Shadow Divers

Infobox Book
name = Shadow Divers
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Paperback cover of "Shadow Divers"
author = Robert Kurson
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = non-fiction history adventure
publisher = Alfred A. Knopf
release_date = 2004
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 397 pp (paperback)
isbn = ISBN 0-375-76098-9 (paperback)

"Shadow Divers" is a non-fictional recounting of the discovery of a World War II German U-Boat sixty miles off the coast of New Jersey, USA in 1991.

Overview

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.

Film adaptation

A film adaption of the book is currently in production and slated for a 2009 release.Fact|date=July 2008 It is to be directed by Peter Weir.

Accolades

"Shadow Divers" has been awarded the following accolades

*ABA's Non-fiction 2005 Book Sense Book of the Year Award
*ALA Alex Award
*Was on the New York Times Bestseller list

Further reading

"The Last Dive: A Father and Son's Fatal Descent into the Ocean's Depths" Bernie Chowdhury. Harper Paperbacks, 2002., 384 pp., ISBN 0-060-93259-7.

Trivia

*John Chatterton was the host of the History Channel show "Deep Sea Detectives." He is sometimes joined by his partner Richie Kohler.
*The "U-Who" and its discovery was the subject of the NOVA special "Hitler's Lost Sub."
*There is also another book about the discovery of the U-869 called "Shadow Divers Exposed" by Gary Gentile (ISBN 978-1883056247)

Other formats

"Shadow Divers" is also available in Hardcover, Audio CD, Audio Cassette and Audio Download formats.

External links

* [http://www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org/events/2004-09-09-robertKurson.jsp Interview] with Robert Kurson on "Shadow Divers" at the Pritzker Military Library

See also

*Unterseeboot 869 - the U-boat whose rediscovery is described in the book