Scorpion Down

By: Ed Offley

Narrated by: Richard Ferrone

One Navy admiral called it "one of the greatest unsolved sea mysteries of our era". To this day, the U.S. Navy officially describes it an inexplicable accident. For decades, the real story of the disaster has eluded journalists, historians, and the family members of the lost crew. But a small handful of Navy and government officials knew the truth from the very beginning: the sinking of the nuclear submarine U.S.S. Scorpion and its crew of 99 men, on May 22, 1968, was an act of war.

In this major work of historical reporting, Ed Offley reveals that the sinking of the Scorpion has never been a mystery, but rather a secret buried by the U.S. government in a frantic attempt to keep the Cold War from turning into a hot war. The Soviets had torpedoed the Scorpion in reprisal for the destruction of the Soviet missile sub K-129, which the Americans had sunk in the Pacific just 10 weeks earlier. But why does the U.S. Navy continue to hide the real story of what happened on that fateful day in 1968?

In Scorpion Down, military reporter Ed Offley tells the true story for the first time and dramatically recounts a little-known episode that nearly brought about World War III. And he conclusively demonstrates that the Navy's official account of the Scorpion incident, from the frantic open-ocean hunt for the wreckage to a court of inquiry's final conclusions, is nothing more than a carefully constructed series of lies.

©2007 Ed Offley (P)2007 HighBridge Company

Should be in Journalism schools everywhere

This is an astonishingly well researched book. This book gives me enormous faith in the research abilities of the author. This is an endlessly complex story of lie after obfuscation of facts wrapped in subterfuge but it is an unusual book, told unusually. The author takes the reader down every zig and zag of the research, rather than to lead them around like a horse to water. A little unusual in its 4th-wall-shattering perspective, journalist talking to reader directly as he was convinced of one version of the story after another, and sometimes invalidating his previously held thoughts. This is just the kind of story where that unusual technique works. In the end, submarine stuff is about as interesting as it gets so it held me fast. Excellent book, exhaustively researched, and very much a new important text on the subject. As for the narrator, about as good as they get - this narrator does an amazing job with technical military stuff. I really enjoyed how he played this book. I loved this one.

always interesting details

As I continue my journey into submarine history this was an interesting accounting of the Scorpion and of submarine history. It's nice to hear some of details confirmed one reads in other books and interesting to hear theories unique to the author.
The only weird thing was the voice of the narrator. You get use to it eventually... but that smoky, gravel- like voice makes you think of some guy dressed in a raincoat, hat, and sunglasses is secretly whispering to you, than an author reading the book.

Excellent read.

Well researched and written as an interesting tale of the time. Looking forward to Offley's next update on the incident as more information is available.

Where is the evidence from Russia?

I found this book very interesting and it makes many good points about the loss of the Scorpion.
I was disappointed,however,that very little evidence from Russia was given by the author to make his case. Certainly,many Russians must have taken part in or known of the sinking but only one is cited and his statement needs support.
I feel the author has only proved that it is
probable and not certain that the Russians are responsible for the loss of the Scorpion.

A story of mute "silent" service

Tantalizing at first, and increasingly revealing at every next phase. A listener unfamiliar with submarines are given the insights needed to understand what occured. Excellent narrative.