Shadow Divers

by Robert Kurson

book data

1,612 ratings, 4.21 average rating, 406 reviews (more data...)

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5		40%
4		42%
3		14%
2		1%
1		0%

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published

2004 by Random House

binding

Paperback

isbn

0965925072 (isbn13: 9780965925075)

description

Includes a section of b&w photos and one section of color plates. In the fall of 1991, two deep wreck divers discovered a World War II German U-boat s...more

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10/31/07

Janet rated it:

Read in February, 2008

recommends it for: History Buffs, Adventure Readers, Those Who Love the Sea

Just as on the Titanic, it is U-869’s ghosts that do not let her sleep, crying out of the depths for their story to be told.

2 amateur “shadow” divers moved beyond reason, spent 6 years of their lives in study, research, planning, travel, and dangerous deep sea diving (risking death countless times, three men did in fact die while diving the wreck) to uncover the identity of a lost WW2 submarine discovered in 1991 on the floor of the Atlantic just off the coast of New Jersey. ...more

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

2 comments

07/30/08

Alanna rated it:

bookshelves: book-club, history, own, tracy-borrowed, true-story

Read in September, 2008

recommended to Alanna by: Heather for bookclub
recommends it for: divers and history buffs

This is not a book I would normally have picked to read. It was our book club pick this month. I was surprised that I actually did like it. I found it interesting. I thought it was amazing that these divers would not give up until they had the answers they needed to satisfy their own curiosity and need. They went through so much, put in so much time to research, and faced terrible peril. I dive and have done a 100 foot on a shipwreck but after reading this book I don't think I will do it aga...more

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

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01/14/09

trishtrash rated it:

bookshelves: biog-autobiog-memoirs, history

recommended to trishtrash by: cream_of_wheat, diver and fellow livejournaler
recommends it for: divers, history buffs, anyone who enjoys a good perils-of-the-sea yarn

This book is principally the story of two American divers who risk their lives to explore and identify the wreck of a WWII U-Boat.

Rich with adversity, adventure and war history, the author's enthusiasm for the tale (which in turn is lit by the dedication and determination of the divers themselves) lends the writing that elusive thrill of perfect retelling. The balance of back-story of the men who explored the wreck, the detail and technical information, the history, the suspense of t...more

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12/25/08

Jessica rated it:

(review of isbn 0345482476)

Read in January, 2009

Holy moly. I didn't think that this book would be as amazing as it was. I had thought it'd be a rather dry telling of an awesome discovery, but it was so much more than that.

Mr. Kurson was able to tell John Chatterton and Richie Kohler's stories so that it read just like that, a story. His tone was honest and even, his research was obvious. There were points where I had to remind myself that this wasn't fiction.

I truly appreciated the history that Mr. Kurson injected into...more Holy moly. I didn't think that this book would be as amazing as it was. I had thought it'd be a rather dry telling of an awesome discovery, but it was so much more than that.

Mr. Kurson was able to tell John Chatterton and Richie Kohler's stories so that it read just like that, a story. His tone was honest and even, his research was obvious. There were points where I had to remind myself that this wasn't fiction.

I truly appreciated the history that Mr. Kurson injected into this entire book. Not only the history of the sub and the men who lost their lives for their country, but the history of wreck-diving, Chatterton and Kohler's histories, and the history of Bill Nagle.

I kept reading through the different chapters thinking, "that's just craziness", or "no WAY!", but I couldn't put it down. The way Mr. Kurson described some of the last moments of wreck-divers that had been lost had me occasionally holding my breath and grieving the outcome. I think that's an amazing feat for a novel such as this. I was genuinely saddened by the losses of divers, and the reconstructed history and eventual loss of the men aboard the U-boat.

I'm amazed by the sheer dedication from Mr. Chatterton and Mr. Kohler. Not only did they want to figure this mystery out, they wanted to do so without giving in to the "treasure hunting" aspect and without disturbing the bones left behind. Their trips all over the world, their passion for discovering the truth, their desire to correct history (and how sad is this - they found that written history is not infallible, that sometimes assumptions were changed and presented as truth in order to make an assessor feel better about his job), and Mr. Kohler's desire to let the families of the U-Boat men know the truth is something that I appreciated, applauded and agreed with.

