Shadow Divers Exposed is where the truth hits the fan.
The result is a volume that works on a multitude of levels: it presents the real saga of the loss of the U-869; it puts the discovery of the U-869 into perspective with other U-boats that have been found in American waters; it provides an overview of the U-boat war through the stories of other U-boat losses; and it corrects many - but not all - of the errors and distortions in Shadow Divers.

The ersatz Shadow Divers claim that the U- 869 was sunk by a circular run of its own torpedo. Even without the evidence of the destroyer escort attack, this theory is untenable for any number of reasons: all of which are thoroughly discussed in the chapter on U-boat forensics - an in-depth study of torpedo engineering, shipwreck deterioration, and damage assessment.Shadow Divers that are fictitious or grossly overstated. Reliable witnesses have contradicted a number of major events in which they participated. Their participation was deleted in order to glamorize two chosen heroes.

Some witnesses were ignored altogether so dissenting views of events did not contradict the self- glorifying plot. The testimony of others was altered, resulting in accounts that are at variance with the truth.

Shadow Divers paints all divers as bickerers and subservient to its heroes. The exposé shows the teamwork and camaraderie that are essential facets of the technical diving community.

Shadow Divers is rife with boastful exaggerations, theatrical embellishments, and unnecessary historical inaccuracies, many of which are addressed in this exposé so that the actual facts will be available to present and future generations.


You may recall the public furor over A Million Little Pieces, the so-called nonfiction book by James Frey about his experiences with drug abuse. To Frey’s chagrin, investigative reporters learned that he exaggerated some of the book. After he was exposed (on the Internet, on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and numerous other places), he issued a statement in which he admitted to adding gross embellishments that were contradicted by the facts. Additionally, there has been a great deal of controversy over the tactic of publishing houses to promote works of fiction as actual events.

In this reporter’s opinion, Frey’s exaggerations and embellishments do not come anywhere near to the amount of fictionalizing that occurred in Shadow Divers. The book was a hoax: a blatant attempt to hoodwink the public with self-serving fabrications. Only a sincere public apology can help to atone for its sins.

Read all about it in: Shadow Divers Exposed: the Real Saga of the U-869.

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