Listen free for 30 days
-
Blind Man's Bluff
- The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage
- Narrated by: George Wilson
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Categories: History, Military
People who bought this also bought...
-
Stalking the Red Bear
- The True Story of a U.S. Cold War Submarine's Covert Operations Against the Soviet Union
- By: Peter Sasgen
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stalking the Red Bear, for the first time ever, describes the action principally from the perspective of a commanding officer of a nuclear submarine during the Cold War - the one man aboard a sub who makes the critical decisions - taking us closer to the Soviet target than any work on submarine espionage has ever done before. This is the untold story of a covert submarine espionage operation against the Soviet Union during the Cold War as experienced by the commanding officer of an active submarine.
-
-
Interesting Listening.
- By Jonathan on 04-09-17
-
Thunder Below!
- The USS Barb Revolutionizes Submarine Warfare in World War II
- By: Eugene B. Fluckey
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Under the leadership of her fearless skipper, Captain Gene Fluckey, the Barb sank the greatest tonnage of any American sub in World War II. At the same time, the Barb did far more than merely sink ships-she changed forever the way submarines stalk and kill their prey.
This is a gripping adventure chock-full of "you-are-there" moments. Fluckey has drawn on logs, reports, letters, interviews, and a recently discovered illegal diary kept by one of his torpedomen.
-
-
Brilliant.
- By Craig on 10-12-13
-
Harrier 809
- Britain’s Legendary Jump Jet and the Untold Story of the Falklands War
- By: Rowland White
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the Falkland Islands were invaded by Argentina in April 1982, Britain’s immediate response was to send a task force. But behind the pomp and bravado of its departure, a sober reality lurked. A mere 20 Sea Harriers operating from two aircraft carriers would take on the might of the Argentine air force, some 200 planes strong. The MOD estimated that within four days and against such formidable air power, half the harriers would likely be lost. To reinforce that meagre force, and in just three weeks, the Navy formed, trained and equipped a brand new squadron from scratch.
-
-
Harrier 809
- By Mark Owen on 30-10-20
-
The Dead Hand
- The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy
- By: David E. Hoffman
- Narrated by: Bob Walter
- Length: 20 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During the Cold War, world superpowers amassed nuclear arsenals containing the explosive power of one million Hiroshimas. The Soviet Union secretly plotted to create the "Dead Hand," a system designed to launch an automatic retaliatory nuclear strike on the United States, and developed a fearsome biological warfare machine. President Ronald Reagan, hoping to awe the Soviets into submission, pushed hard for the creation of space-based missile defenses.
-
-
Gripping story of the cold war arms race
- By Matthew on 19-08-14
-
Kursk
- By: Robert Moore
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At 11.30 a.m. on Saturday 12 August 2000, two massive explosions roared through the shallow Arctic waters of the Barents Sea. The Kursk, pride of the Northern Fleet and the largest attack submarine in the world, was hurtling towards the ocean floor. In Kursk (originally published as A Time to Die), award-winning journalist Robert Moore vividly re-creates this disaster minute by minute.
-
-
An Incredible But Sad Story
- By Amazon Customer on 16-07-19
-
Into the Black
- By: Rowland White
- Narrated by: Eric Meyers
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On 12th April 1981 a revolutionary new spacecraft blasted off from Florida on her maiden flight. NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia was the most advanced flying machine ever built - the high watermark of post-war aviation development. A direct descendant of the record-breaking X-planes the likes of which Chuck Yeager had tested in the skies over the Mojave Desert, Columbia was a winged rocket plane, the size of an airliner, capable of flying to space and back before being made ready to fly again.
-
-
Brilliant insight into a fantastic flying machine.
- By Helen on 18-05-16
-
Stalking the Red Bear
- The True Story of a U.S. Cold War Submarine's Covert Operations Against the Soviet Union
- By: Peter Sasgen
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 7 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stalking the Red Bear, for the first time ever, describes the action principally from the perspective of a commanding officer of a nuclear submarine during the Cold War - the one man aboard a sub who makes the critical decisions - taking us closer to the Soviet target than any work on submarine espionage has ever done before. This is the untold story of a covert submarine espionage operation against the Soviet Union during the Cold War as experienced by the commanding officer of an active submarine.
-
-
Interesting Listening.
- By Jonathan on 04-09-17
-
Thunder Below!
- The USS Barb Revolutionizes Submarine Warfare in World War II
- By: Eugene B. Fluckey
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Under the leadership of her fearless skipper, Captain Gene Fluckey, the Barb sank the greatest tonnage of any American sub in World War II. At the same time, the Barb did far more than merely sink ships-she changed forever the way submarines stalk and kill their prey.
This is a gripping adventure chock-full of "you-are-there" moments. Fluckey has drawn on logs, reports, letters, interviews, and a recently discovered illegal diary kept by one of his torpedomen.
-
-
Brilliant.
- By Craig on 10-12-13
-
Harrier 809
- Britain’s Legendary Jump Jet and the Untold Story of the Falklands War
- By: Rowland White
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the Falkland Islands were invaded by Argentina in April 1982, Britain’s immediate response was to send a task force. But behind the pomp and bravado of its departure, a sober reality lurked. A mere 20 Sea Harriers operating from two aircraft carriers would take on the might of the Argentine air force, some 200 planes strong. The MOD estimated that within four days and against such formidable air power, half the harriers would likely be lost. To reinforce that meagre force, and in just three weeks, the Navy formed, trained and equipped a brand new squadron from scratch.
-
-
Harrier 809
- By Mark Owen on 30-10-20
-
The Dead Hand
- The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and its Dangerous Legacy
- By: David E. Hoffman
- Narrated by: Bob Walter
- Length: 20 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During the Cold War, world superpowers amassed nuclear arsenals containing the explosive power of one million Hiroshimas. The Soviet Union secretly plotted to create the "Dead Hand," a system designed to launch an automatic retaliatory nuclear strike on the United States, and developed a fearsome biological warfare machine. President Ronald Reagan, hoping to awe the Soviets into submission, pushed hard for the creation of space-based missile defenses.
-
-
Gripping story of the cold war arms race
- By Matthew on 19-08-14
-
Kursk
- By: Robert Moore
- Narrated by: Pete Cross
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At 11.30 a.m. on Saturday 12 August 2000, two massive explosions roared through the shallow Arctic waters of the Barents Sea. The Kursk, pride of the Northern Fleet and the largest attack submarine in the world, was hurtling towards the ocean floor. In Kursk (originally published as A Time to Die), award-winning journalist Robert Moore vividly re-creates this disaster minute by minute.
-
-
An Incredible But Sad Story
- By Amazon Customer on 16-07-19
-
Into the Black
- By: Rowland White
- Narrated by: Eric Meyers
- Length: 15 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On 12th April 1981 a revolutionary new spacecraft blasted off from Florida on her maiden flight. NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia was the most advanced flying machine ever built - the high watermark of post-war aviation development. A direct descendant of the record-breaking X-planes the likes of which Chuck Yeager had tested in the skies over the Mojave Desert, Columbia was a winged rocket plane, the size of an airliner, capable of flying to space and back before being made ready to fly again.
-
-
Brilliant insight into a fantastic flying machine.
- By Helen on 18-05-16
-
Command and Control
- By: Eric Schlosser
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 20 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A ground-breaking account of accidents, near-misses, extraordinary heroism, and technological breakthroughs, Command and Control explores the dilemma that has existed since the dawn of the nuclear age: how do you deploy weapons of mass destruction without being destroyed by them? Schlosser reveals that this question has never been resolved, and while other headlines dominate the news, nuclear weapons still pose a grave risk to mankind.
-
-
Gripping and insightful
- By Kate on 13-11-13
-
Hunt the Bismarck
- The Pursuit of Germany’s Most Famous Battleship
- By: Angus Konstam
- Narrated by: Nigel Patterson
- Length: 9 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bismarck entered service in the summer of 1940. She was well-armed, with eight 15-inch guns as well as a powerful array of lighter weapons, while her armored protection earned her the reputation of being unsinkable. This claim was finally put to the test in May 1941, when she sortied into the Atlantic and fought the legendary battle of the Denmark Strait, destroying HMS Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy. Bismarck was now loose in the North Atlantic.
