Customer Reviews

Shipwreck Hunter: Deep, Dark & Deadly in the Great Lakes

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To be honest, I was a fan of Mr. Volgenau when he was a writer for the Detroit Free Press, but this book is really something else entirely. A little bit of fascinating history, lots of drama and a compelling human story as well. I had a hard time putting it down. Definitely recommended for those interested in diving, as well as fans of the maritime history of the Great Lakes. Mr. Volgenau's background as a journalist really shines in this brutally honest look at the dangerous world of deep diving and the people who have the sauce to do it. Loved it.

This is the second Book that I have read by Volgenau. This book tells the true story of modern day adventurers who dive deep in the Great Lakes to find shipwrecks. Fascinating story about the dangers of diving deep. Lots of interesting mariner and Great Lake history as well. Shipwreck Hunter: Deep, Dark & Deadly in the Great LakesMuch different than his first, Islands which is fascinating in a different way-great historical information and travel ideas about the Great Lakes.Islands: Great Lakes' Stories

I can't be very objective when one of the key characters is someone I know; David Trotter who knows his Great Lakes shipwrecks! But maybe the only problem I had was reading it after "Shadow Divers" which was another high energy, drama filled account on a larger scale. So the obvious draw to this book is the midwestern connection or the small town, local aspect, but with some of the same high drama. I think people will relate a little more in the midwest if they are familiar with some of the names mentioned in the book from newspaper accounts or visits to some of the shipwreck museums in the area, etc. It still has the danger that "Shadow Divers" has but more on a local, hometown level. Still worthy of a read!!!

It was a OK book about the same one sided as you get from some Andrea Doria Diver books. Why dose He try to glamorize these old men as historians and hero's of the deep when most are not! Most all are just plain salvors and looters of the deep. The book states that one main character in one sentence takes only pictures and in the next breath they are prying a strong box open.And in another Bio he states correctly that one divers problems with the local government (Law) and writes about the one case this diver won but forgets to mention about the cases he lost.Was this intentional? In closing it is nice to know how paranoid some of these old salvors are (were) If they were so innocent sharing locations and information would be the norm as some legitimate groups do today. And I think the author would of done a much better job in including some more facts and interviewing others out of the good old boy network.

I found this an exciting and informative book about penetration wreck diving in the Great Lakes.
Although I knew little about the area or its wrecks I found it easy to picture the locations and diving details.
The drawings and information about various wrecks were nicely presented and helped to set the scene for the extreme diving these guys go in for.
If you enjoyed Shadow Divers and the many Andrea Doria books I think you will like this. However, although it is better written than many 'extreme diving' stories, you probably need an interest in technical diving and/or shipwrecks to really enjoy it.

This engrossing book is an excellent tale of the Great Lakes, shipwreck hunting, and underwater diving. I personally know, or thought I knew, the main diver profiled, Danny Fader and his wife, Jeanne. Volgenau paints a very thorough, honest portrayal of both. They are two of the most honest, caring, endearing individuals one could ever meet. If there is any fault with the book, it is that the author tends to get too bogged down with the technical details of shipwreck hunting. There is such a thing as too much detail.

Shipwreck Hunter -- Deep, Dark & Deadly In The Great Lakes is about just that, hunting for shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. It's about the dangerous passion of a small, dedicated and very competitive community of divers who search for some of the most famous, and often most remote, wrecks. There are as many as 10,000 of them in the Great Lakes, many beyond reach, but a good number accessible to daring divers willing to brave depth, icy cold water, poor visibility and occasionally rough seas.

Author Gerald Volgenau is a seasoned journalist with decades' worth of experience as a reporter and editor at the Detroit Free Press where he also spent eight years as a globe-trotting travel writer. Volgenau's journalistic credentials mean that Shipwreck Hunter is well written, well edited, well laid out and very polished. I mention that because in this era of self- and alternate publishing, one can no longer take that for granted. Me, I appreciate books that are not only well written, but also shine in layout, typography and editing.

The title Shipwreck Hunter primarily refers to David Trotter, a particularly skilled and determined wreck searcher, and his ever changing and evolving crew. The book covers Trotter's increasingly sophisticated hunt for wrecks of particular historic value, using sidescan sonar, a meticulous work ethic, and considerable diving skills. In it for the hunt and discovery rather than for salvage, trophies or financial gain, Trotter leaves wrecks untouched and keeps their location secret from anyone.

While the 200-page book centers on Trotter's efforts, it is sandwiched by the tragic events that lead to a severe decompression accident with one of Trotter's crew. It's a structure often used when a book is based on actual events, and one that perhaps makes one want to rush through the book too quickly to find out what exactly happened at the end.

Shipwreck Hunter not only covers Trotter's efforts over several decades, but also, in less detail, those of other shipwreck hunters. It also takes fairly detailed looks at Trotter's team members and delves into ancillary topics such as the zebra mussel infestation of the Great Lakes that has had a profound impact on those bodies of water (mostly bad, but also a bit of good in greatly improving visibility in some areas). As a result, Shipwreck Hunter moves back and forth between historical issues, technical matters, and some rather involved background stories on many of the involved parties, making for somewhat uneven reading.

The book is organized into 15 chapters, many of which include very impressive shipwreck sketches by artist Robert McGreevy. They are not only enjoyable, but also greatly help in getting a picture of what those wrecks are like, including current condition, as photographs cannot tell the story due to the darkness and generally poor visibility. I enjoyed reading this well crafted book on wreck diving in the Great Lakes, loved the historic information, but felt it was a bit light on technical issues and a bit long on personal matters ranging from excursions into faith, to speculations on mental makeup, to somewhat chiding commentary on waistlines. -- C. H. Blickenstorfer

The inside story on how most of the ships in the Great Lakes were found and are still being found.