FACTUAL
20,000 Leagues Under the Ice
Saturday 11 March 2006 20:00-21:00 (Radio 4 FM)
In 1958, in utter secrecy, the black hull of the world's first nuclear submarine, USS Nautilus, voyaged beneath the ice of the North Pole and entered into legend. 'Nautilus 90 degrees North' flashed the telegram, informing the world of the boat's historic undersea crossing - a message that would sink home both in Washington and Moscow - hinting at American technical genius and the tilting of strategic power.
That voyage was captured on disc and long forgotten. Now Charles Wheeler, speaking with the Nautilus captain and crew, reveals a hidden history of adventure and political intrigue at the limits of human knowledge.
