Shadow Divers: Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of WWII

IPOD plus headphones at 3 AM....I couldn't stop listening to this superb story of adventure, history, courage, tenacity....The author superbly weaves several tales together to create such a beautiful fabric of a story. This is one of the best, if not the best, of my many audible experiences. Please only get the unabridged version: I wouldn't miss a drop of this story.

A fascinating view into the world of what has to be the most extreme of extreme sports, deep wreck diving. Kurson conveys a treasure chest of historical and technical information, all wrapped in a gripping high-tension narrative. What is most fantastic is the fact that it?s true-every word.

The story invites comparison to works such as ?The Perfect Storm? and ?Touching the Void?; but it transcends those works and others of the genre by allowing the story to stand on its own. Knudson conveys what drives these men through the sheer power of description and story. He doesn?t interject himself or attempt to process the information for us. His meticulous research and winning prose style render that unnecessary.
Listeners will be treated to an education in wreck diving as well as a slice of history. The fear and excitement is palpable in every dive. This is a one of a kind story.

As a listener to fiction, (and mostly mystery) I hesitated to download Shadow Divers. However, I had heard an interview with the author on NPR and the book seemed so compelling, I had to go for it. I wasn't disappointed! The book is filled with mystery and adventure and the interview with the two main divers at the end was unexpected and fantastic.

I was surprised that this book does actually live up to the praise of the listeners? reviews. Besides being a fascinating treatise on the ultra-dangerous sport of deep wreck diving, this true story reads like fiction. Extremely well researched and organized, Kurson introduces and describes each real-life person so that the reader/listener knows and identifies with him personally, each sharing a strong connection to either the love of wreck diving, or the mystery of the phantom U-boat.

The book is rich with detail that aptly serves to explain the myriad complexities and inherent dangers of deep water diving. For the first time in my life, I finally understand the physiology of ?decompression? and why it is vitally mandatory for any diver to complete before surfacing. The descriptions of that diving affliction known as ?the bends? makes one appreciate just one of the myriad ways a person can perish exploring the deep.

The human side of each character is developed, so that one can understand that the participants are all just everyday real people, complete with all of the foibles and frailties that each of us possess. This added to fullness of the story and helped bring it to life for me.

Very engaging and highly recommended for lovers of fiction, non-fiction, history, adventure or mystery.

I am not usually a non-fiction reader, but picked this up last month based on reviews. I cannot say enough great things about it. It was well written, well narrated, and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole listen. I highly recommend this book. I found myself hurrying home in the evenings to listen to the next chapter! I hated for it to come to an end. Listen to this book!

I am not a diver and not necessarily a World War II buff, but I loved this book. The compelling human way in which this mystery is presented is truly a feast for those of us addicted to character development, the unfamiliar, and suspense. This story takes the listener to another time when the world was at war and another place at the bottom of the ocean where life and death are one. Along the way, it teaches us a little bit about who we are.

I couldn't stop listening to this book. I stayed up late listening until I was a zombie at work. The narrator is perfect for the material & the material is facinating & emotionally gripping. There is a section after the epilogue where the author details his sources. Be sure to listen after that for an interview with Chatterton and Kohler conducted by the author after the print version of the book was published.

This incredible true adventure is one of my favorite Audible listens.

The diving scenes are tense, and I found myself holding my breath each time they dove to 230 feet to explore the boat. Searching the boat must be done with extreme care due to the depth, but also the danger of getting trapped inside where there is debri that could fall at the wrong touch. Added to the danger, they take care not to disturb the remains of the men who perished on the boat.

However, most of the story is above water, about two dedicated men who will not give up until they find out the mystery of the boat found off the coast of New Jersey. This takes them almost 7 years to wade through the red tape and brick walls that seem to interfere at every turn.

John Chatterton and Richie Kohler become almost obsessed with their quest to find out the name of the WW II U-Boat. It takes over their lives so completely that they both eventually lose their marriages.

Amazingly only three men in Chatterton's dive group lost their lives while attempting to get identification off the boat. In such deep waters, they could only stay down about 30 minutes per dive, or risk getting Narc'd -resulting in extreme confusion and bad decisions which could cause a rise too quickly to the surface. This is where the term "the bends" comes from- and is so painful that one of the men begs to be shot rather than endure it.

I really like the narrator as well. His voice didn't distract from the story, which almost is told like a documentary. Worth the credit.

Although "Shadow Divers" isn't a story of survival, I couldn't help but feel that it was as I listened. Not only is the story itself fascinating, this book is an amazing example of undeterred perseverance and determination. These two divers single handedly changed the history books, and in effect, brought peace to the U-boat crew's families.

The author does a great job of intertwining history to give the story a greater perspective. If you love adventure, history, and drama in one - you'll love this book.

If you like nautical history this is a great book for you. I am not a diver and was pleased to get such a great education on diving from this book as well as a lesson on the history surounding the events. 6 stars would be more appropriate. Other that I personally know that listened to or read this book share my opinion of "amazing".