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Randall S. Peffer
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Where Divers Dare: The Hunt for the Last U-Boat Hardcover – Illustrated, April 5, 2016

by Randall Peffer (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 239 ratings
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In the tradition of Shadow Divers, this is the gripping true account of the search for German U-boat U-550, the last unfound, diveable wreck of a U-boat off the United States coast, and the battle in which it was sunk.
 
On April 16, 1944, the SS Pan Pennsylvania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-550 off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. In return the sub was driven to the surface with depth charges, and then sent to the bottom of the ocean by three destroyer escorts that were guarding the naval convoy. For more than sixty years the location of the U-boat’s wreck eluded divers.
 
In 2012, a team found it—the last undiscovered U-boat in dive-able waters off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, more than three hundred feet below the surface.
 
This is the story of their twenty-year quest to find this "Holy Grail" of deep-sea diving and their tenacious efforts to dive on this treacherous wreck—and of the stunning clash at sea that sealed its doom and brought the Battle of the Atlantic to America’s doorstep.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Dutton Caliber
  4. Publication date
    April 5, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    6.31 x 1.06 x 9.31 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0425276368
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0425276365
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Peffer ably conveys the lures and danger of the sport of deep-wreck diving…[and] tempers the excitement of coming upon a “virgin wreck” with the dreaded responsibility of learning what happened to the lost crewmen…A nicely handled work that moves back and forth between the two narratives and provides suspense and also a sense of compassion for the victims.”—Kirkus Reviews

“In this well-told tale of real adventure at sea, Peffer…deftly combines WWII military history with an exciting account of a group of deep wreck divers searching for one of the most elusive and sought-after prizes: the sunken remains of the German submarine U-550…[A] true story of bravery [and] compassion.”—Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Randall Peffer is the author of eight nonfiction books, most with a nautical angle, as well as nine crime/suspense novels. His first book, Watermen, is a documentary of the lives of the Chesapeake's fishermen. It won the Baltimore Sun’s Critic’s Choice Award and was Maryland Book of the Year. His novel Provincetown Follies, Bangkok Blues was a Lambda Award finalist and has been optioned for film by producer Barr Potter of Tripod Entertainment. The son of a career naval officer, Peffer holds a 100-ton masters license and has logged over one hundred thousand miles at sea, mostly in traditional working vessels. Peffer teaches writing and literature at Phillips Academy, Andover.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dutton Caliber; Illustrated edition (April 5, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0425276368
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0425276365
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.18 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.31 x 1.06 x 9.31 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 239 ratings

About the author

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Randall S. Peffer

Randall S. Peffer

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Randall Peffer is the author of twelve nonfiction books and ten romantic suspense novels. His book Watermen (Johns Hopkins) is a documentary of the lives of the Chesapeake’s fishermen. It won the Baltimore Sun’s Critic’s Choice award and was Maryland Book of the Year. His novel Provincetown Follies, Bangkok Blues was a Lambda Award finalist. His recent book Where Divers Dare: The Hunt for the Last U-boat (Penguin Random House) debuted as one of Amazon’s “Hot New Reads.”

Peffer's latest novel (2023) Forever Barcelona is a love story set against a season of bullfighting in Barcelona and Pamplona. The novel is an out growth of his award-winning National Geographic feature "Catalonia: Spain's Country Within a Country."

In 2023 he also published Windward Passage with photographer Steve Jost and designer Ron Geisman, The book is a large-format history and tribute to the legendary maxi racing yacht of the same name.

Peffer’s nonfiction narrative Never to Return co-authored with Robert Nersasian (Lyons Press) launched in the fall of 2017 and has a perfect five-star rating on Amazon. Never to Return is the harrowing tale of the torpedoing and sinking of a Coast Guard destroyer escort and the loss of 171 Coast Guardsmen off the coast of Iceland during WWII—the worst wartime disaster in U.S. Coast Guard history. Lyons Press launched Dangerous Shallows: In Search of the Ghost Ships of Cape Cod in 2020, a book Peffer co-authored with the highly-respected deep-wreck diver Eric Takakjian.