-
-
Grand & Inspiring.
- By Amazon Customer on 15-01-20
-
MI6
- Life and Death in the British Secret Service
- By: Gordon Corera
- Narrated by: Gordon Corera
- Length: 15 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The British Secret Service has been cloaked in secrecy and shrouded in myth since it was created 100 years ago. Our understanding of what it is to be a spy has been largely defined by the fictional worlds of James Bond and John le Carre. MI6 provides a unique and unprecedented insight into this secret world and the reality that lies behind the fiction.
-
-
A brilliant history.
- By mcfontaine on 30-03-21
-
GCHQ: Centenary Edition
- By: Richard Aldrich
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 25 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
GCHQ is the largest and most secretive intelligence organisation in the UK, and has existed for 100 years - but we still know next to nothing about it. In this ground-breaking book - the first and most definitive history of the organisation ever published - intelligence expert Richard Aldrich traces GCHQ’s development from a wartime code-breaking operation based in the Bedfordshire countryside into one of the world leading espionage organisations.
-
-
Sober and detailed history
- By Philip on 15-10-19
-
The Billion Dollar Spy
- A True Story of Cold War Espionage and Betrayal
- By: David E. Hoffman
- Narrated by: John Moraitis
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
January 1977. While the chief of the CIA’s Moscow station fills his gas tank, a stranger drops a note into the car. In the years that follow, that stranger, Adolf Tolkachev, becomes one of the West’s most valuable spies. At enormous risk Tolkachev and his handlers conduct clandestine meetings across Moscow, using spy cameras, props, and private codes to elude the KGB in its own backyard - until a shocking betrayal puts them all at risk.
-
-
Who on Earth is this narrator?
- By David Kirkwood on 24-06-19
-
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.
-
-
Not Quite The Bomb
- By Thomas on 05-02-15
-
Destiny in the Desert
- By: Jonathan Dimbleby
- Narrated by: Jonathan Dimbleby
- Length: 17 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is a unique single-volume history of the road to El Alamein - 'the end of the beginning' - and the bloody battle that followed...It was the British victory at the Battle of El Alamein in November 1942 that inspired one of Churchill's most famous aphorisms: 'it is not the end nor is it the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning'. And yet the true significance of this iconic episode remains unrecognised.
-
-
A great overview
- By Mr. T. P. Quinn on 18-05-20
-
Vulcan 607
- By: Rowland White
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 13 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Random House presents the audiobook edition of Vulcan 607 by Rowland White, read by Roy McMillan. It was to be one of the most ambitious operations since 617 Squadron bounced their revolutionary bombs into the dams of the Ruhr Valley in 1943.... When Argentine forces invaded the Falklands in the early hours of 2 April 1982, Britain's military chiefs were faced with a real-life Mission Impossible.
-
-
brilliant
- By MD on 13-02-18
-
Crash Dive: The Complete Series (Books 1-6)
- By: Craig DiLouie
- Narrated by: R.C. Bray
- Length: 29 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Crash Dive: The Complete Series chronicles the adventures of Charlie Harrison as he fights the Imperial Japanese Navy during WW2. Gripping, action-packed, authentic, and filled with larger-than-life men and women of the Greatest Generation, Crash Dive puts you aboard a submarine during the war. You'll stand alongside Charlie as he proves himself time and again by keeping his wits and being decisive in crisis, though each encounter leaves him more heavily scarred for it.
-
-
How the Americans won the war against Japan
- By I. M. Forrest on 19-07-20
-
Across an Angry Sea
- By: Cedric Delves
- Narrated by: Benedick Blythe
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In early summer 1982 - winter in the South Atlantic - Argentina's military junta invades the Falklands. Within days, a Royal Navy Task Force is assembled and dispatched. This is the story of D Squadron, 22 SAS, commanded by Cedric Delves. The relentless tempo of events defies belief. Raging seas, inhospitable glaciers, hurricane-force winds, helicopter crashes, raids behind enemy lines - the Squadron prevailed against them all, but the cost was high.
