This nonfiction book lives up to its subtile: The true adventures of two Americans who risked everything to solve one of the last mysteries of World War II.

In order to fully appreciate my review of this book, you need to know that I am not a World War II (or WWI for that matter) buff in any shape or form. Yes, I've watched loads of war movies, and was that person; the one asking are those the Germans or allies? Am I the only one who did not know that you could tell them apart merely based on their head gear?

I had never even heard of this book until a I read a review by a Goodreads friend, Carol K. It sounded interesting, so I immediately got it on audio, which is wonderfully read by Michael Prichard, and started listening to it on my walks. I was immediately hooked.

This story of deep water wreck divers stumbling across a sunken German U-boat off the New Jersey coast in 1991, and how they go about trying to determine its identity is a fascinating and gripping read. This is my fave kind of narrative nonfiction, and the cast of characters alone are worth the price of admission. I have always been fascinated by people who push their bodies and psyches to the extremes. I think it is their obsession that I admire - that single minded focus, damn the consequences.

I learned much about many things, and plan to watch some U-Boat movies in the near future. The only reason this book did not get the additional star is because the writing is choppy and repetitive at times, but even if you are not a history-war-diving buff, check it out for a fascinating ride. PS. My audiobook had a short interview with the two main divers in this story which was quite fun.

Hoy hablaremos del libro "Tras la sombra de un submarino" de Robert Kurson. Esta obra es un apasionante relato que combina elementos de historia, aventura y un profundo estudio de la condición humana. Este libro es una pieza significativa en la literatura contemporánea de no ficción.
Este libro se centra en la historia real de un grupo de buceadores que emprenden la misión de localizar y explorar un submarino alemán hundido durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, conocido como U-869.
El contexto histórico es fundamental para entender el relato. La Segunda Guerra Mundial es un periodo que ha sido ampliamente documentado y explorado en la literatura, pero Robert Kurson logra destacar una historia menos conocida, relacionada con los misterios del mar y la obsesión por desvelar lo desconocido.