Peffer has published over 350 travel/lifestyle features for magazines like National Geographic, National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian, Reader’s Digest, Travel Holiday, Islands, Yankee, Sail, and Wooden Boat. His travel features have appeared in most U.S. major metro dailies, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, Denver Post, San Francisco Examiner, and Los Angeles Times.

The son of a career naval officer, Peffer holds a 100-ton master’s license and has logged over 100,000 miles at sea, mostly in traditional working vessels. He has been the captain of the research schooner Sarah Abbot for thirty-eight years.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
239 global ratings
A Great WWII Book about the Last UBoat Found off the East Coast of America.
5 Stars
A Great WWII Book about the Last UBoat Found off the East Coast of America.
As the son of one of the U550 Survivors, I think the book's author did an excellent job telling the story of the Battle that took place 120 miles off Montauk, Long Island and then tied in the story of the NJ Dive Team that found the U550 over 70 later. I was lucky enough to go with my Dad to his U550 reunions in Germany a few times and then last July I was able to go with the Dive Team out to both wrecks and lay a Memorial Wreath for All Those Young Sailors Who Perished! If you like to read history and adventure books I definitely recommend buying this book. It goes well with a glass of scotch or a cup of coffee!
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Top reviews from the United States

JMS
5.0 out of 5 stars Enthralling and Fascinating
Reviewed in the United States on August 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
More than just a book on diving wreck diving (which was what I was expecting) the book delves deeply into the lives of the men who undertook the task and the lives of the men who fought in the battle, on both sides, and the interactions between the divers and the survivors; again on both sides. It also describes the peace for some that was gained as a result. Well researched and written in a clear and fluid manner it tells a fascinating story that would otherwise be lost in history.
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Hector Eduardo Moreira
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2016
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Nice book, full of history and closure.
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Adam L
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing tenacity and seafaring brotherhood in 1944 and 2012
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
A very good read about the divers who found U-550 after years of searching and then diving past 100m to see her resting place in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Also, a dramatic read about the times in which she sailed, hunted and how U-550 was eventually sunk after being depthcharged, shelled and machine gunned just 120 miles from New York in 1944.

The first third of the book is the recreation of events in 1944 that led to the battle at sea which ultimately claimed an oil tanker, the U-550 and 65 soles. The account draws on a great deal of research including interviews with survivors on both sides of the battle. A good noveller in its own right.

The last two thirds is the story of the divers that sought to find U-550 almost 70 years later. Their back-stories and experiences that enabled these divers to be capable of diving on her are entertaining, sobering and enlightening as is the account of their dives down to and into U-550 where they were able to help piece together what happened in her final minutes before being consumed by the Atlantic. The account of their meetings with the last survivors of the U-550 is particularly memorable.

