H.M.S. Unseen (52 page)
Authors: Patrick Robinson
F
OR THE THIRD TIME, ADMIRAL SIR JOHN WOODWARD
was my principal technical advisor in the construction of a novel.
H.M.S. Unseen
, a stealthy Royal Navy submarine, now being leased to an overseas government, was chosen for the title as it represents the central area of the book.
The Admiral was obliged to use all of his considerable ingenuity to convert it into precisely the kind of boat we required for the plot. He was also obliged to “invent” a missile system which would (a) stand some chance of working, and (b) not take us too far into the realms of the impossible.
Loyally, my supersonic flight advisor said it would never work, could not achieve its objective. The Admiral disagreed…maybe not today…but in six years?
Their good-natured disagreement, conducted over several high-tech weeks, has, I hope, brought
H.M.S. Unseen
(the novel) home with suitable grim reality, and I thank them both.
My thanks, too, to my two Scottish advisors (rural, geographic, and social), Penelope Enthoven and Olivia Oaks. For insights and religious advice concerning the Muslim faith, I am indebted to the kindly and patient Syed Nawshadmir (Ronnie), originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, and now of Dublin, Ireland.
—P
ATRICK
R
OBINSON
Patrick Robinson lives in Dublin, Ireland, and on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He is the bestselling author of three novels:
Nimitz Class, Kilo Class,
and
H.M.S Unseen
.
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LSO BY
P
ATRICK
R
OBINSON
One Hundred Days
(With Admiral Sir John “Sandy” Woodward)
True Blue
Nimitz Class
Kilo Class
Cover illustration © 1999 by Danilo Ducek
Designed by Ruth Lee
Maps by Justin Spain
H.M.S. Unseen
is a work of fiction set in the near future. The premise of the novel and description of the naval operations and protocol are grounded in fact. However, certain liberties have been taken in the interest of creating a compelling narrative.
H.M.S. UNSEEN.
Copyright @ 1999 by Patrick Robinson. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of PerfectBound™.
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Microsoft Reader November 2005 ISBN 0-06-113265-9
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