One of the things that separates academic historical works from popular history is the connection to historiography. The author of an academic work needs to understand far more than their own subject, they need to understand what the knowledge is on topics that intersect their own subject. I'm going to write a post on each that I've read to discuss why I cited their work.
Bobette Gugliotta's "Pigboat 39" is one of the most cited works in my book, because it is simply the single best description of life in a prewar pigboat from several perspectives. S-boats were the primary platform the USN had during the Interwar Period, only gradually replaced by V-boats and Fleet-boats.
S-boat life was unsanitary, difficult, dangerous, the heat and humidity were deleterious to equipment and personnel, insects roamed the boats... it was fair to say that these sailors were deprived of the basics of human existence. Yet they not only survived, they formed a pride that few could match. As Gulgiotta observed:
"S-boat personnel found out early that most fleet-boat sailors pitied them, but true Asiatic pigboat sailors had all the feisty pride of a cadre of hard-living, tough professionals who, by the very fact they’d been able to survive S-boat existence, considered themselves superior."[1]
Gugliotta captures the work hard/play hard attitude of the boys on the boat, and offers an unprecedented look into Jim "Red" Coe's leadership during the opening weeks of open warfare. Coe's heroism should never be underestimated, he received the Navy Cross and went down fighting during a war patrol on Skipjack; forever on eternal patrol as one of our bravest, along with several of the 39's crew.
If you want a real look into submariners, this is one of the most engaging works, more apt to a narrative collection of witness testimony than a social or cultural history, but well worth a read.
Reference:
[1]. Gugliotta, Pigboat 39, 54.
