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Fatal Depth: Deep Sea Diving, China Fever, and the Wreck of the Andrea Doria
“A gripping true story of treasure hunting and tragedy on the Doria, the world’s most dangerous shipwreck.”—Daily News
“Well researched, well interviewed, and written without frills. . . . Drama is built in.”—National Geographic Adventure
On July 25, 1956, the luxury Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria collided with the Stockholm near Nantucket, Massachusetts. Half a century later the wreck of the Andrea Doria is still claiming lives. Divers consider it to be the Everest of diving. At 225 feet below the surface, ordinary air becomes toxic, and divers without sufficient protection suffer nitrogen narcosis, “the rapture of the deep” as they seek the ultimate symbol of deep-sea diving accomplishments: china teacups and plates from the Andrea Doria.
Fatal Depth follows a scuba diving charter boat, the Seeker, over the fateful summers of 1987 and 1988 as five of its customers die, all while exploring the fabled wreck. Based on Joe Haberstroh’s award-winning series of articles that appeared in Newsday, it tells the story of the ship that was the pride of the Italian fleet, how it sank, and the gripping personal stories of the men who live or die for a teacup from its remains.
“Well researched, well interviewed, and written without frills. . . . Drama is built in.”—National Geographic Adventure
On July 25, 1956, the luxury Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria collided with the Stockholm near Nantucket, Massachusetts. Half a century later the wreck of the Andrea Doria is still claiming lives. Divers consider it to be the Everest of diving. At 225 feet below the surface, ordinary air becomes toxic, and divers without sufficient protection suffer nitrogen narcosis, “the rapture of the deep” as they seek the ultimate symbol of deep-sea diving accomplishments: china teacups and plates from the Andrea Doria.
Fatal Depth follows a scuba diving charter boat, the Seeker, over the fateful summers of 1987 and 1988 as five of its customers die, all while exploring the fabled wreck. Based on Joe Haberstroh’s award-winning series of articles that appeared in Newsday, it tells the story of the ship that was the pride of the Italian fleet, how it sank, and the gripping personal stories of the men who live or die for a teacup from its remains.
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 7, 2011
This book could definitely have used a better editor. It felt almost like I was reading someone's high school paper--someone who waited until the last minute and didn't take the time to go back over it and make sure that it flowed properly. There were several instances of missing words in a sentence and unnecessarily repeated information (one time I thought maybe I had lost my page and gone back a few chapters!). Other than that, it was a mildly interesting book.
December 18, 2018
Excellent read as an accident analysis of five deaths that occurred on the Andrea Dorea in the late 1990s. I highly recommend this book to anyone considering pursuing any sort of advanced scuba diving. In an environment as unforgiving as the ocean, it's a good idea to always try to learn as much as you can from the mistakes of others and to avoid making those same mistakes yourself.
March 28, 2024
Found this in a little free library on a walk. Happened to read most of it while down the street from where it all took place, which really added to the experience. I wouldn't have picked this out of a bookstore but it was riveting. I enjoyed reading every minute of it, super fascinating stuff. It's the story of a shipwreck, how it wrecked, and how it has affected the lives of the divers who explore it.
September 9, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a great account of the tragic accidents that occurred on the Andrea Doria shipwreck during the late 1990s, but it left out the outcome of the lawsuit brewing in the early 2000s against Dan Crowell, Joe Jackson, TDI, etc. Maybe we are supposed to infer that the lawsuit simply faded away?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2020
A really interesting read, that did its job. Though, I am probably going to look at other books about the deaths.
September 25, 2022
Great read . These guys have brass balls going that deep!
April 10, 2025
A really interesting book, but oh my goodness there were so many typos I wonder if an editor had ever even glanced at it
September 12, 2013
I'm an avid diver having been certified as a dive master, assistant instructor and public safety diver so I was attracted to this book by the perspective. I am not; however, a technical diver. I have met someone who has dove on the Andrea Doria. I hunt megladon teeth so know the thrill of finding something ever so elusive.
The book is a great read about what it is that attracts divers to the ship, that search and retrieval of the ever growing elusive ship's china. Add in the knowledge that the clock is ticking on when the last dive will be (the ship is quickly deteriorating and in risk of collapse) and you start to get a feel for what it means to have been to the ship and brought back those white pieces of ghosts past.
The author does a good job of making each diver a person and not just another part of the story. He also brings in the agony of the owner/captain of the Seeker which is the boat that this book centers around. His descriptions are clear and as a diver I had no difficultly picturing what he was writing about. I often found myself trying thinking about what I would have done or done differently as a diver.
My only disappointment with the book is that the author ends the book without disclosing the official investigation results of each death. There are mention here and there but there is no real in depth examination of what what believed to have gone horribly wrong in each incident. I say believe because we can never truly know the whole truth as most of these were without witness.
I highly recommend this book for both divers and non-divers. For the divers we are all able to connect with world under the surface of the ocean and identify with the reasons given why each one of these men chose this adventure. For the non-divers it opens up a world that so few have seen and experience.
The book is a great read about what it is that attracts divers to the ship, that search and retrieval of the ever growing elusive ship's china. Add in the knowledge that the clock is ticking on when the last dive will be (the ship is quickly deteriorating and in risk of collapse) and you start to get a feel for what it means to have been to the ship and brought back those white pieces of ghosts past.
The author does a good job of making each diver a person and not just another part of the story. He also brings in the agony of the owner/captain of the Seeker which is the boat that this book centers around. His descriptions are clear and as a diver I had no difficultly picturing what he was writing about. I often found myself trying thinking about what I would have done or done differently as a diver.
