Illustrated with b&w historical photos on every page, this work details the development and use of the torpedo by the US Navy, encompassing submarines, surface warships and small combatants, and aircraft. Also examined are the technologies and politics involved in torpedo development and various efforts to deliver torpedoes via innovative schemes such as RAT, ASROC, and DASH. The book begins with an overview of early undersea weapons, then covers torpedoes of various periods and conflicts from the Civil War through the present. There are five chapters devoted to the WWII era, two chapters on the Cold War era, and one chapter on the present-day Mark 48. Sidebars give insight on contemporary foreign torpedo development and combat use. Appendices address torpedo fire control, US Navy experimental torpedoes, and maintenance problems causing erratic runs. Wildenberg is a naval aviation historian. Polmar is a defense analyst specializing in naval aviation and intelligence. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)