The Shipwreck Hunter

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What to expect

This gripping memoir by the world’s foremost marine geologist is an enthralling blend of maritime history, popular science, and Clive Cussler–style adventure.

David L. Mearns has discovered some of the world’s most fascinating and elusive shipwrecks. From the mighty battleship HMS Hood, sunk in a pyrrhic duel with the Bismarck, to solving the mystery of HMAS Sydney, to the crumbling wooden skeletons of Vasco da Gama’s sixteenth century fleet, Mearns has searched for and found dozens of sunken vessels in every ocean of the world.

The Shipwreck Hunter chronicles his most intriguing finds. It describes the extraordinary techniques used, the detailed research and mid-ocean stamina and courage required to find a wreck thousands of feet beneath the sea, as well as the moving human stories that lie behind each of these oceanic tragedies. Combining the adventuring derring-do of Indiana Jones with the precision of a scientist, The Shipwreck Hunter opens an illuminating porthole into the shadowy depths of the ocean.

Critics Review

“Woren’s reading emphasizes Mearns’ attention to detail yet leaves room for delight in finding a ship’s hull and disappointment at the loss of a deep-sea sonar. Mearns’ expeditions take listeners back to 1503 and into contemporary criminal investigations. His most personal projects have involved wartime sinkings…[and] Woren’s voice reflects Mearns’ concern for the sailors’ families.”

AudioFile

“The underwater worlds of past and present collide in the depths of the ocean in this gripping and suspenseful narrative by David Mearns, a true expert on mysteries of the deep sea.”

Clive Cussler, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“For Mearns, setting world records and recovering centuries-old treasures is just another day at the office—or ocean, rather.”

National Geographic

“Mearns’ thoughtful and detailed account chronologically traces each shipwreck, sharing vivid stories of every vessel from design to demise…Equal parts a suspenseful story, a lesson in hard work, and a compelling argument for the modern importance of discovering and documenting shipwrecks.”

Science

“The book is at its most exciting in recounting the search for the ships and relating the events that led to their sinkings…Mearns’ unique perspective on the art and science of locating shipwrecks makes for fascinating reading.”

Publishers Weekly

“Engaging…Mearns is an able storyteller whose life’s work makes for an absorbing read.”

Library Journal

“Famed shipwreck hunter Mearns provides an engrossing collection of his most exciting undersea finds….featuring sordid histories straight out of a soap opera. …[and] shows how the life of a shipwreck hunter is itself dramatic and fraught with risk….Highly entertaining and understandable for lay readers…Required reading for any maritime enthusiast.”

Kirkus Reviews

“In 1916 Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance sank into the icy depths of the Weddell Sea. David Mearns has long wanted to pay tribute to Shackleton by finding his ship. Given David’s amazing track record and outstanding abilities, I am quite sure that one day I will be able to see images of my grandfather¹s Endurance, no longer lost.”

Alexandra Shackleton, praise for the author

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