My only disappointment with the book is that the author ends the book without disclosing the official investigation results of each death. There are mention here and there but there is no real in depth examination of what what believed to have gone horribly wrong in each incident. I say believe because we can never truly know the whole truth as most of these were without witness.
I highly recommend this book for both divers and non-divers. For the divers we are all able to connect with world under the surface of the ocean and identify with the reasons given why each one of these men chose this adventure. For the non-divers it opens up a world that so few have seen and experience.
June 16, 2024
Another great book about one of my favorite wrecks. Although the author isn’t a deep wreck diver he does a decent job of chronicling the history of the Doria and the various groups of divers and charter boats that were regularly diving the wreck. Of course 1998 & ’99 are featured prominently when the five Seeker divers died on the wreck. 4****
Oct 2023 - While waiting for some library books to come in I grabbed this from our book shelf and read it again. This time I'd give it 3 1/2 stars ::New Review:: Newsday reporter and non diver jumps on the deep diving bandwagon in 2003 after Bernie Chowdhury led the pack in 2000 with the The Last Dive and Kevin McMurray wrote a definitive Doria diving book, Deep Descent, in 2001. As a diver myself with basic technical diving skills I love reading about wreck exploration and the successful and unsuccessful exploits of these deep diving practitioners. Joe gets much of his info and perspectives from Dan Crowell, the owner/skipper of the Dive boat Seeker. My next book, by McMurray, written by a deep Doria diver gives a more balanced perspective with much first hand experience on the Wahoo. -3½***
Oct 2023 - While waiting for some library books to come in I grabbed this from our book shelf and read it again. This time I'd give it 3 1/2 stars ::New Review:: Newsday reporter and non diver jumps on the deep diving bandwagon in 2003 after Bernie Chowdhury led the pack in 2000 with the The Last Dive and Kevin McMurray wrote a definitive Doria diving book, Deep Descent, in 2001. As a diver myself with basic technical diving skills I love reading about wreck exploration and the successful and unsuccessful exploits of these deep diving practitioners. Joe gets much of his info and perspectives from Dan Crowell, the owner/skipper of the Dive boat Seeker. My next book, by McMurray, written by a deep Doria diver gives a more balanced perspective with much first hand experience on the Wahoo. -3½***
November 8, 2007
Scuba divers turn out to definitely not be as hardcore as mountain climbers even though there are superficial similarities (oxygen deprivation, extreme altitude or lack thereof, risk undertaken without practical purpose, etc.)
This book is about some boring Long Island dudes who die while diving the famed Andrea Doria wreck. China Fever refers to the greedy desire to get china or other artifacts from the Doria's famously bountiful ruins.
Maybe it's due to the lackluster writing, or maybe it's the dull middle-class lives these guys all lead, but in any case the book is not that interesting and I put it down halfway through. See Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer, or "The Perfect Storm" by Sebastian Junger, for examples of how this genre can be done much better.
This book is about some boring Long Island dudes who die while diving the famed Andrea Doria wreck. China Fever refers to the greedy desire to get china or other artifacts from the Doria's famously bountiful ruins.
Maybe it's due to the lackluster writing, or maybe it's the dull middle-class lives these guys all lead, but in any case the book is not that interesting and I put it down halfway through. See Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer, or "The Perfect Storm" by Sebastian Junger, for examples of how this genre can be done much better.
October 24, 2010
Easy read, a straightforward account of the deaths on the Andrea Doria in 1998/9 from the dive boat "Seeker". Accounts well researched and interviewed although reference is made to the fact that the book is based on a series of articles the author has written and, although well edited, you can occassionally tell as there is some duplication. There is also little attempt to really explain what drives these guys to do what they do - it is noted but not explored.
The book gives a glimpse into this world where death is accepted as part of the game. The characters are essentially not particularly likeable to be honest - arrogant,self-assured, over-confident, cocky. I guess you have to be that way if you plan to dive on a dangerous wreck that is 250 feet down.
The book gives a glimpse into this world where death is accepted as part of the game. The characters are essentially not particularly likeable to be honest - arrogant,self-assured, over-confident, cocky. I guess you have to be that way if you plan to dive on a dangerous wreck that is 250 feet down.
August 27, 2008
The book is not the best about the happenings on the Andrea Doria; quite possibly because the author is not a diver himself. I still gave it 4 stars because I love the story itself and the four books that I have read on this subject are sort of all mingeling together in my brain by now, each author adding a little more detail to what happened. I would not recommend this book for someone who hasn't read "Deep Descent: Adventure and Death Diving the Andrea Doria" yet or "Shadow Divers".
July 1, 2016
This book held my interest. I learned a bit about the Andrea Doria and more than expected about scuba diving! Both interesting topics that I hadn't previously considered. Not the best writing, but not every book needs to be a literary masterpiece to be a worthwhile read. It held my attention and I learned something, so that constitutes a 3.5 star rating for me!
November 21, 2010
Basically, it is a cautionary tale about having to be fit and properly prepared to take on extreme diving, and shedding greed or the willingness to ignore sound advise from more experienced individuals.
April 10, 2012
An interesting read, not too flowery. It gives an appreciation of the diving experience and development of todays equipment and how it was made possible. Also a realisation of the dangers involved with deeper and more technical diving.
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September 6, 2009Interesting book - covers five diving deaths related to the Andrea Doria
June 5, 2012
A little bit of interesting history on the Andrea Doria, but mostly detailing the deaths of 5 or so men who dove the wreck.
July 5, 2012
Not bad for a non dive.
August 13, 2013
Loved the book. Can't believe how stupid divers can be when they risk their lives for a piece of china or other relic.
April 19, 2009
very well-written, makes you stop and think about diving and the risks that there are,
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews