As part of the United States Navy Memorial’s Authors on Deck book lecture series, author William F. Althoff will present his latest work, Arctic Mission: 90 North by Airship and Submarine (Naval Institute Press; December 15, 2011). Arctic Mission is a historical volume that explores the U.S. Navy’s major Arctic engagements in 1958, following a turning point in our nation’s history.

In Arctic Mission, Althoff recounts three extraordinary Arctic initiatives that have significantly contributed to the understanding of the geophysics of the Arctic Ocean, including the top-secret transit of the nuclear submarine Nautilus (SSN-571) – a mission that would affirm U.S. technological capability – and a unique project initiated by the Office of Naval Research, in which a U.S. Navy airship became the sole military craft to cross the Arctic Circle.

Following his presentation, Althoff will be available for a Q&A session and book signing.