P)2019 Karl William Heckman Military & War
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The narration was slow for my taste (I listened at 1.15 speed) and the story jumped around and repeated itself a bit, but overall this was a great listen!

Although many things have changed in the past few decades, the author does a great job at capturing the spirit of the submarine force and bottling it up for civilians and sailors alike. Super motivated baby nukes can appreciate this taste of the old fleet.

There is profanity. But it's a book by a submariner about his time on submarines. I'm not sure what else you'd expect. In my opinion it was tastefully done, and only when necessary to convey the proper message. I usually hate when authors drop f- bombs and the like. They usually sound so unnatural coming from the narrator- not so in this book. But then again, this book is narrated by the author, who seems to have some experience in the art of using profanities.

A good listen for any future "nukes"

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The narrator is the author and he describes his experiences as a nuclear reactor technician on the submarine Seawolf in the 1980's. You have the feeling he is next to you talking to you about what it was like. A very enjoyable listen and at times educational.

Nice memoir

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I was a Navy nuke on a nuclear submarine. This book is EXACTLY how I remember it. I was on a slightly newer boat (599) but it was still just like being there... again. Brought back so many memories. I can't wait to recommend it to my nuke buddies. The reader took a minute to grow accustomed to... but once I adjusted, I couldn't imagine it being read any other way.

So Real...

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A fantastic insight to life inside a nuclear sub, and how the Navy used to be. The author is a great story teller. If you are into subs, this is the book for you. A delightful listen!

The Real Deal

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Like sitting on a bar stool next to a welcome stranger regaling you with stories!

Definitely Worth a Listen

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