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Description: On a foggy July evening in 1956, the Italian cruise liner Andrea Doria, bound for New York, was struck broadside by another vessel. In eleven hours, she would sink nearly 250 feet to the murky Atlantic Ocean floor. Thanks to a daring rescue operation, only 51 of more than 1,700 people died in the tragedy. But the Andrea Doria is still taking lives. Considered the Mt. Everest of diving, the Andrea Doria is the ultimate deepwater wreck challenge. Over the years, a small but fanatical group of extreme scuba divers have investigated the Andrea Doria, pushing themselves to the very limits of human endurance to explore her -- and not all have returned. Diver Kevin McMurray takes you inside this elite club with a hard, honest look at those who go deeper, farther, and closer to the edge than others would ever dream. Deep Descent is the riveting true story of the human spirit overcoming human frailty and of fearsome, mortal risks traded for a hard-core adrenaline rush. Chronicling these adventures in his page-turning narrative and in dozens of dramatic photos, McMurray draws us deeper into the cold heart of the unforgiving sea, giving us a powerful vision of a place to which few will ever have the skills -- or the courage -- to go.
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Review Summary: This book is both about the Doria and the previous generation of Long Island Dive Boats |
Date: 2008-10-05 |
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Details: The wreck of the Italian liner Andrea Doria is considered by many to be the ultimate wreck dive. It has claimed numerous divers and has been a big part of Long Island diving history as the Long Island dive boats are amongst its most frequent visitors. This 250 foot deep wreck is beyond the range of most divers but this book still provides a facinating insight into the lore of local diving. |
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Review Summary: Great Book |
Date: 2008-09-06 |
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Details: Another great book about a great shipwreck. Well written however gets a little repetitive if you have read other Doria books. |
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Review Summary: Amazing |
Date: 2008-04-10 |
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Details: If you want to know about the Andrea Dorea or have read about it before this is a must read. |
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Review Summary: Great read -- a real page-turner |
Date: 2008-02-18 |
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Details: After reading "Shadow Divers", I was drawn to read more about the people and about diving the Andrea Doria. "Deep Descent" is a well-written account of the people and dangers of deep wreck diving on the Andrea Doria by an author who has personally dived the wreck several times and interviewed all of the significant players. Once I started, it was hard to put this book down. It is a great read for diver and non-diver alike.
The focus is on the personalities and the emotions driving those involved and how they were a factor in many of the deaths for this dangerous dive. It recounts interesting personalities of the dive boat captains and key Doria divers, their competition, and their concerns. It includes both sides of many issues whose schisms are clear in some of the other books. It is not a travelogue of the ship itself nor is it very technical -- neither detracts from the enjoyment of the book and allows it to retain its appeal for non-divers. He also talks about how advances in diving gases and equipment have made such deep dives safer and reachable for less experienced divers, yet divers continue to die for many of the same fundamental reasons -- driven to the limits of their abilities and beyond.
If you want a book on the technical aspects of deep wreck diving, or accounts of the scenery of the wreck, this is not your book. Otherwise, you will find this a very enjoyable read. |
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Review Summary: Not worth it |
Date: 2008-02-10 |
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Details: There are many other books about real - and harrowing - experiences diving that are much better written. A true disappointment - don't bother. |
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out of 45 Reviews
