Dive!: World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines in the Pacific by Deborah Hopkinson (review)

There’s no shortage of adventure in this look at the World War II submarines that prowled the ocean in search of enemy vessels, skimming just beneath the surface while their crewmen hoped the vessels’ periscopes wouldn’t be visible and their ships could outlast depth charges. Organizing her account into four chronological sections, from 1941 through the 1945, Hopkinson focuses on the missions and crew of several submarines that kids are likely to encounter in broader histories of the War in the Pacific, especially Seawolf, Trigger, Wahoo, and Tang. Although it’s feasible that a reader might want to skip straight to a particular story, reading in sequence facilitates an understanding of the strategies employed by Allies and the Japanese, the development of submarine design and weaponry, and the innovations in command policy that evolved throughout the hostilities. The real appeal, of course, is danger and heroism, and in drawing liberally from first-person accounts by surviving veterans, Hopkinson often emulates the tone of Greatest Generation memoir. In additional to copious end matter—index, source notes, weighty bibliography, web links, glossary, timeline, rosters, lists—black and white photos abound, and themed sidebars offer information ranging from submarine management to the next good read. And kudos to Hopkinson, whose eagle eye even located the contingent of women nurses evacuated by sub from the Philippines; fans of Farrell’s Pure Grit (BCCB 4/14) will be particularly intrigued.