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The Father of the Silent Service: John P. Holland (Large Print Edition)
Paperback
Aviation & NauticalBiographies General
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Publisher: Michael Webster
Published: Jan 19 2026
Pages: 274
Weight: 0.82
Height: 0.62 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
He was a humble schoolmaster with a revolutionary vision. Born an Irish Nationalist, John P. Holland dedicated his life not to teaching, but to solving the problem of underwater navigation-a feat that military engineers and inventors had struggled with for centuries.
In an era defined by massive surface battleships, Holland's ingenious designs-culminating in the world-changing Holland VI-established the essential technical blueprint for the modern submarine: a stealthy, torpedo-armed vessel powered by a revolutionary gasoline-electric system.
This comprehensive biography traces Holland's tumultuous journey from secret Fenian plots to the highest levels of naval power, detailing the technical brilliance required to master the depths. It explores the fascinating paradox of his life: the inventor who sought to arm the oppressed ultimately had his creation co-opted and commercialized by the global powers he opposed.
From the technical struggles of the Fenian Ram to the corporate battles against Isaac L. Rice and the Electric Boat Company, and finally, to the tragic, posthumous validation of his genius on the battlefields of World War I, this is the definitive account of the quiet, uncompromising engineer who changed naval warfare forever.
Discover the man whose patents laid the foundation for every conventional submarine that sails the oceans today. Approx.176 pages, 31800 word count
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