Shadow Divers

SHADOW DIVERS: THE TRUE ADVENTURE OF TWO AMERICANS WHO RISKED EVERYTHING TO SOLVE ONE OF THE LAST MYSTERIES OF WORLD WAR II: Robert Kurson: Random House: nonfiction: 375 pages

Perilous danger, history, adventure, mystery, death and human weakness combine in this historical narrative about the discovery and exploration of a mysterious wreck off the coast of New Jersey in 1991. At a depth of 230 feet the wreck was just beyond safe diving depths, creating a competitive challenge and ultimately a death trap for wreck divers. Divers could spend just fifteen minutes at that depth, fighting narcosis every second and needing one hour to decompress. The stamina the divers required for those minutes on the bottom is matched by tenacious determination over the next seven years to discover the identity of the wrecked submarine and learn about the men who died when it went down. John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, at first competitive enemies, are drawn into a bond of brotherhood as exploring the wreckage claims lives, friendships and marriages.

But this gripping book doesn’t just take you to the bottom of the sea. The perils and technical difficulties of deep sea diving are only a part of what makes this book so good. Fascinating details about life aboard German U-boats during World War II and the courage of the crews are an important part of the story. History buffs will also enjoy the accounts of sleuthing through dusty military archives and contacting international World War II experts only to discover they were all wrong. Ultimately you meet brothers, sisters, and sons of the German crew of the wrecked submarine.

If you enjoyed The Perfect Storm (Sebastian Junger, 1997), Into Thin Air (Jon Krakauer, 1997) or The Endurance : Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition (Caroline Alexander, 1998), or like to watch the new History Detectives show on PBS, you can plan on enjoying this book as well. The Last Dive : A Father and Son’s Fatal Descent Into the Ocean Depths by Bernie Chowdhury, though not as well written, gives further details about two of the divers who perished while exploring the U-boat wreck in October of 1992.

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