Operation Ivy Bells is about submarine warfare and espionage during the Cold War...a novel that cloaks quite a lot of history. Of course, there's some embellishment of the history; including a giant squid attack, but at other times, one cannot even begin to tell what is truth and what is fiction. it reads more like a memoir, makes one wonder? Perhaps, the author overstates the political consequences of a mistake--just for the sake of drama? While this was a great book, I'm not inclined to suspend belief and continue with the "Mac McDowell" series. ( )

ABR's original Operation Ivy Bells audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

I will say right up front – I hated that this story had to end. Operation Ivy Bells is wonderful!

Operation Ivy Bells is an exciting piece of fiction/non-fiction. Robert Williscroft led a saturation team that faced terrible odds at times and were also hell raisers – a certain Russian Submarine Commander could attest to that! In the first few chapters, Lt. Mac McDowall and his saturation team face giant squids, a near death experience and live to torment a soviet commander. During the cold war, Mac and his team of divers must do what no one else has even considered – diving to depths of 1,000 feet, riding the ocean floor during a major storm and within 500 feet of a soviet submarine and more is a story that everyone should hear.

This book is full of excitement and twists – I named only a few. You have to read it to hear more and it is WORTH it!

Williscroft writes such an intense story that one cannot even begin to tell what is truth and what is fictionalized. I was amazed at several things in this story. The first being that he was able to relay technical information in an informative manner but also interesting – who would have thought going to the restroom on a submarine could be deadly? Or that a submarine crew must be aware of water density, depth, and that every sound can be deadly? The second is not being able to tell what is truth and what is not – for instance, who is to say there are no giant squid that undulates in color? The news is full of new sea creatures (giant and otherwise) being discovered. Third, his writing demonstrated just how deadly yet exciting being 500 – 1000 feet below the water can be.

Williscroft’s writing style is excellent. The technical aspect of the operation of a submarine and divers was very realistic – AND interesting. The story flowed, the character development was executed perfectly and the plot was a complete piece of work. In other words, there were no holes anywhere. I hope to hear more by Williscroft in the future. This is definitely a story that will appeal to those who are into conspiracy theories, spies and espionage and a good piece of fiction!

Mark Budwell did a wonderful job of narrating the story. His voices were excellent and indicated just the right amount of intenseness and excitement. He was perfect for this book!

There were no issues with the audio production.

Audiobook provided for review by the author. ( )

"It was super secret. Nobody knew about it except for a very select few, including the President, SecDef, SecNav, one admiral, Craven, the very small contingent at Submarine Development Group One, part of the submarine crew, and the divers. Let me tell you, that's secret like nothing I had ever experienced." – Lieutenant J. R. "Mac" McDowell's comments as he learns about the program he signed up for in "Operation Ivy Bells"

This is not normally a genre I would read, but once I picked up this book I had a hard time putting it down! It drops the reader into the world of subterfuge and life under the seas that submariners experienced during the cold war. For those of you who have the navy and military background, the accurate technical details are there. And yet for a "non-bubblehead" such as myself (a non-submariner), who is totally unfamiliar with that life, the author describes it in such a way that I didn't get lost in the jargon. He even includes a glossary in the back.

Although this is a novel, it is based on real people, and real (super-secret!) events that the author was intimately familiar with that helped us emerge from the cold war while avoiding a nuclear holocaust.

From hand-to-tentacle combat with squids at the beginning, to underwater hand-to-hand combat between divers near the end, I thoroughly enjoyed the action-packed adventure. I even learned a thing or two, and gained a whole new respect and appreciation for all our service members who keep us safe. I highly recommend this book! ( )