The Dive: The Untold Story of the World's Deepest Submarine Rescue

by Stephen McGinty

An undersea adventure narrated from the suffocating depths of the ocean floor—as time and oxygen are quickly running out— The Dive is the harrowing and heroic story of the rescue of submarine Pisces III.

They were out of their depth, out of breath and out of time. Two men, trapped in a crippled submarine.

Outside was pitch darkness and the icy chill of the ocean’s depths—and the crushing weight of 1,700 feet of water. On the surface a flotilla of ships and a rescue operation under the command of an eccentric retired naval commander. For three days, the world watched and held its breath.

On August 29th, 1973, a routine dive to the telecommunication cable that snakes along the Atlantic sea bed went badly wrong. Pisces III, with Roger Chapman and Roger Mallinson onboard, had tried to surface when a catastrophic fault suddenly sent the mini-submarine tumbling to the ocean bed—almost half a mile below.

Badly damaged, buried nose first in a bed of sand, the submarine and the two men were now trapped far beyond the depth of all previous sub-sea rescues. They had just two days’ worth of oxygen. Rescue was three days away.

The Dive reconstructs the minute by minute race against time that took place to first locate Pisces III and then execute the deepest rescue in maritime history. Ricocheting from the smoke filled ‘war room’ at Vickers, the world famous ship-building headquarters, in Barrow-in-Furness, to the surface vessels and then down to depths where three separate dive teams and the mini-submarine struggled in darkness, this thrilling adventure story shows how Britain, America, and Canada pooled their resources into a ‘Brotherhood of the Sea’ dedicated to stopping the ocean depths from claiming two of their own.

Yet at the heart of The Dive is the human drama is the relationship between Roger Chapman, the ebullient former naval officer, and Roger Mallinson, the studious engineer, sealed in a sunken sarcophagus, with air quickly running out and help a long way off. For three days they would battle against despair, fading hope, and carbon dioxide poisoning, taking the reader on an emotional ride from the depths of defeat to a glimpse of the sun-dappled surface.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Survival, Audiobook

336 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 2021

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Dive" is the story of a 1973 submarine accident, in which mini sub Pisces III ended up stuck, stern-first, in deep ocean waters. For multiple days, an international team worked to save the lives of the two men trapped in the sub, and in this book, author Stephen McGinty tells their story.

What's good: McGinty gives us both the perspective of the men on the sub and those in the rescue teams. The book is mapped out across days, so the reader feels the same anxiety and tension as the men in the sub did watching the clock move steadily forward. This is a cinematic book and frankly, if there hasn't already been a movie, I can easily see this as one. (Except for the facts of how the submariners dealt with their bodily functions. I don't think that would make it into the movie!)

What's iffier: About 30% of the book is historical backstory--on subs, on the transAtlantic cable, on diving efforts, etc. While this provides valuable framework for what's to come, if you're here for the thriller-esque story of the accident, you do have to wait a while to get there.

Overall, this is a fast-moving, interesting read that manages to teach the reader some details of naval science while also providing a strong narrative hook.

(Note: This review is based on an ARC I received from Edelweiss.)

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm surprised this was so interesting to me. I found myself looking up facts online regarding this rescue - as I tend to do when I'm interested in something - so as to get more of the full, real story.

I enjoyed the author's style. It was not too slow, not too fast. He covered a "Reader's Digest" version of each man's background and family life, which helps the reader become a little more familiar with the characters and, I think, helps you "connect" more with them.

He did go into some technical stuff, which was a little outside my pay-grade/interest, but I suppose it helps to know or understand these things in terms of the technology available at the time and the ability of these machines/subs/computers to do what needed to be done. So it does add to the story.

It gets into a bit of personal TMI stuff, but at the same time I think that it also adds to the story - such as what do you when you get diarrhea from food poisoning and you're stuck 1600' under the ocean, in a tight 6' circumference metal ball with another person? Yeah... gross, but it certainly paints the picture of what they had to endure and endure together!

I appreciated the end of the book, telling a bit about the 'after' story as well.

Over all, I enjoyed it and I think anyone age 14+ might be able to understand and enjoy this story, especially if they are interested in ocean/navy/submarines on any level.

[Aidan Valencia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could’ve told you everything that happened in 400 pages in 10 minutes

[Anders · Rating 2 out of 5]

To detailed. You need to be an insider in the diving business to really enjoy this book.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1973, Roger Chapman and Roger Mallinson were ascending after laying cable on the ocean floor when a malfunction sent their small submersible, Pisces III, hurling almost 1600 feet to the ocean floor. For over three days, the two managed to survive while resources mobilized from all over the world to save them.

