Beneath southern seas

"With their sleek, mysterious silhouettes, aura of secrecy, and vital defence role, submarines have always possessed an enduring fascination. What makes someone choose to be a submariner? What is it like to spend your working life confined in an underwater metal tube for months at a time? To find out, authors Jon Davison and Tom Allibone spent over a year with the Royal Australian Navy Submarine Force Element Group, and twelve days on board HMAS Rankin. They joined the vessel in Sydney towards the end of a six-month, 21,000 km overseas deployment and travelled aboard the submarine to her home port in Western Australia." "In the confines of the 78-metre long vessel, they photographed, interviewed and shared the lives of crew, gaining an insight into their day-to-day routine and the qualities essential in a submariner." "In this pictorial tribute, the authors have interspersed intimate images and candid personal interviews with archival material spanning Australia's long association with submarines."--BOOK JACKET.