They risked so much to put an actual name to the boat, not settling for assumptions. They spent years on this project, refusing to quit when their family, friends and colleagues told them it was time to walk away. They didn't give in to the "easy", and instead focused on what was right, and that in itself made their story a magnificent read.(less)

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08/19/08

Ron rated it:

(review of isbn 0375508589)

Read in July, 2007

I wanted to love this book, with its plots and subplots involving the discovery of a "mystery ship" (an unidentified German U-boat sunk off the coast of New Jersey during WWII, and discovered by divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler in 1991), but ultimately all I could do is like it and think about what might have been. My all-time model for what a book can do with a single "true life" event - examining its roots causes, and exploring the larger context within which it hap...more I wanted to love this book, with its plots and subplots involving the discovery of a "mystery ship" (an unidentified German U-boat sunk off the coast of New Jersey during WWII, and discovered by divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler in 1991), but ultimately all I could do is like it and think about what might have been. My all-time model for what a book can do with a single "true life" event - examining its roots causes, and exploring the larger context within which it happened will always be Norman Maclean's Young Men and Fire.

Shadow Divers has a similarly interesting premise: young men whose lives were lost unexpectedly and suddenly. Unlike Maclean, Kurson takes far too long with the setup of the story. He also labors under the disadvantage of not fully knowing exactly what happened and why, beyond knowing that the vessel was sunk the loss of all hands. I just had the feeling that in trying to flesh out the details, some poetic and almost Hollywood-like license was taken. Furthermore, while the scenes in the sea on the dives were involving, those on lnad poking around in files and archives are less rewarding.

Another issue I had personally is that I had some problems with the protagonists themselves. Kohler, for instance, seemed to think that his quest to identify the craft and to contact surviving family members was some kind of crusade of greater significance than it was. Trying to make this like some kind of Trojan epic is a mistake. I'm also somewhat puzzled by the deep initial antagonism, followed by the later almost reverse feelings engendered by their common obsession with discovery, that arises between Chatterton and Kohler. In all fairness, if I were a diver engaging in the time of work they do in their "spare time," I might be able to put myslef in their shoes.

In sum, generally strong under the sea, but weak on land.

(Note: long after I read and put aside this book, I found on Amazon a listing for and review of a book by Gary Gentile that purports to tell the "real" story of U-869 and its discovery, without the alleged distortions in Shadow Divers. I don't intend to follow up, but someone with more interest in the story might want to do so.) (less)

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02/05/09

Arit rated it:

This was a very riveting book about two deep-wreck divers who risk everything to solve the mystery of a U-boat (German submarine) that they found off the coast of New Jersey. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It really was very suspenseful for a non-fiction. Wow! There were so many things about deep-wreck diving that I never knew, and things about World War II. My only complaint is that the deep-wreck divers Kurson quotes in the book use A LOT of bad language. I'm really not a f...more

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3 comments

02/05/09

Bookmarks Magazine added it (review of isbn 0375508589)

The "U-Who" and German soldiers' stories "have settled," Kurson writes, at the bottom of the sea, "where one uncovers the freeze-frames of final human experience." Critics compare Shadow Divers, a danger-filled adventure story that blends action, mystery, science, and military history, to Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air and Sebastian Unger's Perfect Storm. Like these true-adventure authors, Kurson, contributing editor to Esquire, definitely knows how to tell a story (s

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06/08/09

Moody rated it:

Read in June, 2009

Shadow Divers was amazing, powerful and grand. The recounting of an unknown mystery that revealed itself and its details slowly--and only after the greatest effort had been devoted to it, and the greatest sacrifices made--a mystery that yielded its final truth only after nearly all hope was lost. Kisha strongly recommended it, and I trust her opinion on books, but I was still a little uncertain. Until I embarked on it. Then I was intrigued, then I was captivated, then I was enthralled. Then I go...more

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04/16/09

Steven rated it:

(review of other edition)

Read in January, 2007

Best book I've read in five years. The adventure of a lifetime. A mystery underwater? I was already hooked. Two guys who find a German U-Boat off the New Jersey coast? The entire crew still inside? That's a book with promise. And the author delivers. He weaves the right combination of non-fiction research and a fascinating tale of two men struggling for seven years--against incredible and unexpected odds--to figure out which U-Boat they had found. If you know anything about research, or simply b...more

