The Submarine in War and Peace

Originally published in 1918, this book is a chronicle of submarine history, and a tribute to the bold vision of author Simon Lake. Lake believed the submarine held enormous promise as an engine of commerce. In the future, he proposed, submarines would harvest oysters from the ocean floor, and transport cargo without interference from storms. In 1893, inspired by a U.S. Navy challenge, Lake constructed his first submarine, Argonaut Junior. It was followed by the more advanced Protector, which was sold to the Czar of Russia in 1904. Lake spent the next seven years designing boats for the Russian and the Austro-Hungarian navies. He finally returned to the United States in 1912, and eventually he sold 24 submarines to the U.S. Navy. His success was short-lived however, and the company went into bankruptcy in the 1920s. Simon Lake remained active in the field of submarine technology, and advised the U.S. Navy during WWII.