This is the story of the Nautilus SSN 571 which, as the world's first nuclear boat, made the first transit of the Arctic Ocean from the Pacific to the Atlantic, arriving first at the North Pole. Anderson has a warm humble style and gives credit to his crew and Admiral Rickover, the father of the nuclear fleet. The main problem was the shallow depth of the Bering Sea entrance which, combined with thick ice, made the start of the trip difficult. There were no charts of the deeper entrances. Once into the Arctic Ocean, which is quite deep, the trip went smoothly.
The world reaction to this voyage was amazing. The voyage was top secret and Eisenhower wanted no leaks and wanted to make the announcement himself, so once the Nautilus surfaced near Iceland, Anderson was flown to the White House.
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