La estructura del libro es una mezcla de narrativa lineal y saltos temporales que permiten al lector comprender tanto el desarrollo de la misión como el contexto histórico del submarino. Robert Kurson emplea un estilo narrativo que atrapa al lector desde el primer momento, con un ritmo que alterna entre la tensión de las inmersiones y la exploración de los personajes y sus motivaciones.
La trama se centra en la búsqueda del U-869 y la resolución de su misterio: ¿Cómo llegó el submarino a su lugar de descanso final? ¿Qué ocurrió con su tripulación? A través de entrevistas, documentos históricos y descripciones detalladas de las inmersiones, Robert Kurson construye una narrativa llena de suspense y descubrimientos.
Los personajes en "Tras la sombra de un submarino" son tan diversos como fascinantes. Los buceadores que protagonizan la historia son personas comunes impulsadas por una extraordinaria pasión por la exploración y el descubrimiento. Robert Kurson hace un excelente trabajo al profundizar en sus personalidades, miedos, y la obsesión que los lleva a enfrentar riesgos mortales bajo el agua.
El autor también nos presenta a los marineros del submarino U-869, a través de documentos históricos y cartas personales. Aunque no son personajes en el sentido convencional, sus historias y la forma en que Robert Kurson las entrelaza con la trama principal agregan una dimensión humana y emotiva al relato.
Robert Kurson utiliza un estilo accesible pero detallado, lo que permite a los lectores sin conocimiento previo de la Segunda Guerra Mundial o del buceo técnico seguir la historia sin dificultad. Su habilidad para describir ambientes subacuáticos y la tensión de las inmersiones hace que el lector sienta la claustrofobia, el peligro y la belleza del mundo submarino.
El ambiente del libro está impregnado de un sentido de aventura y peligro. Las descripciones de las inmersiones, los obstáculos técnicos, y los desafíos físicos y psicológicos que enfrentan los buceadores son vívidas y llenas de tensión. Robert Kurson también logra capturar la atmósfera de los años de la guerra, especialmente la desesperación y el sacrificio de los marineros a bordo del U-869.
Uno de los temas centrales de "Tras la sombra de un submarino" es la obsesión por el descubrimiento. Los buceadores están impulsados por una necesidad casi compulsiva de resolver el misterio del submarino, lo que los lleva a asumir riesgos que otros considerarían irracionales. Este tema nos invita a reflexionar sobre lo que impulsa a los seres humanos a explorar lo desconocido, incluso a costa de su propia seguridad.
Otro tema importante es el legado de la guerra. El submarino U-869, y su tripulación perdida, representan las huellas imborrables que la guerra deja en la historia y en las vidas de quienes participaron en ella. La exploración del submarino es también una exploración del pasado, una búsqueda de respuestas sobre los sacrificios y los horrores que la guerra conlleva.
La perseverancia ante la adversidad es otro tema destacado. Los protagonistas enfrentan desafíos casi insuperables, tanto técnicos como personales, pero continúan adelante. Este tema refleja la resiliencia humana y la capacidad de superar obstáculos en la búsqueda de algo más grande que uno mismo.
Puntos Fuertes del Libro
•tNarrativa atrapante: Robert Kurson logra transformar una historia de no ficción en un relato tan apasionante como cualquier novela de aventura.
•tDesarrollo de personajes: Aunque se trata de una obra de no ficción, los personajes están tan bien construidos que el lector se siente profundamente conectado con ellos.
•tDocumentación histórica: La investigación detrás del libro es exhaustiva, y Robert Kurson logra integrar la historia del submarino con la narrativa de manera fluida.
•tAmbientación: Las descripciones del mundo subacuático y la atmósfera de la Segunda Guerra Mundial están excelentemente logradas, creando un ambiente inmersivo.
Puntos Débiles del Libro
•tRitmo desigual: En algunos momentos, la narrativa puede sentirse lenta, especialmente cuando se profundiza en detalles técnicos que podrían no interesar a todos los lectores.
•tExcesivo detalle técnico: Aunque los detalles sobre buceo y los aspectos técnicos son esenciales para la historia, pueden resultar abrumadores para lectores que no estén familiarizados con estos temas.
•tFalta de enfoque en la perspectiva alemana: Si bien el libro trata sobre un submarino alemán, algunos lectores podrían sentir que no se explora lo suficiente la perspectiva de la tripulación del U-869, limitando así la visión del conflicto.
Preguntas para la Reflexión:
1.tObsesión y Riesgo: ¿Crees que la obsesión de los buceadores por descubrir la verdad sobre el U-869 está justificada? ¿Dónde trazas la línea entre la pasión por el descubrimiento y la temeridad?
2.tLegado de la Guerra: ¿Qué nos enseña el libro sobre la naturaleza del legado histórico de la Segunda Guerra Mundial? ¿Cómo afecta la forma en que interpretamos el pasado?
3.tÉtica en la Exploración: ¿Es ético exponer vidas al peligro en la búsqueda de conocimientos históricos? ¿Debería haber límites en las exploraciones de este tipo?
4.tResiliencia Humana: ¿Qué nos dice la perseverancia de los personajes sobre la capacidad humana para enfrentar desafíos extremos? ¿Cómo se compara esto con otros relatos de aventura que has leído?
5.tVoces no contadas: ¿Crees que la historia del U-869 está completa sin una exploración más profunda de las perspectivas de los marineros alemanes? ¿Qué impacto tendría incluir más de estas voces en la narrativa?
Conclusión
"Tras la sombra de un submarino" es una obra que, aunque se enmarca en la no ficción, ofrece una experiencia de lectura tan intensa y emocional como cualquier novela. Robert Kurson nos lleva a través de una narrativa que es tanto una aventura de descubrimiento como una profunda reflexión sobre la historia y la condición humana. Al estudiar este libro, no solo exploramos una historia fascinante, sino que también nos enfrentamos a preguntas éticas y filosóficas sobre la obsesión, el legado y la perseverancia.
Para mi este libro puntúa con un 9/10.

