Joseph A. Williams

There is a lot to like about this account of a now little-remembered naval disaster, when in 1927 the USCGC "Paulding" ran over the USS "S-4," resulting in the loss of the submarine and all her crew; if nothing else Williams has a way with narrative and puts the suspense back into event. My main issue is that Williams could have done a little more research, even though he did have extensive papers from some of the participants, as he apparently never bothered to visit the National Archives in Washington; this could have only have broadened the story, particularly in regards to how the responsible Coast Guard officers seemed to get off rather lightly. If nothing else, my question is what was the fate of George M. Phannemiller, the hapless officer of the watch of the "Paulding;" he apparently went on to have a successful career in the Coast Guard. I also wonder what navigation procedures would have been in operation for a U.S. submarine on trials during this period in time, such as whether the mysterious warning flag that Williams mentions flying from the local lighthouse was a garbled alert about submarine testing.… (meer)

Seventeen Fathoms Deep effected me emotionally. It is the true story of a submarine that was sunk in December 1927 when struck by a Coast Guard boat that had been cruising around hunting for rum runners. The tragedy threw the nation into an uproar, blaming the Navy in particular in every possible way. Even though they could have followed advice before the tragedy from a respected engineer to install some type of brackets on top so that a sub could be pulled up from the deep in the event of a sinking and didn't, claiming that the weight would make the craft slower. But, it must be said, that upon the S-4 sinking, the Navy mobilized quickly to the scene, gathering a flotilla of various ships hoping to rescue the 40 men trapped in the sub as quickly as possible. The weather would not cooperate, being some of the worst imaginable. In spite of that, the elite Navy divers did their best to evacuate the men, risking frequently their own lives. As the story unfolded, I kept thinking "Oh those poor men!" trying to imagine the horror of what they were living. Ice cold temperatures, dark, stuck in 18 inches of water and not able to move much to conserve oxygen, and tapping out periodically in morse code "is there any hope?" Mr. Williams thoroughly researched then compiled the forgotten story into a compelling novel that I will never forget, not only what the men trapped must have felt and thought, but the admirable bravery exhibited daily for months by the divers. The good that came out of that tragedy was that it forced the Navy to improve the safety of the submarines, and invent ways for men aboard them to save themselves and also devices for rescue. All history lovers should have this book in their collection. To this day, every November, a service is held in Provincetown, Mass. (the town close to where the sub was sunk) for the men. How come most of us don't know of this disaster? I received this book from the author and his publisher, Chicago Review Press in exchange for an honest review. I am blessed to have read it.
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This is a nonfiction book of maritime history, taking place mainly in 1927 in the waters off of Provincetown, Cape Cod.

The rum-runner-chasing Coast Guard ship Pauline collided with the partially submerged S-4 submarine with devastating results. The Pauline was relatively unharmed, but the S-4 went down, leaving bubbles and an oil slick in its wake. The crew, if any were left alive after the accident, were trapped in a dark, leaking submarine seventeen fathoms deep, with a very limited supply of food and air that will not last for long. When assistance arrives, can they save any possible survivors before time runs out? With a storm brewing, and divers hindered from going down, the odds of a rescue are slim. Will they make it out alive, or die while their rescuers look on helplessly?

Williams tells the thrilling story of a nautical tragedy of errors in such a vivid way that he literally pulls you back in time and submerges (no pun intended) you in the moment. This is not just the story of a submarine disaster, but it is also about how this one now-forgotten event has changed the world in unimaginable ways over the years. I really liked this book, and think that every nautical history buff should get a copy and read it. Definitely worth five stars.… (meer)

This is a nonfiction book about the interesting history of the sunken treasure ship Laurentic, and the fascinating man named Guybon Damant who was put in charge of salvaging the gold. With extracts from Damant's personal papers, extensive research, 46 pictures and photographs, and 2 maps, I do not doubt that this is the most in-depth and informative work ever written about this historical event: the greatest treasure salvage in history.

In January of 1917, the Laurantic, carrying 44 tons of gold that was to be used for the war effort, was hit and sunk by the Germans in Lough Swilly off of Ireland. That same month, Damant was contacted by the British government and put in charge of salvaging the lost gold. Conditions were horrid. Weather would not cooperate, reporters nagged them constantly, there was the chance that the Germans would catch on and blast them out of the water, the equipment available at the time wasn't suitable for the job at hand, not much was known about decompression times, and furthermore the wreck was crushed in upon itself making the gold completely inaccessible to divers. It took seven salvage seasons in eight years for Damant to finish his mission, and even then there were 25 bars of gold left on the ocean floor. This book tells that remarkable story.

It was very well written, and very interesting, not just simply a boring history book but a true story of action, adventure... and treasure. I was very impressed not just by how well written it was, but also by how well researched it was. The author really went to a lot of trouble to find original sources for his information, and throughout the entire book, chapter by chapter, he never failed to surprise me with the things he was able to uncover. The newspapers and magazines of the time would offer but little help, as much of what they wrote was either from unreliable sources or completely fictitious. It is astounding to me how, 100 years later, Joseph Williams was able to find out more than the people writing about the Laurentic at the time were. I would highly recommend this book to both historians and lovers of good seafaring tales alike. This is a must-have resource for any nautical library.… (meer)