From Publishers Weekly
A gripping and gruesome tale, this book is a superb account of the loss of the Russian submarine Kursk off northern Russia in August 2000. Long-range torpedoes fueled with hydrogen peroxide exploded in succession, which sank the submarine; a fifth of the crew of 118 survived the explosions, but probably did not last more than another eight hours. The Russian Northern Fleet failed to recognize the signs of an accident, failed to take any sort of constructive action with its limited resources, failed to inform political superiors, and didn't allow any cooperation with the efficient rescue gear of the NATO navies. Russian officials were then caught by the independent Russian media in several outright lies, which made for further scandal. Not that Western authorities were much more on the ball—the American and British embassies were left in the dark for several days—but the whole tragedy of errors profoundly embarrassed the newly elected Putin regime. Flynn has researched exhaustively in already crowded territory, interviewed widely and written clearly, leaving very little room for rumor, innuendo or propaganda (he definitely rules out any collision with a NATO submarine, for example). Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
On August 12, 2000, an explosion aboard the 14,700-ton Soviet submarine Kursk sent the vessel to the bottom of the southern Barents Sea, with 118 crewmen on board. There were no survivors. Flynn provides a minute-by-minute account of what happened aboard. To get what he labels "the Russian side of the story," Flynn spent more than three years conducting hundred of interviews during five trips to Russia. His research included forensic data, recovered tape of dialogues, notes found on the crewman's bodies, and ships' logs. Much of the book deals with President Putin's response to the disaster and how many officials in his government tried to "hold their country together by focusing the blame on the Americans." Flynn also talked with the dead sailors' families as they attempted to resume normal lives. He concludes that a leaky torpedo exploded, puncturing fuel tanks and igniting warhead material, and then at least four nearby combat torpedoes reached their maximum heat threshold and detonated. This meticulously researched book offers a compelling account. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description

On August 12, 2000, during one of the most important military demonstrations in post-Soviet history, an enormous explosion sank Russia's most prized nuclear submarine, the Kursk. When Vladmir Putin's men failed to rescue the 118 young submariners trapped under the icy Barents Sea and refused timely help from "foreigners" for four days, the Russian president assured his angry nation that all the men had died within minutes of the blasts. An earlier rescue would not have changed anything.

Two months later, recovery divers brought up the dead submarine's first twelve bodies, one of which had a soggy note clinging to the burned remnants of his breast pocket. Addressed to his wife, it read:

There are twenty-three of us here ... None of us can get to the surface. Let's hope someone will read this. Don't despair. -- Kolesnikov

The "Kolesnikov Note" became the cry from the depths of Russia's tormented soul, as an anguished people confronted their government about what matters more -- guarding secrets and pride or protecting human life.

What were Russian officials thinking when they waited forty-eight hours to acknowledge that their most treasured submarine was in trouble? Why did they track the desperate tapping noises that seemed to be coming from the sub without sending an international SOS?

For a world community still mystified by deadly Russian deceits surrounding the Kursk submarine disaster, Cry from the Deep solves the riddles once and for all. What emerges from Flynn's exhaustive reporting is the definitive account of this pivotal moment in Russia's rocky emergence into the community of free nations.

By turns thrilling, heart-wrenching, and absorbing, Cry from the Deep exposes the truths behind an event that riveted the world, devastated and enraged the Russian people, and ultimately defined a new era of Russian politics.

FROM OUR EDITORS

"There are 23 of us here￯﾿ﾽ. None of us can get to the surface. Let's hope someone will read this. Don't despair. Kolesnikov." When this note was released two months after the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk, it threatened to topple Vladimir Putin's regime. The plaintive missive, found on the body of a navy lieutenant, squashed forever the government's self-serving defense of its own inaction after the underwater disaster. It also sparked severe questions: Why had Russian officials waited 48 hours to acknowledge that their prize submarine was in trouble? Why had they declined international help even as the few remaining survivors died excruciating subterranean deaths? In Cry from the Deep, investigative Ramsey Flynn attempts to answer these questions.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

On August 12, 2000, during one of the most important military demonstrations in post-Soviet history, an enormous explosion sank Russia's most prized nuclear submarine, the Kursk. When Vladmir Putin's men failed to rescue the 118 young submariners trapped under the icy Barents Sea and refused timely help from "foreigners" for four days, the Russian president assured his angry nation that all the men had died within minutes of the blasts. An earlier rescue would not have changed anything. Two months later, recovery divers brought up the dead submarine's first twelve bodies, one of which had a soggy note clinging to the burned remnants of his breast pocket. Addressed to his wife, it read: There are twenty-three of us here...None of us can get to the surface. Let's hope someone will read this. Don't desapir. -Kolesnikov

The "Kolesnikov Note" became the cry from the depths of Russia's tormented soul, as an anguished people confronted their government about what matters more-guarding secrets and pride or protecting human life.

What were Russian officials thinking when they waited forty-eight hours to acknowledge that their most treasured submarine was in trouble? Why did they track the desperate tapping noises that seemed to be coming from the sub without sending an international SOS? For a world community still mystified by deadly Russian deceits surrounding the Kursk submarine disaster, Cry from the Deep solves the riddles once and for all. What emerges from Flynn's exhaustive reporting is the definitive account of this pivotal moment in Russia's rocky emergence into the community of free nations. By turns thrilling, heart-wrenching, and absorbing, Cry from the Deep exposes the truths behind an event that riveted the world, devastated and enraged the Russian people, and ultimately defined a new era of Russian politics.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

A gripping and gruesome tale, this book is a superb account of the loss of the Russian submarine Kursk off northern Russia in August 2000. Long-range torpedoes fueled with hydrogen peroxide exploded in succession, which sank the submarine; a fifth of the crew of 118 survived the explosions, but probably did not last more than another eight hours. The Russian Northern Fleet failed to recognize the signs of an accident, failed to take any sort of constructive action with its limited resources, failed to inform political superiors, and didn't allow any cooperation with the efficient rescue gear of the NATO navies. Russian officials were then caught by the independent Russian media in several outright lies, which made for further scandal. Not that Western authorities were much more on the ball-the American and British embassies were left in the dark for several days-but the whole tragedy of errors profoundly embarrassed the newly elected Putin regime. Flynn has researched exhaustively in already crowded territory, interviewed widely and written clearly, leaving very little room for rumor, innuendo or propaganda (he definitely rules out any collision with a NATO submarine, for example). Agent, David Black. (Dec.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

This popularly written book about the Kursk disaster that shocked the world in 2000 strikes a timely nerve and requires little historical background on the part of the reader. Award-winning journalist Flynn (former editor in chief, Baltimore magazine) does a credible job portraying the tragedy of the Russian submarine whose entire 118-man crew died under mysterious circumstances. He claims that this portrayal is more than 90 percent factual, and the rest is "informed scenario." Flynn did hundreds of interviews, acknowledging that the truth always appeared to be "a moving target" in which "even those closely involved routinely resorted to speculation about what had happened." He used firsthand sources both named and unnamed. The postscript deals with current Russian politics that would be perhaps best left to other sources. Flynn's extensive endnotes add authority to his research. Recommended for public libraries.-Harry Willems, Southeast Kansas Lib. Syst., Iola Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews