Customer Reviews
A gripping read about the wreck diver's "Everest" - By: the Doc, 18 May 2008 
I was a basic scuba diverin my youth to middle age, I dived on many wrecksin Scottish waters, though nothing as advanced or dangerous as the dives describedin this book. Having once been fixated with recovering artefacts from the sea that you would not give a second glance to if you passed them on the street, I can understand the china "fever" that infected some of the divers. If you want to find out who was the philosopher, read the book :) That bit made me laugh. McMurray's account is gripping & very readable, all the more so since he actually dived the wreck. Apart from the technical difficulties & dangers of diving such a deep wreck, super advanced wreck diving, McMurray gives a fair & balanced account of the personalities involved; obsessive personalities who had obvious difficultiesin getting on with each other. The fatalities are presentedin an analytical & non-morbid way, they were part of the price that had to be paidin this extreme form of diving. Emphasis was on learning from the tragedy. My main concern was the that the current availability of Trimix could open up wrecks such as the Andrea Doria to divers who were simply not trained or equipped to deal with such a challenge. I did not like the case put forward for solo diving on deep wrecks, though I understood the logic behind the arguments. My life was saved on a least three occasions by my dive buddy,in my diving career over 17 years,in circumstances that would have killed me if I was solo. If you are a diver it is a "must read", indeed a "must buy". Non divers might be baffled by the technical side of the book but the author does explain the scientific background to deep divingin an understandable way. A very good read.
Deep Descent - By: E. Coney, 19 Sep 2007 This is a fantastic book that was hard to put down.
I would have no hesitationin recommending this book to divers & non divers
The tail keeps youin suspence all the way through, well writen
Just makes you want to jumpin the water & start diving.
A Good Read for Technical & Wreck Wannabes - By: Paul Doig, 13 Feb 2007 
I enjoyed reading this book, & would recommend it to anyone who's diving interest is more than just shallow reefs & drift dives.
It is a snapshot of the early days of deep wreck diving & the dangers that go along with that pursuit. Written with the diverin mind, I can't see it being of much interest to a non-diver, but most certainly is to the diver who wants to 'push out the envelope'.
I found it interesting that my Tech instructor suggested this book to me when I enrolled for an Advanced Wreck Course with him. I think he wanted me to get an idea of what can happen inside a wreck & not have some sort of fairytale fantasy about penetrating wrecks.
Compelling & enlightening.
Diving and Dieing on the Doria - By: Ned Middleton, 24 Nov 2004 She was once the pride of an entire nation. She was a post WW2 Transatlantic Liner with the most beautiful lines that only Italy can produce. Launchedin 1951 & completedin 1952, the Andrea Doria went into servicein early 1953. She displaced 29,083 tons & measured 656·5 feet x 90·2 feet with a draught of 45·4 feet. There were 10 decks, 11 watertight compartments & accommodation for 1,241 passengers & 575 crew. She was powered by 2 turbine engines capable of generating 50,000 hp & fitted with 2 propellers both of which weighed 16 tons. She was completely fireproof & every last detail was one of supreme luxury. As the flagship of the entire Italian fleet, with her went the hopes & aspirations of her country as it emerged from the turmoil & confusion of those dark years of WW2.
On the evening of 25 July 1956 the Doria (as she will always be affectionately known) was approaching New York just as the Swedish Liner Stockholm was headingin the opposite direction. After a series of errors by the officer of the watch on board the Stockholm, it was almost midnight when the Andrea Doria was rammed by that ship which sliced deep into her starboard side. It was a mortal blow and,in a manner reminiscent of the loss of the Titanic, the point of impact could not have beenin a worse place. As the Stockholm backed away a large deep gash was revealed through which the Atlantic Sea was already pouring. The Doria took on an immediate 30 degree list to starboard - a list which would slowly increase until she was finally lost. That inexorable process took over 11 hours & the Andrea Doria sank at 10:09 am 26 July 1956.
Today, the Andria Doria will feature heavily on any scuba diver's list of top ten shipwrecks of the world. Fortunately for the ship, she rests at a depth of 235 feet (99M). I say "Fortunately" because that depth restricts the number of divers who have the necessary deep diving skills to visit such a wreck. Consequently, much of her collectable brass & other fittings will remain uncollected - simply because there isn't the time at that depth for divers to get to work. Unfortunately for many scuba divers who do insists on visiting this immense & very deep shipwreck, however, they appear intent on looting her contents &in this way this shipwreck continues to claim far too many lives. Some of those who have been lost to this wreck (not all of whom are mentionedin this book) were amongst the most qualified & experienced of scuba divers.
Deep Descent is a story of diving & looting this wreck & of some of those who lost their lives. It is not a story for the faint-hearted diver. It is, however, a cautionary tale for all scuba divers - from all over the world, whether they have any intention of diving this wreck or not. Whilst it is an excellent read, one cannot easily condone the underlying gung-ho attitudes of those involved.
NM
Deep Descent: Adventure and Death Diving the "Andrea Doria" - By: DouglasP, 22 Jul 2004 
Excellent read even though I noted some poor reviews before I purchased it. Its sobering rather than morbid & is more like an account of climbing Mount Everestin that it gives accounts of people at the limits of human achievement. Also recommend "The last dive" by Bernie Chowdhury.
