Book Review: Titanic's Last Secrets

[marshallkarp]

I picked up Titanic's Last Secrets: The Further Adventures of Shadow Divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler by Brad Matsun and read it in about three evening sittings. Technically, the book is well written and well researched. It starts off almost like picking up where Shadow Divers left off and this lasts about the first third of the book. The other two thirds is about the building of Titanic and her sister ships, the tragedy, and Chatterton and Kohler's dives to Brittanic, as seen on the History Channel special.

I am aware that Mr. Chatterton and Mr. Kohler are members of and peruse this ScubaBoard. I am going to give a straight review and I think they would appreciate that. I really do enjoy and learn from your works, read your books, and watch your TV shows.

I have read Shadow Divers, The Last Dive, Ship of Gold, and Clive Cussler/Dirk Pitt while on dive travel. Also, I read Silent World way back in the day and I could not put these books down. I just did not same reaction from this Titanic book and here is the main reason, as detailed in the book. If you are a Titanic-ologist, this book will add another fascinating piece to the legend puzzle and you may well be enthralled by it. If you find the Titanic lore interesting and enjoyed the movie, like me, adding another theory as to the sinking and break-up is, well, interesting, but just another theory and speculation. By the way, no spoilers here.

So, I suppose your level of reading enjoyment level depends on which camp you reside in. If fascinating, minute, technical details of the Titanic, Olympic, and Britannic planning, fabricating, construction, and possible cover-up is what you are into, this book will not disappoint you. If you want to read something that draws you in so much you can picture the events in your head and feel for the characters in your heart, this is not the book for you.

Mr. Chatterton and Mr. Kohler are mainly in the periphery. However, their arrangements, planning, and the mini-sub dives, and the risks, to the Titanic were real and the highlights of the book for me.

To close, if you have time on your hands, and just like to read something new to learn, you will do probably do fine with this book. **1/2

 

[Matteo]

Glad to see this thread started, as I just finsished the book myself last week. So, here's my 2 psi:
I must say that the book was not what I had hoped for in terms of content. I was expecting more coverage of Chatterton, Kohler, et al in their quest for answers through actual diving, wreck exploration, etc. As noted above, this serves not as the main focus of the text, but rather as a supporting role. The majority of the book is dedicated to the history of the ship and it's sisters.

Now this is where I disagree with the OP. I found Matsen's tale to be enthralling and entertaining. His attention to history's details as well as his thorough exploration and presentation of the characters wove a colorful tale of Harland and Wolf and The White Star Line. So much so in my opinion, that at times I felt myself drifting away across the Atlantic Ocean and 100 years of time into the shipyards of Belfast.

If I had known more about this book before reading it, I probably would not have picked it up. But, I'm glad I did. The insight I gained as well as the sheer entertainment value was well worth the price of admission.

 

[Chatterton]

First, thanks for the honesty and taking the time to post a review. Richie and I want to know what readers think, and we could never expect everyone to love everything we do, reardless if it is TV, books, or anything else.

We never intended to make Shadow Divers 2. Rob's book was great, but it was also Rob's work and his writing made it unique. As a writer, and a creative guy, he could not just write more J&R books. Richie and I wanted to do something different as well. We love Rob, but we also needed to grow beyond one book, one author. It would have been lame.

At the same time we also knew that anything else we did would be compared to SD, which of course was incredibly popular.

In SD, Rob wrote about what we had done. Brad, on the other hand, was involved with us as things were actually happening. The research was entirely different, as well. Titanic was very exciting, and a little crazy.

As a footnote, all authors of talent would appear to be lunatics which, with all irony, made Richie and I the voices of reason?

At the same time, we are talking about Titanic, here? Clearly, Richie and I only had the oppportunity to dive the wreck because of the contributions of numerous others. Simply put, we were both honored to be able to dive the wreck, and driven to contribute something to the cumulative knowledge of the most famous shipwreck in the world.

What we discovered about Titanic amazed us, and we hoped would amaze readers as well. We absolutely felt that Titanic should overshadow (no pun intended) both of us? We were just the vehicle to tell Titanic's story. Anything else would be overblown, and the impact of what we had to say about the wreck would be totally lost.

There are plenty of Titanic books that are about egos and not Titanic. We did not see the need for another.

Regardless, we are proud of Brad's work and we think that the overwhelming majority of readers will like the book. It is not however, SD2.


Cheers

JC

 

[300bar]

I've been working thrue this book,I volunteerd to write a review on it.(here's a 1st attempt)
As it's not written in my native language,it takes me a little longer,been thrue it once and now going over it again,just to get all the things I missed the 1 st time.
What struck me the 1st time and now again is the way they portraied the time in witch
the Titanic,and the other BIG ships where build.It just gives me the feeling that i'm there,in the early 1900's

IMO a must have read book.

