Shadow Divers, by Robert Kurson

[SeaRat]

I have just finished reading Shadow Divers, the True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II, by Robert Kurson. My brother, Bill Ratliff, visited and brought this book with him to give to me. So I started reading it, and couldn't stop.

This book follows John Chatterton and Richie Kohler in their discovery of a "mystery U-boat" that they discovered off the coast of New York. It also follows the descent of Bill Nagle and his boat, the Seeker, as he succumbed to alcoholism after a steller diving career on the Andrea Adoria.

I won't go into details, other than to say that the writing by Mr. Kurson is some of the best about diving that I have read in a long while. This book is probably the best diving book since Cousteau's The Silent World, and goes into details of deep, wreck diving. It also goes into details of the fatal dive of Chris and Chrisie Rouse, who died on a dive on this U-boat.

Chatterton and Kohler would not stop until the U-boat was definatively identified. It also almost took the life of Chatterton on the last dive for getting the ID of the U-boat.

I hope others of our vintage community will pick up this book, and be unable to put it down.

www.amazon.com/Shadow-Divers-Adventure-Americans-Everything/dp/0739320831

John

[scubalawyer]

I read that book a few years ago. Agree it is well written. Hard to put down in fact. M

[sitkadiver]

Yes! Great Book, one of my favorites.

Interesting side note, if you've read, "The Last Dive", which is about the Rouses, it gives a very different account of what happened on the dive boat while waiting for the helo. I'd recommend this book, but truth be told, Shadow Divers was far more addictive.
www.amazon.com/The-Last-Dive-Bernie-Chowdhury-audiobook/dp/B01F7PAYEO/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21U1C8SA02BHQ&keywords=The+Last+Dive&qid=1680649135&sprefix=the+last+dive%2Caps%2C574&sr=8-1

One thing in Shadow Divers that I found surprising: Richey Kohler was convinced that the U-Bout Captain had gone rogue. Something I find difficult to grasp for a professional naval officer.

Has anyone seen the PBS NOVA documentary, "Hitler's Lost Sub"? It came out before the book I believe. You'll need a few tissues during the last 15 minutes.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3BD8vUB9r4&ab_channel=TheParanormalSpace

[broxton coalition]

Agree-Agree-Agree, that book is a great diving adventure read.