Three days...in a cold, 6 foot diameter steel ball, with little food and water, and no bathroom. They weren't able to sleep for more than half an hour because of the need to manually manage the limited oxygen supply and remove carbon dioxide buildup. No moving or talking or anything unnecessary to stretch out that oxygen as long as possible. They had each other and limited contact with the surface and news of rescue attempts in the stormy North Atlantic waters.

I don't like the thought of being stuck in an elevator, let alone a small elevator under water about as deep as the Empire State Building is tall. Just horrifying.

This is a thrilling tale and is interspersed with fascinating information about the history of submarines, the challenges and logistics of such a rescue, and background on our two main characters and the people that saved them. Both Rogers are interesting men regardless of this experience and were uniquely prepared in many ways to withstand such a harrowing experience.

There are examples of fortitude, smarts, and courage in abundance here among the rescuers and the rescued. The levels of cooperation, coordination and invention that came from all around the world in such a short time are both surprising and reassuring.

This story is just begging to be made into a movie.

I listened to the audio version which was most convenient because this was hard to put down. The narration by John Telfer is excellent.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with the audio version in exchange for my unbiased review.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story.... it is the story of Roger Chapman and Roger Mallinson who were working on a cable on the sea bed when an accident means they become stranded. The book is about surviving in their tiny pod while the rest of the world is trying to figure out a way to recover them.

There are so many things I enjoyed about this book - the two submariners both seem very nice and we learn about their lives to date to identify with them. We also get some technical information about their vehicle and the cable they were working on at an accessible level - you don't need to understand engineering to be able to understand the detail. These kinds of details aren't overly long or laboured, we soon get back to the two Rogers while understanding a bit more about why they in the position they are.

The book is broken down into days so the reader really gets a sense of how long Mallinson and Chapman were trapped for and just how difficult things were for them. At times, I could feel myself holding my breath with them!

This is a great book - it would make a great film! At so many points what could go wrong went wrong - it was unbelievable.... but we know its true. Well written, informative and with a great pace I really enjoyed reading this.

I was given a copy if this book from the publisher via Netgalley with no promise of a favourable review.

[David Burns · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Dive: The Untold Story of the World's Deepest Submarine Rescue ** Read on Bequia Island, The Grenadines (May 2022) found in restaurant book exhange (The Fig Tree)

[Adam Fogle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spends a lot of time on semi-related history. While the story is about a sub rescue, have to get through some dry sections about the genesis of cross continental communications and submarines. But the story ramps up when you get to rescue time and is really interesting.

[Biggus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author did something quite rare. He took an event that in itself would make a pretty rubbish (or very short) book, and found related stuff to pad it out and match the basic story. A bit of history, a bit of interest, a bit of shuffling around. It worked really well. Fantastic stuff

[Brian Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen McGinty is living the dream (well, my dream at least) where he sits in a study, gathers disparate bits of information (newspaper articles, technical reports, enquiry papers, memoris etc.) then distills it down into a highly readable book that forces the reader to turn the pages with the avidity of a prime Lee Child book.

McGinty has the skill to tie all the threads together in a very compelling and interesting way. We get a potted history of the submarine, how the human processes oxygen and (more importantly for this story) what carbon dioxide and what it does to the human body, a very interesting history of cable-laying across the Atlantic Ocean and a brief history of the Vickers corporation.

These sidebar stories serve the main event, that of a two-man submersible that, due to a freak accident, sinks at the end of a dive to bury a transatlantic cable.

The race against time as the oxygen levels fall and the carbon dioxide levels rise in the tiny submersible really is heart racing stuff as ships and agencies from across the globe make all speed towards a piece of rough ocean off the west coast of Ireland.

This book is a perfect mix of cliffhangers, technical (but not too technical) info and a narrative that shoots from ship's bridge to the submersible to rescue craft etc.

Anyone with a passing interest in matters nautical will lap this up. McGinty really should be applauded for how well he has constructed this book and how readable it is.