 

[bdshort]

I definitely plan on picking this up soon. Brad Matsen was actually just in town a month or so ago, giving a talk on the book at the local library. Unfortunately I missed it, as I'm sure it was really interesting. It would have been nice to come away with a signed copy! I had been out diving all day, and by the time I got back and everything was cleaned, I was too tired to motivate myself to go. Oh well!

I caught a bit of the Titanic Fever that happened back with the Cameron movie came out, so I definitely have interest in the wreck. I was hoping to hear that the book was more about the dives made on the Titanic and her sister ships, but the history of the ship I'm sure will be interesting to read about as well.

I think Brad Matsen has probably been up here a few times actually. There is a local artist he's worked with a couple of times on some beautifully illustrated natural history books.

 

[CamG]

Greetings fellow divers,
I have had the pleasure of reading the new book as well as SD several times!
It was a different approach than SD but I found it remarkably entertaining. It was easy to get swept up in the era of the ship yards and experience "visualize" the building of these awesome ships. It was a different read for me but once I got started I was actually quite disappointed when it ended. I hope to read some more soon. Hint! Hint!
I found it very interesting, the dive to Britanic, is there a book in the works? I realize the sensitivity that surrounds this wreck but I am sure it would be a great book.
I appreciate that John and Richie put forth the effort as well as their supporters to continue to find the truth. Please keep doing what you are doing!
I am still waiting for Shadow Divers the movie, I saw the teaser last summer.
Any one have any information when it will be released?
Pick up the book and give it a read!
CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I picked up my copy and had Richie sign it. It was as everyone has said. I'm one who can take a book and if it's good transport myself to that time and place. That I was able to see the presentation Richie gave on this helped as well. I was also able to attend his wreck diving workshop the day before. Another few dollars very well spent. Back to the book. It took me to the shipyards, into the offices of the people involved. Having a background in mechancial drafting and design, I saw the vast numbers of men bent over their desks. Though not included in the actual course in school, I was asked to duplicate a set of plans for a tanker barge. This I think allowed me to better envision the hull drawings and the construction of the hull itself. I must also say after meeting and talking with Richie that I can see why the book was as it was. I honestly believe that this book was about Titanic as opposed to Chatterton and Kohler. More importantly I think they recognized it as well. For me their humility and search for the truth came thru loud and clear. What they uncovered could very well have been used to self promote their already legendary status in some circles. Instead this was not done and that to me is even more impressive. My thanks to everyone involved with this project. A special thanks to Richie though from my wife who loves the movie and will now see it in a different way thanks to his presentation and his kindness to us. And thanks to John for the really important stuff he and his wife are doing. The SUDS program that I hope to become involved with in the near future.

 

[Chatterton]

Thanks for the nice feedback, and the nice personal comments.

As a wreck diver, I am always interested in the history of the wrecks we dive. Learning about the construction of the ship, how it integrated into the fabric of the times, and the particulars of the sinking, are all ways to better understand the wreck itself. Maybe more important is finding out what we don't know about the histoy, but would like to somehow discover by examining the wreckage. This is why I continue to dive shpwrecks, and why I spend so much time in places like the Dominican Republic looking for new wrecks and new challenges.

What Brad tried to do in TLS was bring that history, those discoveries, and how we got there to the reader. We had a great time working with Brad, as he is a very interesting guy and a very talented writer. His last book was about Beebe and Barton, and he has a new biography coming out soon on Cousteau.

With regards to the SD movie, your guess is a good as mine? If I worked like these guys in Hollywood I would be out of business..... or at least in line for a bailout.


CHeers

JC

 

[Richie Kohler]

All,
Although I dont always agree with John, (lo and behold I have somehow made a career of that), I do concur with his posts about TLS, SD, our nutty author pals, and about what wreck diving has come to mean to me/him/us. Like John, I appreciate all your posts and opinions about our work and that means the good the bad and the ugly.
As for BRITANNIC, there is so much work to be done there its not funny, all we need to do is get the powers in Greece that control the site to be more "reasonable" and allow "responsible" access to the wreck as the Britannic is, in my mind, the new Mt Everst of wreck diving....

 

[Joe-Diver]

As for BRITANNIC, there is so much work to be done there its not funny, all we need to do is get the powers in Greece that control the site to be more "reasonable" and allow "responsible" access to the wreck as the Britannic is, in my mind, the new Mt Everst of wreck diving....

I can't wait for you guys to get back on that wreck! Wish I could join ya but that's way outta my league. I'll go with you via TV...so hurry up, will ya?