This is a very readable, engaging history of submarine technology, events and politics. Highly recommended. Contains a number of black and white illustrations and photos but is primarily text.Covers submarines from very early origins (1580!) to present times. The book is weighted towards the pre-1945 era: about one third of the book covers pre-1914 developments with much of the rest covering the two world wars. There's relatively light coverage of the Cold War and present era - less than 50 pages.Category: submarine historyTechnical content: averageOverall: excellent