Other links related to this book:

• Gary Gentile's New Book (History Channel website discussion board)
• SHADOW DIVERS EXPOSED: The Real Saga of the U-869 (SCUBABoard)

Patrick’s Review: Shadow Divers Exposed: The Real Saga of the U-869 by Gary Gentile is a rebuttal to the book Shadow Divers by Robert Kurston. In this book, Gary Gentile disparages John Chatterton and Richie Kohler and states that many of the claims made in Shadow Divers are incomplete, over dramatized, inaccurate, misrepresentative or outright untrue when compared with the factual events surrounding the finding and identification of the U 869.

Gary Gentile’s book is choppy and the story line skips around. While Gary Gentile recounts places in Shadow Diverswhere there is a disagreement, much of the tone in his book is condescending and is directly insulting to the reader in its presentation. While Gary Gentile is verbose in his attack on the Kurson’s book; he neglects to document where many of his points or ‘facts’ originate or why they are even presented. His lack of a structured debate and recounting make this book more of a bitter, personal attack of the main characters rather than a factual recounting of events. The reader is left wondering why Gary Gentile would need to write the book except to disparage the characters of John and Richie in every way imaginable.

One would think that an author attacking another work based on accuracy would be more forthcoming in providing the reader with a listing of primary sources of information in a manner that welcomes additional inquiry or research. However this is not the first time that Gary Gentile expects the reader to accept his word as a primary omniscient source of knowledge. This book is yet another work in a long line of books by Gary Gentile that is presented as the ‘keystone’ work on a subject that offers the reader no opportunity for further research. This makes the reader question Mr. Gentiles motive for writing the book as well as the facts contained within the pages. The author could easily ally any doubts by providing any form of a bibliography or listing of primary or secondary sources of that support the ‘facts’ or conclusions presented in the work.

I have contacted Gary Gentile regarding the primary sources used in one of his Popular Dive Guide Series and he responded that “I have actual documentation to substantiate every fact in my books.” When I was doing research on a shipwreck listed in one of his books, I asked him for a listing of the documentation for the shipwreck he mentioned so I could take the research further he informed me that “No, I do not have a listing, …” The information contained in his book was in direct contradiction to another accounting of a ship’s sinking. Rather than encouraging the diving industry to continuing the research and quest for knowledge, Gary Gentile expects his readers to accept what he says and never want for further information.

I want to state clearly that I am not trying to dispute any of the facts laid out in any of Gary’s books. I was not present at the events that were recounted in the books. I am only pointing out that his position would be clearly supported and beyond reproach by simply providing a listing of documents he states that he used. I wonder why he doesn’t.

History of shipwrecks and diving are topics that welcome different opinions and viewpoints and they open the forum for debate. Most divers worth their salt welcome discussions and differing opinions on the subjects that interest us. I found that the writing in Gary Gentiles book was not pleasurable to read and his approach was more of a vendetta and personal attack rather than opening a forum for debate. While I welcome all views of shipwrecks and the opinions surrounding them, I deplore his approach and lack of respect for his readers.

Patrick's review of Shadow Divers: Shadow Divers is a great read for anyone interested in diving, wreck diving, shipwreck exploration, history or the icons of our sport. Since I am passionately interested in all of these subjects, I was anxious to read this book as soon as possible. The book is well written and I have had the opportunity to correspond with the main characters of the book, Richie Kohler and John Chatterton, on several occasions. This is easily my favorite story about diving and I recommend it highly to divers and non-divers alike.

Shadow Divers is a gripping story that grabs you in the first few pages and never lets you go. This book is one of the many reasons that John Chatterton and Richie Kohler have been catapulted to the status of rock stars in the diving community.

Since I was not present during the events described in either book, I have no way of knowing if Shadow Divers is a true and complete account or whether Gary’s description is accurate. I imagine that both authors overstate their account to some extent. So what if they do. Even though Kurson may lay it on a little thick stylistically here and there, John and Ritchie found, researched and identified the wreck of the U 869. The fact remains that they actually identified it by diving it and floating irrefutable proof of identification. John and Richie did not just look at some documents in a library, dive the wreck a few times and say that the wreck can only be boat “X;” only to have another diver, researcher, or organization come along later and ‘prove’ it is not boat “X” but boat “Y,” like some critics have been known to do.