A well deserved five stars.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this audiobook. Listening to the narrator was pleasant. This book held my attention.
It started with a lot of background information about submarines, laying transatlantic cables and other technology and history. In the midst of this history lesson, I wondered how much of the book would be dedicated to what had begun to feel like a rather lengthy tangent. Fortunately, much of it was interesting. I assume the intention was to provide context and general knowledge of the subject, so readers could more thoroughly understand and enjoy the story. The author provides everything needed to appreciate the intricacies of this rescue that occurred in 1973.
Once the author got into the accident and subsequent rescue, the (true) story was quite thrilling. Although the narrative suggested that at least one of the submariners survived, that did not detract from building tension. The author very effectively communicates the desperate situation faced by these two men.
For the most part, this book reads with all of the excitement of a novel.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[Sam Jameson · Rating 2 out of 5]

An incredible story! McGinty is brilliant and did a wonderful job researching and presenting insight into all the different people involved, their experiences, and the contextual/historical climate surrounding the deepest under water submarine rescue of all time. McGinty may be a bit too clever for his good because sometimes it read more like a textbook than a novel. I found the history section of the development of the transatlantic wire to be overly technical. I also wanted more emotion once Mallinson and Chapman were rescued. However, you can’t help but have reverence for the brave men involved in the rescue and feel deeply humbled by the overwhelming immensity of the ocean.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this audiobook. At first, the narrative felt overly-technical, wordy, and boring. However, it quickly picked up and I was interested and engaged. Please understand that I am in no way the target audience for this book. I have never been in a submarine. I read very little nonfiction. I'm a teenager. However, I enjoyed it. I probably wouldn't be able to tell you what happened if you asked, but I would say that I liked it. The narrator had a beautiful and smooth voice.

[Jean Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of submarine rescue has its share of both triumphs and disasters. Among the latter are the sinkings of the American submarines S-4, S-28 and S-51, as well as the nuclear submarines Thresher and Scorpion, where surviving crew were unreachable because the vessels lacked an escape mechanism, or the depths involved caused catastrophic implosion and ruled out any survivability; and the Russian submarine Kursk, where those who survived in the stern compartment ran out of air before they could be saved. The former category includes the USS Squalus in 1939, where rescue was made possible by the development of the McCann Rescue Chamber by Charles B. Momsen and the inclusion of a compatible escape hatch in the sub’s design; and HMS Thetis, whose sinking took place only a week after that of the Squalus. In this case four men managed to escape through a hatch in the stern of the vessel, which was still above the surface; unfortunately 99 others ran out of air.

This book is a day-by-day, minute-by-minute account of another rescue with a happy ending—that of Roger Mallinson and Roger Chapman, who spent a harrowing 76 hours in the 2-man submersible Pisces III, operated by Vickers Oceanics, 1500 feet down in the Atlantic off the Irish coast, in August 1973 following a dive to maintain a transatlantic cable.

It is not a story for the claustrophobic. Though the details of the physical and emotional privations the men endured are quite graphic, it is hard to imagine the degree of spiritual agony they must have suffered, wondering if their oxygen would hold out, their carbon dioxide removal system would continue to function (a problem also faced by the astronauts of Apollo 13), and if the multinational team of rescuers assembled 1500 feet above them would be able to retrieve them from the crushing depths in time. Their families, kept abreast of all developments, shared their ordeal—as did the entire world due to the presence of a small fleet of fishing boats, manned by news correspondents—and made possible by orbiting communications satellites and, perhaps ironically, a network of undersea cables which prompted the dive of the Pisces III to begin with.

A great deal of technical detail is included, which at times is a bit tedious and perhaps drags the narrative down a bit; nevertheless, it helps the reader appreciate the many intricate steps, and expert skill, required to effect the salvation of the trapped men when the rescue teams were confronted by limited visibility, 20-foot storm waves, recalcitrant equipment, and a survivability deadline relentlessly and inexorably approaching. Also included as introductory material are chapters on the history of the submarine and the laying of the transatlantic cable; its initial completion in 1867 at once made the world considerably smaller.

“Those who go down to the sea in ships”, as this narrative amply demonstrates, still face as many dangers today, though perhaps of a different nature, as those who first ventured out upon the open ocean thousands of years ago.

**** review by Chuck Graham ****

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The narrator did a good job and was pleasant to listen to.

As for the story, it was well put-together and included the right amount of background to flesh out the story of the men trapped in the sub, but no so much as to detract from the story. That can be a very tough balance to find and McGinty did it well.

Anytime you watch a big rescue operation on TV there is so much going on in the background that you never see, and those details make the story. I was astonished at how many things went wrong during the rescue attempts. Equipment failing, weather having unexpected impacts on said equipment, politics, egos, and the attempts to cover up what really happened by the company that made and launched the sub. I was appalled at how politicized the rescue was and how entire governments refused to help or allow help to be given because of a poliitical beef.

The flip side of all of the failurs is the amazing innovation and dedication by those involved to get those men back. Those men were creating and modifying new parts on the fly through the several days of the rescue attempt. Those men were true heroes and while we don't learn about what happened to them afterwards, I hope that they received recognition for their efforts.

