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A detailed history of the submarine, from the first man-powered submersibles to the deep sea exploration and military crafts of todayPioneer submariners built astonishing contraptions which made perilous voyages or sank like stones. Some were driven by muscle-power or steam engines with chimneys. Others had wheels with which to trundle along the seabed. This book traces the history of early submarines and the colorful array of those who built and sailed them. From a plethora of mad-cap inventors emerged a bizarre machine that navies of the world begrudgingly accepted but viewed with distaste. The submarine matured into a weapon to usurp the mighty battleship. Subject to military and political skirmishing, it would win eventual acceptance amid the chaos and carnage of the Great War.