PERHAPS no man in the past century has had as much to do with the shape of history as Simon Lake. That statement is intended as a query rather than as a statement of fact. It may be debatable, but it is also defendable.He is responsible for the modern submarine.The World War pivoted on him. Not on the Kaiser or Lloyd George or Hindenburg or Wilson or Ludendorff. He had nothing to do with the provocations or the settlements. He was an engineer almost unknown except on the coas...

In "The Submarine in War and Peace: Its Development and its Possibilities," Simon Lake masterfully delves into the evolution of submarine technology and its profound implications on naval warfare. Employing a blend of historical narrative and technical analysis, Lake chronicles the submarine's transition from a mere concept to a formidable instrument of military strategy. The book is punctuated with illustrative diagrams and photographs that enhance its scholarly appeal, making complex eng...

Jules Verne, in 1898, cabled to a New York publication: "While my book, 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,' is entirely a work of the imagination, my conviction is that all I said in it will come to pass. A thousand-mile voyage in the Baltimore submarine boat (the Argonaut) is evidence of this. This conspicuous success of submarine navigation in the United States will push on under-water navigation all over the world. If such a successful test had come a few months earlier it might ha...