The book makes a point of showing how the American military members who came to help were treated very poorly even though their technology wound up being crucial. Again, I was shocked at how bruised egos left them without so much as a thanks or a chance to even meet the men they saved.

The only place that I felt the book fell short was at the end. We didn't get to learn much about the men's lives afterwards. We heard about their career choices, and the bare bones of their family life, but it would have been nice to know more. I wanted to know a little bit more about those men outside the confines of a trapped sub.

Overall, an excellent book about an amazing rescue.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was inspired to pick up this book about the deepest-ever submersible rescue mission in light of the recent tragedy of the OceanGate Titan submersible loss. This was fundamentally a very simple story: a privately-operated British submersible laying a submarine communications cable experienced a million-to-one mishap that caused it to sink to the ocean floor; the company and multiple national governments deployed heroic amounts of resources to attach a cable to the sunken vessel and hoist it to the surface before the two men aboard suffocated.

The drama of the story comes from the sheer comedy of errors that erupted. Various bits of rescue equipment are flown in but fail to perform as planned; straightforward tasks like finding the submersible and attaching a line to it somehow become incredibly challenging; the company that owns the submersible is initially reluctant to ask the American salvage team for help for fear of looking less-than-competent.

This is also where the story bogs down a bit, especially in the last third where it feels like every minor detail becomes a critical setback, and since we know this rescue mission is ultimately successful it's a bit hard to feel too enmeshed in the drama. Still, an entertaining and clearly-written account of an interesting episode in maritime history.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rescue of the two occupants of the Pisces III in 1973 continues to hold the record for the deepest successful submarine rescue in history. At 1,700 feet below the surface of the Atlantic the Pisces III was laying transatlantic cable when a failed hatch led to its sinking. This is a rather harrowing story of the difficult effort to retrieve the submarine and bring its two occupants out alive before they either run out of oxygen or succumb to the carbon dioxide. Included with the story is some early submarine history leading up to the technology of the 1970s. There is also wonderful insights into family and co-w0rkers of the endangered crewmen.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Dive: The Untold Story of the World's Deepest Submarine Rescue by Stephen McGinty in exchange for an honest review.

I was super excited to come across this book on Netgalley, as I have a slight obsession with anything related to the ocean.

This book was a very exciting thriller and I was on edge the whole time, awaiting rescue for Chapman and Mallinson. I really enjoyed the multiple storylines and the vivid description of submarines.

Highly Recommended!

[Gilion Dumas · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE DIVE is the true story of the race to save two men trapped in a broken submarine on the ocean floor. It's the kind of real-life adventure story that appeals to readers like my husband, whose favorite books are the ones where explorers have to eat their sled dogs or ships sink -- or both.

Stephen McGinty is a British journalist and book author. THE DIVE is his first book published in America. It is the minute-by-minute account of the daring rescue mission to accomplish the deepest rescue in maritime history. It is a nail-biter of a story!

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC received from publisher via Netgalley in exchange for review

Fast-paced thriller about 2 men who get trapped in a sunken submarine and the intense international rescue effort to save them. The book does a good job balancing between the different storylines of the two trapped men, the crew on the surface trying to organize rescue efforts, the various rescue teams, and their families on shore. I hope this becomes a movie because it already feels very cinematic.

[Andrew Breza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading about events that absolutely dominated the news cycle for a few days before being forgotten. Stephen McGinty offers a claustrophobic tale of two men stuck in a small submersible on the bottom of the ocean and running out of breathable air. Teams from around the world rallied to save their lives in a global race against the clock.

[Julian Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quite extraordinary telling of a real life drama, packed with incident, suspense and nerve-jangling drama, yet balanced with the matter of fact Britishness of the time.

A superb read, with tension woven into every page - even though the end result is well known.

Simply superb.

[Daniel Farabaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an engaging narrative about a sub rescue. The author is able to explain the technical aspects of the rescue well so that you can follow the rescue without confusing. The people involved also jump off the page.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book I've read this year!

[OjoAusana · Rating 4 out of 5]

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* i knew this would either be a miss and super boring or a hit and be interesting, luckily it was interesting!

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

the rescue is an incredible story but the way it was told was not the best. i really don't care about car colors or if someone's handsome when this is a book about a submarine rescue

[Michael Delaware · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing rescue story.

[Jenna | Projekti kirjahylly · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐ 2.5 stars

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent account of this incident, what was going on with the two guys inside the downed sub & what was going on with the rescuers outside of it. Very good!

[Hwbastet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very exciting! Also very detailed and technical. I learned a lot. ! It was a long book. First part deals with history of laying the trans-Atlantic cable. - something I’ve never thought about before.