SHADOW DIVERS

[Skipper the cigar aFISHinodo]

If you haven't read this book... what are you waiting for?

R. Kurson is a master writer. The people are incredible larger than life characters. Diver or not, this is one amazing TRUE tale.

[Tonto]

Any hint of what it's about?

[banzaitoyota]

In 1991 diver John Chatterton dives upon an unknown object lying 230 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean and discovers an apparent historical impossibility: a World War II German U-Boat off the coast of New Jersey. Amazed at this discovery Chatterton and his team of fellow divers on the trip make a pact to keep the U-Boat a secret until they can discover its identity and claim credit for its discovery. This is to prevent "wreck-jumping" where another person claims credit and/or removes objects from the wreck. Unfortunately this pact is broken almost immediately by a couple of members of the team who decide to tell close friends, and the secret is let out. Consulting both the United States Navy and the German Navy both lead to complete denials of the possibility of a World War II-era U-Boat wreck in that area. Historical records claim the closest U-Boat wreck to be hundreds of miles away.

The book chronicles the seven year quest to learn the identity of the mysterious wreck, dubbed "U-Who" by the dive team, the identities of the men aboard her, and how she came to rest on the ocean floor near New Jersey. Over the length of the quest several members of the original dive team quit, either because their lives lead them elsewhere or over concerns for their safety. Several new members are brought in, including Richie Kohler, a member of the notorious "Atlantic Wreck Divers" club that had the reputation of being pirate-like and reckless in their diving philosophy. This philosophy is completely opposite of Chatterton's, and he initially dislikes Kohler, however during the course of the quest the two men discover qualities in each other they both admire and respect. Kohler himself is driven not by monetary desires but the history behind and of the wreck, and the personal connection he feels as his family is of German descent. He and Chatterton become close friends.

The quest for the U-Boat's identity and the identity of the men onboard push the men and the dive team to the limits, ultimately ending Chatterton's and Kohler's marriages, and even more sadly, the lives of three divers, including a son and a father. Ultimately the identity of the "U-Who" is discovered, and the men, along with the dive team, rewrite a part of World War II history.

[Tonto]

Sounds interesting....

[Skipper the cigar aFISHinodo]

Sounds interesting....

it is beyond interesting...

The writer is incredible. The characters equally so. The story, all true, historical and amazing.