4.5 stars

Excellent and suspenseful read about the scuba dives (some fatal) to uncover the mystery of an unidentified German u-boat off the coast of New Jersey.

Highly recommended

Probably my favorite non-fiction book. This story is perfectly written with ups and downs like that of a Hollywood movie. You get sucked into the characters and small town hero’s here. It’s fantastic.

This is a history of a quest that re-wrote history. Deep off the coast of New Jersey, a German U-boat was discovered and explored in the 1990s. Men died diving this wreck, not only recovering artifacts but in attempting to identify it. No submarine should have been there. Who was the U-Who?

This story fascinated me. Mystery and history combined with the danger and personalities of the divers and their job was thrilling.

3.5 stars for this exciting true tale of two renowned shipwreck divers who discovered a lost, historically unaccounted for German WWII U-boat lying in the depths off the shore of Brielle, NJ. I admired the incredible bravery, obsession and compassion of the pair, who refused to give up until they identified the boat and could provide closure to the families who lost loved ones on the doomed ship. Three of the divers who assisted them died underwater in what I learned is one of the most dangerous sports and professions in the world. Interestingly, one of the two, John Chatterton, grew up in my hometown, Garden City, NY.

Imagine you are deep sea diving to a shipwreck over 200 feet below the surface, swimming inside, disturbing the surrounding silt such that visibility becomes nil, and having to find your way back out. And, oh, by the way, the ship is angled or sideways or upside down, with wires dangling down and debris sticking out. Your body is building up narcosis so your brain and extremities are functioning much slower than normal. This is the stuff of nightmares to me, but it is what these divers faced in trying to identify the sunken U-boat they had discovered. This book contains plenty of adventure, exploration, historical research, and mystery. I found the first half of this book fascinating. I think it is difficult to make historical research particularly interesting, and the second half slowed down considerably. Other than this minor issue, I was riveted. Recommended to those interested in non-fiction, WWII, slowly-building mysteries, exploration, maritime history and deep sea diving. Contains a great deal of crude language which may be offensive to some.

This is not only the most thrilling non-fiction book I've EVER read, it is one of the most exciting, thrilling books of any genre!

So many times the description for a true story says, “reads like an adventure story”, and then you read it and it's boring. This—THIS is flat out adventure!

The “shadow divers” of the title are deep wreck divers, a sport that consists of only a few hundred diehards. And “diehards” is perhaps a great description, because this sport is incredibly deadly. By the 1980's, scuba equipment still hadn't evolved much beyond when Jacques Cousteau helped invent it. The limit for recreactional diving is roughly 130 feet, and there are multiple small things that can go wrong and kill you. The deep wreckers go down to 200 feet or even deeper. Below 66 feet, a diver's judgment and focus and soberness decline due to Nitrogen Narcosis. Divers have died even though they have plenty of air, are not trapped, etc, because they have Narcosis and can't figure out where to go or what to do. At 130 feet most divers are impaired. By 170 feet hallucinations are normal. At 200 feet any tiny miniscule event can lead to panic, any major significant event (low air, losing your anchor line) might seem like nothing—and both of those can cause death.

The descriptions of the dives, the hair-raising ecapes, and the tiny mistakes that led to deaths are written in an enthralling manner. The idea of participating in this sport is terrifying.

For the divers, the biggest deal, the Super Bowl or Kentucky Derby, is discovering a new wreck. The divers in this book are elated to find a new wreck that no one else knows about. In a pact of secrecy they go down to check it out only to discover that it is no ordinary wreck, it is a German WWII Uboat. Right off the coast of New Jersey. A Uboat that doesn't exist according to records, a Uboat that can't possibly be there.

Divers Chadderton and Kohler become obsessed with figuring out what Uboat this is. As this is before you could Google information, this became a six year quest that involved letters, international phone calls, meetings with military records administrators, flying to Germany, arguing with historians who are happy with the status quo—and ending up actually rewriting history.

The adventure took its toll—three men died while diving the wreck. Another drank himself to death. Both Kohler's and Chadderton's marriages ended. After risking their lives to an insane degree they retrieve uncontrovertable proof of which Uboat this is.

