The book, The First Submarines, traces the history of the submarine from its earliest beginnings, the man-powered craft with their primitive armament and dangerous operating conditions.  It was during World War I, however, when the technology finally allowed submarines to come into their own and with that be a major contributor to the balance of power on the high seas.  While the first recorded design for an underwater vessel occurred in 1578, it was only after centuries of experiments that the submarine became a practical and deadly weapon.  The invention of the self-propelled torpedo and the battery powered electric motor in the latter part of the 19th century set the stage for the submarine to be the lethal weapon it ultimately became in World War I.  The major sections of the book, The First Submarines, are as follows: 1) The Birth of the Submarine; 2) The Next Step; 3) Torpedoes: The Ideal Weapon; 4) The Propulsion Problem 5) The Build-up to War; 6) 1914: The Line-up; 7) Submarines at War: Getting Down to Business; 8) The Mediterranean: In Search of Targets; 9) The Baltic: A Disturbed Peace; 10) The North Sea: The Brink of Defeat and 11) The Surface Ships Fight Back: Weapons and Tactics.  In addition to an informative narrative, this book includes the following features: 1) 12 vintage black and white photographs; 2) About 28 black and white line illustrations; 3) Approximately 37 color illustrations; 4) About 20 color submarine illustrations with specifications and 5) 2 color submarine "cut-away" illustrations.  This book is 64 pages and is in very good condition.  The author is Antony Preston with John Batchelor (illustrations).  Edition published in 1974 (?).