-
-
A great account but let down by the production
- By richard rochester on 12-06-19
-
Under Pressure
- Living Life and Avoiding Death on a Nuclear Submarine
- By: Richard Humphreys
- Narrated by: Richard Humphreys
- Length: 6 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine a world without natural light, where you can barely stand up straight for fear of knocking your head, where you have no idea of where in the world you are or what time of day it is, where you sleep in a coffin-size bunk and sometimes eat a full roast for breakfast. Now imagine sharing that world with 140 other sweaty bodies, crammed into a 430ft x 33ft steel tube, 300ft underwater, for up to 90 days at a time, with no possibility of escape.
-
-
great idea, average writing, poorly read
- By Anonymous User on 08-10-19
-
Merlin: The Power Behind the Spitfire, Mosquito and Lancaster
- The Story of the Engine That Won the Battle of Britain and WWII
- By: Graham Hoyland
- Narrated by: Chris Courtenay, Philip Pope
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The most iconic planes of WWII, the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, DeHavilland Mosquito and the Avro Lancaster, were all powered by one engine, the Rolls-Royce Merlin. The story of the Merlin is one of British ingenuity at its height, of artistry and problem-solving that resulted in a war-winning design.
-
-
Absolutely Brilliant
- By swotty on 22-11-20
Summary
No espionage missions have been kept more secret than those involving American submarines. Now, Blind Man's Bluff shows for the first time how the navy sent submarines wired with self-destruct charges into the heart of Soviet seas to tap crucial underwater telephone cables. It unveils how the navy's own negligence might have been responsible for the loss of the USS Scorpion, a submarine that disappeared, all hands lost, 30 years ago. It tells the complete story of the audacious attempt to steal a Soviet submarine with the help of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes and how it was doomed from the start. And it reveals how the navy used the comforting notion of deep-sea rescue vehicles to hide operations that were more James Bond than Jacques Cousteau.
Blind Man's Bluff contains an unforgettable array of characters, including the cowboy sub commander who brazenly outraced torpedoes and couldn't resist sneaking up to within feet of unaware enemy subs. It takes us inside clandestine Washington meetings where top submarine captains briefed presidents and where the espionage war was planned one sub and one dangerous encounter at a time. Stretching from the years immediately after World War II to the operations of the Clinton administration, it is an epic story of daring and deception. A magnificent achievement in investigative reporting, it feels like a spy thriller but with one important difference: Everything in it is true.
More from the same
Author
Narrator
What listeners say about Blind Man's Bluff
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jonjoe Mawson-Walton
- 27-02-18
Fantastic
I'm a marine engineering officer and I found this fantastic. Detailed enough to not be silly to anyone with knowledge of the subject but not over detailed to the point of boredom.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 16-12-20
Brilliant
I really enjoyed listening to this - informative, well-researched and structured. Although each chapter generally (not always) deals with a new topic, the chapters are more or less chronologically arranged, and there is a nice continuity where a number of characters turn up in several different chapters. If you're into submarines/war stuff then this is on a par with the famous ''Iron Coffins'' by Herbert Werner. I nearly didn't take the risk on buying Blind Man's Bluff after a ghastly experience with a previous audiobook by an American submariner (mercifully I can't remember the name of it) which, despite having absolute rave reviews, was utterly dreadful on many levels (I returned it).
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 08-12-20
Great story that has not been told before
this was a fascinating book on stories that have not been told before. This really shows how the cold War was fought under the oceans.
thoroughly recommend this book.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 06-10-20
Fascinating!
