Running Deep

An Australian Submarine Life

By Peter Scott

Published by Fremantle Press
RRP $34.99 in paperback  |  ISBN 9781760992002

There is praise for this book from many quarters, including from Kim Beazley, former Minister for Defence (among other achievements). He writes:

‘Peace and war for a submariner are much the same. Service with our Navy’s main strike weapon is a mystery for most Australians. If we are to comprehend the terms of our survival, we must know. This beautifully written memoir is our key. It needs a wider audience.’

Peter Scott began his naval career at HMAS Creswell in 1983. In 1985, he admits he graduated by ‘the barest of margins’ with the damning assessment he lacked ‘any sense of responsibility, application or interest in his training and development as a naval officer’.

Despite this unpromising start, in his decorated 34-year career, Scott served in ten submarines, passed the most demanding military command course in the world and served as the Head of Profession of the Submarine Arm of the Royal Australian Navy.

Yet his career certainly came at a personal cost about which he writes with refreshing honesty, including his battle with anxiety.

Interesting too are his insights into negotiations for the French submarine deal which was later usurped by the AUKUS decision which he says ‘might have been usefully made by a courageous government sometime in the previous two decades as the service life of the Collin-class wore inexorably on’.

At a time when submarines have been in the news more than ever before, Peter Scott’s career serves as a timely reminder of the challenge Australia faces to recruit and train the next generation of submariners.

VERDICT: A ‘must read’ for any young person intending to follow in Peter Scott’s footsteps into the submarine service and wear the famous dolphin insignia with pride. Scott is refreshingly candid about his career, expressing opinions he probably would not – or could not  – have done as a serving officer.

It’s an interesting look too at how, in the midst of a successful career, he at times struggled with anxiety. He’s to be applauded for his candour.