I love books where new information is presented in an entertaining fashion, and this book is the best there is. I was put through a wringer of emotions, everything from terror to sadness, from excitement to grief. I was completely pulled in to this story—even though it is true it is a story by any definition.

I recommend this to EVERYONE, no matter what type of books you normally read!! If you like history, adventures, WWII, pirates, ships or shipwrecks, diving, thrillers, survival, science--or just enjoy a rollickin' good tale, then

Read.
This.
BOOK!!

Excellent read if you are interested in scuba diving or WWII history. I learned quite a bit about the dangers of diving below 200’ and how to avoid injury. It also opened my eyes to what happened in WWII with the German U-boats. Near the end of the book, they did start to drag it out but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This was a great recommendation from Emilie! I don't normally read non-fiction, but this was a perfect mix of facts and storytelling. I actually found myself holding my breath during the intense diving scenes.

Finding the book Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon incredibly entertaining and informative, I took the recommendation of a friend and put this one on hold at my library.

I downloaded the audio version and I didn't care for the narrator quite as much as I did with ROCKET MEN. (I see now there is a version narrated by Campbell Scott! That one was not available at my library.) (Not everyone is a Ray Porter!) Also, this version seemed to have been adapted from CDs because everyone once in a while the narrator announced to go to the next one. Lastly, the quality of the recording wasn't that great either: it sounded static-y at times.

Audio portion aside, this was an extremely informative book regarding deep sea diving. Now that I've read it, I know that it's something I will never do. I can't even walk around above ground without stubbing toes and running into things. During a deep sea dive, any stumble, any unsure footing could and probably would result in death. As would snagging your line, rubbing up against something abrasive, running out of air or resurfacing too soon. And I haven't even mentioned narcosis yet.

I also learned a lot about history and history books, in general. Turns out a lot of the time, the facts you think you know are not the facts. Just ask the divers in this book who worked for YEARS trying to identify the German U-boat they found off the Jersey shore. They worked tirelessly to discover where the boat came from, who was on it, etc..

Overall, I found this book interesting and informative and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the subjects I mentioned above.

*Thank you to my local library for the free download! Libraries RULE!

Not only the date by date survey of a diving project that lasted many years, but also the depth and core story of the reality for the divers who accomplished the answers to the mystery.

Knowing you were going to get the tale of a sunken U boat, I had no idea you would also get the biography to emotional depths and physical conditions for the principles who operated this obsession off "The Seeker". And they did seek, and it did start with obsession. And did end with a more total obsession.

Being within the U-505 in Chicago during different periods of my life, I knew the spaces and the constraints of that reality. (I was even in it when it was in the process of being moved "outside" decades ago.) One time two of us got to go into it all and alone during that period for hours when the museum was closed for a special event. For the last 10 or 15 years since the "move" that access is no longer true at all. Now you have a narrow band that can be walked and the largest and most interesting sections, like the food prep areas, are barrier obscured and you can only look into or see parts of them.

So I understand how incredible that these men with their gear could begin to fit within the spaces they attempted. It's like a cork in a narrow necked bottle. There would never be a moment of any surety with the collapsing damage and heavy metal components. The graveyard not only visible but, IMHO, imminent second by second. Thus the outcomes. No spoilers, but this is also not a jubilant tale, even within its ultimate successes.

The photos were as superior as the text, and the slimness of that crew in that crew photo! They were small and fine boned teen age and 20 something men who sailed those cigars in 1940-45. Their legacy to destruction was large, their outcomes worse.

Yet I liked the finality of Kohler's last connections and the mission he felt he had to finish.

Dangerous, dangerous avocations and hobbies, and some others not in such a high risk category as this kind of diving, but still testing to longevity! They are addicting habits. It certainly seems that those adrenaline needs and practices will effect every avenue and connection of a life path, that's not uncommon. It is certainly evident in these men's stories and their teamwork. I would be willing to bet that Chatterton is still pushing his limits on occasion. Probably on the sneak.