120,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

πŸŽ‰ Our new Hobsonville bookstore opens on Monday! Online orders are shipping as normal πŸš€

Shadow Divers How Two Men Discovered Hitler's Lost Sub and Solved One of the Last Mysteries of World War II Anz Only

4.36 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 33,202 ratings, 3,035 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson delves into the gripping true story of two deep-sea divers who discover a mysterious World War II German U-boat off the coast of New Jersey. As they embark on a dangerous and challenging journey to unravel its origins, they ultimately face personal trials and profound historical revelations, creating a thrilling tapestry of adventure and discovery in the depths of the ocean.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of Shadow Divers How Two Men Discovered Hitler's Lost Sub and Solved One of the Last Mysteries of World War II Anz Only. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you are fascinated by history, deep-sea exploration, and tales of adventure, you might enjoy this gripping account of two courageous divers. The story delves into their intense quest to uncover a sunken World War II sub, offering a thrilling mix of mystery, discovery, and bravery.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

February 1945. A German U-boat reaches American waters after an agonising three months and founders, blasted apart by undnown causes. All 56 Nazi sailors die, entrapped with the submarine. This is the story of the daring endurance of a handful of men determined to solve a mystery - or die in the attempt.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

February 1945 - The war is almost over and Britain and America rule the waves. To enlist for a German U-boat is suicidal. But sixty young Nazi soldiers choose to enter the cramped underwater conditions of the U-869 for the most difficult mission of all - to reach and then bomb the coast of America. Several weeks later, the boat barely has enough fuel to make it home and radio links with Germany are broken. The commander, Neuerberg, must make a tough decision: to carry on to America and risk death in the pursuit of glory, or to admit defeat and return home. Driven by pride, patriotism, and determination, he decides to risk it.

June 1991 - A group of deep-sea divers hear about the wreck of a U-boat 260 feet beneath the sea. There are virtually no records of the Nazi submarine, and an on-location investigation is extremely dangerous. The recommended limit for diving is 130 feet: if a diver succeeds in getting that far down, they are likely to be trapped inside the wreck or to die from compression on the way up. But twelve divers decide to take the risk. Over the next six years, a team led by John Chatterton and Richie Kohler embarks on a series of dives (on which they discover a mass grave in a front compartment), complex historical research, and false leads, from which they eventually piece together an incredible story. In the process, three of the divers die, marriages collapse, and history is made. Deep-water wreck diving is the world's deadliest sport, and John Chatterton and Richie Kohler pushed its limits.

This is a beautifully written, dramatic book about one of the greatest of human traitsβ€”the resolve people find in moments of deepest peril.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson is praised for its thrilling and gripping narrative, combining elements of adventure and historical investigation. Reviewers highlight the meticulous research and vivid storytelling that bring to life the dangerous world of deep-sea diving and the historical significance of discovering the German U-boat. The book is commended for its compelling portrayal of the divers' dedication and the resolution of a long-standing World War II mystery.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780340837566

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 July 2004

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd

Edition: Export ed

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Height: 245.0mm

Weight: 250g

About the Author

Robert Kurson is a freelance journalist who writes for Esquire. He is writing this book with cooperation from Chatterton and Kohler, and from the sole survivor of the U-boat.

Also by Robert Kurson

View all
  • Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts who made man's first journey to the Moon
    Fifty years ago, Christmas 1968, Man first orbited the Moon. Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts who made man's first journey to the Moon tells the inside story of that epic journey. In early 1968, the Apollo programme was on shaky footing. President Kennedy's end-of-decade deadline to put a man on the Moon was in...
    Paperback
    $3600
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Shadow Divers
    Pre-order
    Shadow Divers
    A true adventure in which two amateur scuba divers risk everything to solve a great historical mystery - and make history themselves. For John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, deep wreck diving was more than a sport. But in 1991, not even these courageous divers were prepared for what they found 230 feet below the surface, in the frigid waters of...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Pre-order
    Out 17 Nov 2026

More from History & Military

View all
  • Saving Elli
    One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Spy and the Traitor
    The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Wager
    THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I've ever read' Guardian 'The greatest sea story ever told' Spectator 'I cannot think of anyone who would not love this book... It is an extraordinary true story, beautifully...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Discipline
    Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...
    Paperback
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Cauldron
    How did an elderly cleric overthrow the Shah of Iran and change the world?Why did Bin Laden attack the USA - and why did the USA destroy Saddam?How did Britain and France carve up the Middle East - and why did the Kurds never get their own state? THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE MAKING OF TODAY'S MIDDLE EAST: A SPELLBINDING...
    Hardback
    Sold Out
  • Man's Search For Meaning
    Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Shattered Lands
    'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story (Deluxe Edition)
    Pre-order
    Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story (Deluxe Edition)
    Capture His Story, Honor His Legacy The Official Hear Your Story Collection Your dad's story is more than just memories-it's a journey filled with wisdom, experiences, and defining moments that shaped his life. Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story is a guided journal that gives him the chance to share those stories in his own words, creating a legacy...
    Hardback
    $4999
    Elsewhere:
    $5500
    Pre-order
    Out 20 Nov 2026
  • Keep Calm – We Are Coming
    Keep Calm β€” We Are Coming briefly backgrounds the New Zealand Special Air Service deployment in Afghanistan β€” then goes into action. While primarily training Afghan forces, in Kabul the NZSAS had to respond to a series of β€˜spectacular attacks’ by heavily armed Taliban fighters wearing suicide vests and determined to inflict major casualties. In the words of those who...
    Paperback
    $4000
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Betrayal
    β€˜Tom Bower is the Inspector Morse of investigative biographers, a fluent, phlegmatic storyteller and a master of intricacies.’ Sunday Times The British Crown is in crisis, with constitutional threats at home and abroad. At a landmark moment in royal history, can King Charles overcome the scandals that blight the Royal family? Can the broken bonds between the Houses of Sussex...
    Paperback
    $3499
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Serviceman J
    New Release
    Serviceman J
    A new edition of the bestselling 2024 memoir by a former NZSAS commander, on serving in Afghanistan over four deployments and operating at the edge of his limits. 'Frighteningly, devastatingly real.' - The Post In 2011, following the Taliban siege on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel, an SAS soldier identified only as Serviceman J was awarded New Zealand's second highest military honour...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.