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4 comments

01/03/09

jill rated it:

bookshelves: history, non-fiction

Read in December, 2008

recommended to jill by: Will Cheeseman

It took me a while to get into this book. I'm not really interested in naval history or wreck diving, and the introduction didn't grab me. But I'm a sucker for other people's interests and passions, and once the story got into the various divers and their devotion to the project, I got more involved. I think Kurson did a good job of balancing the various aspects of the story -- the history of submarines and WWII, the technical aspects and appeal of wreck diving, the relationships and personal...more

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04/17/08

Janis rated it:

Read in April, 2008

Rivalry, passion, friendship and loyalty, danger, tragedy, mystery and -- best of all -- history! Shadow Divers is a fascinating account of two men who dedicated years and risked their lives to unravel the story of a WWII U-boat discovered off the coast of New Jersey. I couldn't stop reading.

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1 comment

04/11/08

Jwjohnsen rated it:

Read in May, 2007

This is one of the most interesting nonfiction books I have read in a while, although it dwindled in intensity toward the end. However, there is a lot of harsh profanity, which may turn off some readers. I heard about this one on the Diane Rehm Show.

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01/22/09

Jackson rated it:

Read in March, 2008

This is the true account of the lives and adventures of two deep sea divers who discover a previously unknown UBoat. It combines the story of their lives, the story of deep sea diving, and the history of UBoats in WWII to produce a compelling story.

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11/14/08

April rated it:

A little dry sometimes. I want to read their new one about the Titanic, which surprises me, because I thought James Cameron had killed off any of my interest in it what with his Great Monstrosity. God, I hate him.

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04/06/09

Dawn rated it:

bookshelves: action-thriller-mystery, nonfiction, true-story

Read in April, 2009

A week ago, if anyone said that I would be reading a real account about two deep sea divers and loving it I would laughed in their face. But they would have been right! This book was a real page turner for me. The book is about a true story but it reads like a thriller/mystery novel. If you've read and liked books such as Jon Krakauer's (sp?) "Into Thin Air" then you'll like this book.

Kurson makes two blunders in his telling of this story that normally I wouldn't find e...more

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06/24/09

Jaime rated it:

Read in July, 2009

Dan recommended this one to me and I wasn't too excited to read it b/c it involved World War II history and that makes my brain shut off but boy am I glad I picked this one up!

A chilling tale of deep water divers who discover and spend the next decade trying to recover identifying artifacts from a mystery U boat sunk (really deep....230ft) off the coast of New Jersey. It reminded me of scuba diving the shipwrecks and Japanese zero in Hawaii (at only 110ft. deep).

A stor...more

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02/22/09

Susan Spring rated it:

Read in July, 2008

I learned more than I'll ever need to know about deep sea diving in this true story! I can't believe how many men have risked and lost their lives in the pursuit of this passion! This book is a true story of the discovery of a previously unknown German U-Boat off the East coast. The story of the relentless divers and their desire to discover the truth of this World War II mystery submarine and the men who died on it is fascinating. I loved how one dedicated diver diligently tracked down the rela...more

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01/05/09

Ethan rated it:

Read in September, 2004

It’s a great book. It has all the prequisites for a good fiction drama, with the added bonus of being true. There’s conflict, despair, death, and redemption. And in the end, the book wasn’t what I thought it was about. Not in an M. Night Shymalan “gotcha” way or anything like that. I just realized halfway through that I was reading a different story than I had expected. And it’s a great story. I’ll leave the nature of the true story up to you.

It’s well-written and int...more

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05/07/08

Liz rated it:

Read in January, 2008

Holy crap. These people are insane and I confess I was totally riveted.

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2 comments

12/31/08

Arief rated it:

Read in December, 2008

Baca terjemahannya saja,sebenarnya ceritanya biasa tapi sangat didukung oleh penerjemahnya yang ok.Mungkin penerjemah baru tapi sangat bagus pemahamannya tentang cerita tersebut,atau bisa juga penerjemah berpengalaman.Banyak buku baru tapi sering terjemahannya kurang baik,jadi isinya kaku.Baru2 ini beli buku "Old man and the sea" dan "No country for old man",terjemahan semua lho,dan kecewa karena terjemahannya kurang bagus.Buku pertama sudah saya baca bertahun2yang lalu,kesan...more

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