This book follows the author's experiences in the United States Navy from 1966 through 1972. They include a personal background, boot camp, electrician's school, the U.S. Naval Nuclear Program, assignment to the USS Henry Clay during an overhaul in Charleston, South Carolina, subsequent transit to Hawaii, and deterrent patrols out of Guam. The work begins with the crew of one of the most powerful weapons on earth, the fleet ballistic missile submarine USS Henry Clay, manning Battle Station Missile.

What follows is a fresh perspective on the secret world of submarine life, ranging from behavioral insights and humorous anecdotes to many undocumented attributes of submarine life, exposing aspects of life under the sea no one else has revealed. This book is the most complete representation of submarine duty to date, with a high level of detail. The narrative focuses on the enlisted men—the backbone of the submarine service.