Highly recommended.
2 people found this helpful
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Nancy
5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable Read
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2016
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As the daughter of a veteran survivor of the SS Pan Pennsylvania I read this book with a keen interest and can say that the author did a phenomenal job of recreating the true historical events as a story that truly captivates the reader and makes him feel as if he is there. From the recreation of the battle to the search and discovery for the long missing U boat we are taken on an emotional roller coaster ride that encompasses everything from fear, anxiety, determination and camaraderie to pure joy and elation.
We learn the dangers encountered in diving through the background stories of the divers whose relentless sense of adventure and search for the truth led them on this journey.
The author did an impeccable job in his research and, although I knew the ending, I was overwhelmed by the vivid details and the accounts of the unlikely friendships and the bonding that occurs in wartime and peace.
It is a remarkable read and, once started, a book that can not be put down. I highly recommend it.
8 people found this helpful
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Edward Calabrese
5.0 out of 5 stars A family Search for the facts
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2016
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I had always heard my great aunt would rush to the window of her Brooklyn home at the end of WWII when a sailor would pass by. She was hoping and praying it would be her son, Genaro Yodice, who served in the Armed Guard aboard the Pan Pennsylvania. I bought this book to hopefully find out why he never returned. His family was only told his ship was sunk and that he was MIA. Never how or where due to the close proximity to the US coast, a fact mostly kept secret from the public. While I did learn how my father's first cousin likely died, the book proved so much more. It is truly a complete investigation into just one of the thousands of battles fought in the north Atlantic. Perhaps the most complete ever written.
One person found this helpful
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Phil Seifert
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Coverage of all Aspects of U-550
Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2016
Verified Purchase
Good overview of the battle and search that brought about the recovery. A lot of detail on each of the dive team, perhaps a bit too much. A great story in bringing together and covering activities that brought together members of former war adversaries between the US and Germany, both as a result of the dive team and what transpired earlier. Good photos.
One person found this helpful
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George Lula
5.0 out of 5 stars Men at War
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2016
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Mr Peffer brings a combination of clear, fluid writing to a story that informs the reader about the compelling call of patriotism, desire for adventure, man's dependency on others and the hazards of war. The story is largely told through a group of men pursuing their passion for deep wreck dives. The essence of the book is about the lives of the men manning a German U boat and US destroyer. The narrative revolves around the sinking of the submarine caught in the act of torpedoing an US merchant oil tanker en route to Europe in the waning years of WW ll.

Peffer sets the story line by introducing us to the unique skills and passion of a small group of divers who pursue ship wrecks along the Atlantic coast. Peffer skillfully positions these men of adventure. We see their appetites for; extreme risk, need for new discoveries and the discipline to create and exhibit skills necessary to go where few would dare. More so, Peffer, through skillful literary device, elevates the story by bringing forth the men manning two war ships that have inflicted mortal harm on each others fellow sailors. This is the real story, man's struggle to serve his nation and brotherhood but not lose his soul and his need to be a part of something more transcendental.

This is a book that will sate your need to learn more about several dimensions of our world you're not likely to encounter; the horror of war and man's ability to rise above the base rules of warring nations. The liberal dose of facts about the challenges of deep sea diving and details of WW ll instruments of war give you a feeling of being there. The skill of the great writer or actor is to have you feel what the protagonist represents....Peffer does it!
9 people found this helpful
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Chris H Sohl
3.0 out of 5 stars Worth a read if you liked shadow divers, but didn't knock my socks off.
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2017
If Where Divers Dare were a restaurant, you'd go because it promised (explicitly) to be as good as the fantastic one just across the street you really love. You'd be served an appealing but tiny appetizer before waiting an hour for the main course that was only pretty good. The dessert would make you feel like the visit was still a net positive, though. While this new place certainly isn't terrible, Shadow Divers Bistro is right there, and their food is frankly in a different league.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Elinvar
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2018
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What a pleasant change to be able to write a positive review about a new book. It is difficult to find fault with this book. I don't think the author is a diver, but there appear to be no technical errors when describing diving equipment and techniques. The only error I spotted was an incorrect caption on an underwater photo of U-550's bow. My only (very minor) criticism is that I would have liked to have seen more photos of some of the key players. For example, there is no photo of Robert Wilcox, the captain of the vessel that rescued some of U-550's crew, who emerges as the hero of the story.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Kunde
5.0 out of 5 stars Spannung und Sesibilität
Reviewed in Germany on June 1, 2016
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So ist es gewesen, ein mitreissendes Buch von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite. Kaufempfehlung für alle, die auch die andere Seite des Ubootfahrens und die Geschichte dahinter und danach kennenlernen wollen.
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S. Lovell
4.0 out of 5 stars Easy and Interesting read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 28, 2021
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Well researched book with a little poetic licence. Nevertheless a good read.
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CUrrete
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 6, 2016
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Lots of interesting details about the risks of wreck diving.
One person found this helpful
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