Great read and keeps you wondering what on earth we were up to back in the day!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- amazonbod68
- 30-08-20
An excellent read
No idea about the world of the submariner before reading the book... it’s an excellent read.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- G. Williams
- 07-06-20
Fascinating
A fascinating account of the ‘what happened’ regarding submarine activity during the Cold War. However it is a shame that the author does not explore the ‘why it happened?’ and the concomitant mindset and world view. The author writes about the USA’s breaches of International Law regarding territorial boundaries as if it is of no concern. I wonder if he would respond, similarly, if Soviet submarines had sailed within metres of an American naval facility? I think one of the fascinating aspects of this book are the assumptions which underpin it. From the Western view, NATO can be seen as a benign peace-keeping force but perhaps from a USSR perspective it seemed far more hostile? I have not yet completed the book so, perhaps, my perceptions may be wrong. However, at the moment, the lack of critical analysis regarding the deployment of the USA submarine force is irritating.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mr. C. J. Libby
- 14-11-19
fantastic listen from start to finish
first class in every way, very interesting and the fact that it all happened makes it a great listen
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- R
- 12-11-19
The Cold War that kept the peace.
A truly great piece of writing opening the lives of men who care to serve their countries on both sides of the fence. If I had a complaint it would be the pronunciations of Russian towns and areas as well as the word 'submariners'. I know the Americans use a different 'English' but it jars. Still a great book and the adding of appendix a & b along with the interview of the investigative writers was really great when you are given some insight in what it takes to bring this to life. One of the truly great points that became apparent was the respect towards their enmities these men who went on these mission had for those they faced and when something went wrong how it played upon their minds that they could have caused the deaths of fellow submariners.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Alwrites
- 09-09-17
Excellent
Fascinating, well-written, demands re-creating. Arguably the best cold War submarine espionage read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Andrew P.
- 25-07-17
Good history story
Enjoyed this book and some of the stories were eye opening and good to hear historical accounts of the submarine missions
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kojoukhinator Sr.
- 15-11-17
best Cold War documentary...
I seldom write reviews, but this book is an exception...
Growing up during Cold War Era in Soviet Union few people knew what's going on, on ether side...
Attempts to raise my generation with ideology of US as an enemy failed miserably, this book confirms gut feelings of young kids of 70s and 80s...
Very well written, excellent narration, captivating story, I just couldn't put this one down...
Highly recommend!
13 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Frank Mx
- 03-04-17
Outstanding
A must read for anyone interested in submarines, espionage or the cold war. Do not pass on this one.
10 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Jeff Lambert
- 29-09-17
WOW!!!
I served in the Navy in the early 80's and I had no idea this stuff was happening! This is a fantastic and compelling work. I highly recommend this read!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Don Ingersoll
- 29-10-18
Former Boat Sailor
I enjoyed reading then listening to Blind Man’s Bluff as it brought me back to many of my experiences riding boats for 15 years of my Naval career. I found myself reminiscing about those times of fear and elation. I sent a copy to my parents who were shocked when they read about my boats.
I hope you take the time to read or listen to this book and consider the sacrifices and accomplishments of submarine crews. At the height of the Cold War there were 96 fast boats, about 11000 men responsible for safeguarding our way of life.
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Nickolas S Rudolph
- 27-03-17
fantastic read/listen
very interesting history of intrigue, politics, and heroism. another fascinating portion of the efforts during the cold war.
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- torpedo alley
- 22-03-19
fascinated about submarines
This book is great on history & and increased my fascination of submarines
I have been interested in subs since my grandfather took me to see the U-505.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Joy H
- 16-04-18
Fascinating Read!
This book is riveting and a great opening into the rich, albeit secretive, history of submarines. I recommend this to anyone who is interested in the worlds navies!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Rickey
- 18-12-16
Fascinating
I had no idea what our subs were capable of nor did I realize how advanced our Naval Submersible fleet is becoming. Truly enjoyed this book.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Yolkb
- 08-02-20
Great lesson in history.......could have been a little shorter though
Yes, I do recommend listening to this book if you enjoy history. The investigative journalist did a fantastic job telling about submarine espionage that has never been told before. The one part that got a bit long and drawn out for me was the saga of Scorpion. It was repetitive telling of what caused this sub to sink.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Aaron A. Tyler
- 10-02-19
excellent book
One of the best stories and performances I have ever heard. There send to be no end to the surprises and human perspectives uncovered in the book. I really appreciate to front seat view of this, very different world.
1 person found this helpful