Keith Hall – författare

The Senior Service has, for a hundred years, had submarines. Originally thought to be Un-English, submarines helped us win two World Wars and have played a great part in Britain's nuclear deterrent for the past thirty years. Originally some of the small subs had crews of less than ten men, unlike today's nuclear behemoths with crews of almost one hundred. Submariners are a breed apart; ask any submariner and they'll tell you they think and act differently from the regular navy. Submariners is the story of the submarine service in the words of the men involved.

For many years submariners produced ‘local newspapers’, reporting from the deep with a unique take on their unusual lifestyle. Held in much affection by submarine crews, they enjoyed a long period of popularity from the 1970s–1990s for their irreverent and decidedly un-PC approach to underwater living. In this entertaining book, author Keith Hall examines the development of this strange branch of ‘underwater journalism’, collating the articles and anecdotes, jokes cartoons and stories that have been published over the years to brighten up the lives of submariners far from home, providing an insight into the bizarre self-contained world of the submariner.

The Clyde submarine base was officially commissioned in 1967. The Faslane site had originally been used as a military port during the Second World War and was built and manned by the army. HMS Adamant, the Depot ship of the 3rd Submarine Squadron, first anchored in Faslane Bay in 1957, and over the years the base has increased in size to accommodate the growing sophistication of the squadron submarines and the increasing number of hulls. This book traces the development of the base in unsurpassed pictorial detail, from its initial use by the army to October 1996, when the base became HM Naval Base Clyde. Chronicling the histories of the two submarine squadrons based at Faslane, the 3rd and 10th Squadrons, this collection is sure to provoke nostalgia among submariners and personnel who have served at the base, while providing a fascinating insight for those not so familiar with its story.

The X- and XE-Class submarines were conceived during the Second World War: around 51ft (16m) long, they were designed to be towed by a ‘mother’ submarine and use their small size to complete stealth missions, such as attacking harbours and performing reconnaissance. Although they would not begin active service until 1942, the submarine crews achieved quite the record, racking up 167 honours between them, including four Victoria Crosses.Written by ex-submariner Keith Hall, X3 to X54 is a look at the entire life and evolution of the British midget submarine, from its early prototypes to its final journeys. With a wealth of imagery, including archive X-craft photographs as well as up-to-date views of the X51 (HMS Stickleback) from the Scottish Submarine Centre, this is the fascinating, yet little-known, story of Britain’s midget submarines.