Lawrence Goldstone’s Going Deep
Want to hazard a guess (no fair asking Siri, Alexa or Google!) as to where the first U.S. Submarine base was located? New London? Nope. Annapolis? Try again.
How about New Suffolk, New York? Yep, that’s it! The submarine USS Holland, named after inventor and submarine technology patent holder John Holland, was launched there in 1897, changing forever travel on and under the sea. Less than 20 years later, three allied vessels were sunk by a German submarine and war would never be the same.
This is just one of many facts explored and expounded upon by author Lawrence Goldstone in his fascinating 2017 book, “Going Deep: John Philip Holland and the Invention of the Attack Submarine.” Mr. Goldstone will be the featured speaker at Friday Night Dialogues at the Shelter Island Library on May 4.
Springing from the research done in his previous book “Birdmen,” about Wilbur and Orville Wright, Mr. Goldstone connects the rise and fall of the Wright Brothers airplane company (Wilbur was a visionary but a terrible businessman), to the rise and rise of the automobile industry (Henry Ford was not so prescient, but he was an incredible businessman). The technology used by Isaac Rice for his electric taxi cabs in the late 19th century were applied to Mr. Holland’s patents, with Mr. Rice eventually developing the eponymous “electric boats” for which the company, still owned by General Dynamic in New London, is named.
Mr. Goldstone will talk about the intriguing scandals involving political payoffs, patent thefts and the fierce competition that knew barely any moral or legal restraint, all of which had a part in bringing an absolute game-changer to marine exploration and naval tactics.
Former president and submariner Jimmy Carter, who was associated with Admiral Hyman G. Rickover and the development of the fledgling nuclear submarine program in the early 1950s, has read “Going Deep” and in fact sent a fan letter to Mr. Goldstone extolling the book, which since publication has been on the required reading list at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
Mr. Goldstone’s encyclopedic knowledge of his subject is delivered in an engaging and often humorous fashion to both his readers and his live audiences, and the library is excited to host what promises to be a highly entertaining and informative presentation.
Don’t miss this fascinating author’s appearance at the Shelter Island Library on Friday, May 4, at 7 p.m. This programs is free of charge and donations are gratefully accepted.
Up Next: Join us to hear Dr. Linda Bruno speak about her project, “Mission of Mercy for the Children of Puerto Rico” on Friday, May 18 at 7 p.m.
