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. ( )

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. ( )

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the way an historical book should be! Author Joseph A. Williams found boxes and boxes detailing the events surrounding the sinking of Submarine S-4 off the coast of Woods End near Provincetown, Cape Cod. He continued the research and provides a comprehensive retelling of this tragedy.

The amount of detail is staggering, yet it rarely felt like I was getting swamped with information. He goes into the background of the divers, the submariners and those tasked with rescuing the trapped men and salvaging the boat sunk in 102 feet of water. The author is very adept at capturing the emotions and the frustration of everyone involved.

Interestingly, he also details the improvements of submarine safety in the years following, even showing how successful these improvements were in another submarine 22 years later in almost the exact location as the S-4 incident.

I'll definitely be looking for other historical accounts by this author. ( )