For my second newsletter I am taking a different tack. Instead of posting an article, I am providing links to other websites that have published my articles or book excerpts. This should provide my subscribers with a wealth of informative shipwreck information.

It has come to my attention that many people either do not read or fail to understand the importance of a book's subtitle. A subtitle is an explanatory device which describes the topic of a book more fully than its title. A case in point is "The Lusitania Controversies." At first glance this title implies the sole subject of the Lusitania. But each of the two volumes possesses a subtitle which explains in greater detail the global premise of which the Lusitania is but a part.

Together, both volumes present the entire history of wreck-diving, from its meager beginnings in the 1950's to the advent of technical diving in the 1990's. Book One is subtitled "Atrocity of War and a Wreck- Diving History." One quarter of the volume is devoted to the construction, career, sinking, and aftermath of the Lusitania. Three quarters are devoted to the history of wreck-diving and to autobiographical experiences of the author, who became an essential element in wreck-diving and a pioneer in technical diving. Coverage extends to 1979.

Book Two is subtitled "Dangerous Descents into Shipwrecks and Law." This volume continues the history of wreck-diving from 1980; describes numerous dives on ever-deeper shipwrecks and into the vast interior of the Andrea Doria; and details the beginning of mixed-gas diving to the point at which an expedition to the Lusitania became practical. The volume concludes with a detailed description of the expedition (of which the author was a part) and subsequent legal activities.

The two volumes of "The Lusitania Controversies" are larger than the sum of their parts. They comprise biographical content with incredible underwater adventures: some hair-raising, others deadly, all exciting: a fascinating excursion into the real world of wreck-diving and the evolution of the activity. Christmas approaches. Other titles of particular interest to wreck-divers are "Great Lakes Shipwrecks: A Photographic Odyssey" and "The Technical Diving Handbook" For readers of fiction there is "The Peking Papers" a wreck-diving adventure novel that is more rip-snorting than any of the author's nonfiction works. It reads like an underwater version of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." You won't be disappointed.

Nautical collectors and ocean liner memorabilia buffs now have the opportunity to purchase a souvenir that was recovered from the Empress of Ireland. I made forty dives on the Empress before the wreck was converted to a heritage site. During that time I recovered a number of items from inside the wreck, a few of which are pictured in David Zeni's book, "Forgotten Empress."

These items were turned in to the Receiver of Wreck, and were released back to me.

I am now offering for sale some of my duplicate items: china plates, bowls, dishes, and teapot lids; silver plated bowls; and drinking glasses. I have representative items from all three classes - each class displaying its own distinctive design, all stamped with the logo of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Prices vary according to scarcity and condition: from $250 to $750

Each item is accompanied by a signed verification of authenticity. (Notarization is an additional $5.) Domestic shipping is $5 per item; foreign shipping at cost.

Sincerely,
Gary Gentile