September 8

Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Mysteries of World War II (2004)

By Robert Kurson

This amazing story follows a group of shipwreck divers, two in particular (John Chatterton and Richie Kohler) who discover an old German U-Boat off the coast of New Jersey in 1991.  Finding a sub this close to the US coast was extraordinary, especially one that had sunk in its watery grave half a century earlier.  The divers seek clues to the identity of the sub (many were lost during the second world war), and their detective work requires numerous dives as the work is restricted to the length of time their air supply would last.  The sub was in deep water, and it was crucial to allow ample time for divers to return to the surface after each trip to the sub. These divers are risk takers in a sport that offers great prizes (a sunken ship's bell was the holy grail for divers) but also potential disaster; ascending too fast, especially as one's air supply is depleting, can cause illness and even death.

The author has done extensive research, both in Germany and the US, and he introduces us to the lives of the German officers who piloted the sub and whose remains lie forever buried inside it.  He manages to honor them, and gives credit to the divers who, while highly motivated and skilled, are not often the best role models.

I learned a lot, not just about the joys and challenges of diving, but also about the Germans who participated in a war far, far from home.