Deep Descent

Adventure and Death Diving the Andrea Doria

By: Kevin F. McMurray

Narrated by: P. J. Ochlan

On a foggy July evening in 1956, the Italian cruise liner Andrea Doria, bound for New York, was struck broadside by another vessel. In eleven hours, she would sink nearly 250 feet to the murky Atlantic Ocean floor. Thanks to a daring rescue operation, only 51 of more than 1,700 people died in the tragedy. But the Andrea Doria is still taking lives.

Considered the Mt. Everest of diving, the Andrea Doria is the ultimate deepwater wreck challenge. Over the years, a small but fanatical group of extreme scuba divers have investigated the Andrea Doria, pushing themselves to the very limits of human endurance to explore her - and not all have returned. Diver Kevin McMurray takes you inside this elite club with a hard, honest look at those who go deeper, farther, and closer to the edge than others would ever dream.

Deep Descent is the riveting true story of the human spirit overcoming human frailty and of fearsome, mortal risks traded for a hard-core adrenaline rush. Chronicling these adventures in his dramatic narrative, McMurray draws us deeper into the cold heart of the unforgiving sea, giving us a powerful vision of a place to which few will ever have the skills - or the courage - to go.

©2002 Kevin F. McMurray (P)2018 Brilliance Audio Inc., all rights reserved

Exciting and informative

Love the truth and the history of this small little known community. The tragedy of the deaths are well told and the information about the wreck and what it is like to dive it are great

Fantastic

Real dive stories, real accidents, real characters and real tech diving history all told and read in a way that grabs my attention. The author divides his writing among all of these in natural flow. His tales of personal dive trips to the Doria validate his writing authority. I feel his passion: tell the truth to make everyone else a safer diver. I've listened to it twice and will certainly hear it again in the future.

A must read for every deep diver

It’s not all glory. 46 people lost their lives in the collision that sank the Doria: at least 22 deaths more are attributed to diving her. Considered the Mount Everest of diving, the Doria is not the deepest wreck, but the technical aspects of the boat’s location, currents, depth, and visibility has made her one of the most difficult wrecks to dive.

This book also covers many stories about the Doria from the perspective of the crew of the Seeker, one of the two main charters diving the Doria at this time. As well as a fairly thorough history of diving and the human foray into the black depths of the ocean, Deep Descent is good as a stand-alone read, but even better as part of a more robust understanding of not just diving, but of the skills and mindset of the deep diver.

Satisfied my scuba diving curiosities

Satisfied my scuba diving curiosities and taught me about the Andrea Doria. This book could have had more details about the dives they mentioned. In another book, Shadow Divers, the author could make you feel like you were a witness to the dive he was describing. Enjoyed this book nonetheless.

good read

This book iswell written, well read, and a great story. the author does a good job as a historical journalist while also interweaving the modern story into it. recommend

Doria

Love ready these books about this Wreck and what she holds. The stories are real life and the drama is real. Listen to yourself and push your boundaries slowly.

Great wreck diving book

This is an excellent follow up to Shadow Divers and for those interested in wreck diving.

Epic dive and history tale

Deep Decent is a masterful look into the diving history of the legendary ship/shipwreck the Andrea Doria as well as providing great and powerful insight on the dangers of depth diving and how quickly death can come.