Titanic’s Last Secrets: The Further Adventures of Shadow Divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler by Brad Matzen

The Titanic, resting in its murky grave, still fascinates us and still attracts adventurers to its site. John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, stars of the PBS series Deep Sea Detectives, were some of the most recent divers to visit the wreck. Based upon information provided by Philadelphia lawyer David Concannon, Chatterton and Kohler embark upon a Russian expedition with a promise of four dives in the two Mir submersibles. Bad weather cut the trip short, but the two were able to make an important discovery, the bottom of the great ship unseen since that fateful night.

In addition to a description of this important discovery, there are several other sections in Titanic’s Last Secrets. Matsen researched this subject for two and a half years and became extremely familiar with every detail from the inception to the completion of the ship. The reader walks back into the past and relives the lives of the shipyard owners and their workers who slaved feverishly to complete the ship as soon as possible to compete with the Cunard Line. There is also a fascinating chapter on the Titaniacs, those whose passion is to debate every aspect of the ship’s sinking on Internet forums.

The book closes with a trip to the site of the Britannic wreck, another White Star ship similar in design to the Titanic. It is there that Chatterton and Kohler’s theory about the true cause of the rapid sinking of the Titanic is confirmed.

Dangerous deep sea dives, costly expeditions, historical recreations, and a stirring sense of adventure make this book a worthwhile read for those who love the sea and who love a good mystery.

Reviewed by Susie Nightingale

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