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Captain Edward Latimer Beach, Jr. USN
(ret.) graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1939. His first assignment was to the heavy cruiser
USS Chester (CA-27), but in September 1941, he underwent submarine training. During World War Two, he served
aboard the USS Trigger (SS-237), USS Tirante (SS-420) and was the commanding officer of the USS Piper (SS-409) near the end
of the Pacific War. During his career he also served as a Naval Aide to the first Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs, Omar Bradley; a Naval Aide to President Dwight D. Eisenhower; as the Commanding Officer of the fifth nuclear submarine
launched; and, in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Captain Edward Latimer Beach, Jr. died in
2002, at the age of 84. Captain Edward Latimer Beach, Jr. is the
author of: Run Silent, Run Deep; Submarine!; From Annapolis to Scapa Flow: The Autobiography of Edward L. Beach
Sr.; Dust on the Sea; Cold is the Sea; Salt and Steel: Reflections of a Submariner; Around the World Submerged: The Voyage
of the Triton; Scapegoats: A Defense of Kimmel and Short at Pearl Harbor; The United States Navy: 200 Years; and, The Wreck
of the Memphis. He is also the co-author Keepers of the Sea and,
three editions of the Naval Terms Dictionary.
According to the book description of
Keepers of the Sea, it is a photographic history of the United States Navy. According to the book description of Dust on the Sea, “The
battle for the Pacific rages. The most destructive subs in the U.S. Navy are dispatched to Bungo Suido in the Yellow Sea to
harass and destroy enemy troop ships--a near-suicide mission in the very heart of Japan's home waters.”
According to one reader of Cold
is the Sea, “I first read 'Cold is the sea' about ten years ago, and from that time I have become
attached to life on a submarine. Edward Beach demonstrates and dramatizes the simple live or die choice of those who fight
in a submarine. The book has become often read and the inspiration and bench mark by which I judge any exciting war novels.”
Booklist said of Salt and
Steel: Reflections of a Submariner, “The latest volume by this outstanding American naval writer is both
a collection of essays and the closest thing to autobiography Captain Beach is likely ever to give us. He writes with his
usual freshness, grace, compassion, and well-informed opinions on his own life, his father's career, Admiral Rickover
(who was indispensable to the nuclear propulsion program but impossible to deal with on the personal level) and the intrigues
that cost him his promotion to rear admiral, and the role of the U.S. Navy in the twenty-first century, concerning which he
also suggests reforms. Along the way, he tells anecdotes about his marriage of more than 50 years, his wartime service, the
origins of several of his novels and of the characters in them, and the complexities of having the nuclear submarine Nautilus
christened by Mamie Eisenhower. If this should be Beach's last book, it fittingly concludes his career as writer and seafarer.
We can most sincerely say, "Sailor, rest your oar.”
According to the book description of
Submarine!, “For the World War II submariner, every day was a life-or-death trial: going to
sea for months at a time; existing in dank, claustrophobic conditions; enduring long stretches of monotonous silence punctuated
by adrenaline-spiked episodes of paralyzing fear and victorious elation. It was a duty few men could handle -- and even fewer
would survive. This is the true story of those brave men who served and too often died under the ocean surface, written by
a man who was there. Edward L. Beach masterfully weaves his gripping experiences aboard the USS Trigger with those of other
boats fighting the war in the Pacific. Part action-packed combat chronicle, part testament to the courageous sacrifices made
by those who never came back, this is a compelling eyewitness account of the war as few have seen it.”
According to the book description of
Run Silent, Run Deep, “After Pearl Harbor, Captain Richardson is given command of a submarine
with instructions to destroy Japanese shipping in the Pacific. Richardson's missions go well at first, but when he takes
on the infamous Japanese destroyer, nicknamed Bungo Pete, a terrifying game of cat and mouse ensues. From the training of
the crew right through to the breath-taking climax, this is a novel that reeks authenticity. Based on true events experienced
by the author during World War II, this story will have fans of Tom Clancy and Lothar-Gunther Buchheim gripped from start
to finish.”
The MOAA said of From Annapolis
to Scapa Flow: The Autobiography of Edward L. Beach Sr., “Written in the 1930s but never before published,
this book is as much about the U.S. Navy as it is about Beach. In his early days Beach served with Civil War veterans aboard
wooden ships, while late in his service his shipmates were the future naval leaders of World War II. As Beach describes the
growth of the Navy from the 1880s, when the modern Navy had its beginning, to the end of World War I, when it was on its way
to becoming the most powerful naval force on earth, he tells not only what happened but how and why. Beach Jr. puts his father's
writing in historical context for today's readers, and in some cases offers insights into his father's feelings. Preparing
this memoir for publication was the younger Beach's last project. He died in December 2002 after making final corrections
to page proofs.”
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