In the Waves: My Quest to Solve the Mystery of a Civil War Submarine - Hardcover

Lance, Rachel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1524744158 ISBN 13: 9781524744151

Publisher: Dutton, 2020

Synopsis

How a determined scientist cracked the case of the first successful—and disastrous—submarine attack
 
On the night of February 17, 1864, the tiny Confederate submarine HL Hunley made its way toward the USS Housatonic just outside Charleston harbor. Within a matter of hours, the Union ship’s stern was blown open in a spray of wood planks. The explosion sank the ship, killing many of its crew. And the submarine, the first ever to be successful in combat, disappeared without a trace.
 
For 131 years the eight-man crew of the HL Hunley lay in their watery graves, undiscovered. When finally raised, the narrow metal vessel revealed a puzzling sight. There was no indication the blast had breached the hull, and all eight men were still seated at their stations—frozen in time after more than a century. Why did it sink? Why did the men die? Archaeologists and conservationists have been studying the boat and the remains for years, and now one woman has the answers.
 
In the Waves is much more than just a military perspective or a technical account. It’s also the story of Rachel Lance’s single-minded obsession spanning three years, the story of the extreme highs and lows in her quest to find all the puzzle pieces of the Hunley. Balancing a gripping historical tale and original research with a personal story of professional and private obstacles, In the Waves is an enthralling look at a unique part of the Civil War and the lengths one scientist will go to uncover its secrets.

About this title

About the Author

Rachel Lance is a biomedical engineer and blast-injury specialist who works as a scientific researcher on military diving projects at Duke University. Before returning to graduate school to earn her PhD, Dr. Lance spent several years as an engineer for the United States Navy, working to build specialized underwater equipment for use by navy divers, SEALs, and Marine Force Recon personnel. Her doctoral work presented the first equations to predict the risk of injury and fatality from underwater explosions and has already received numerous international citations. A native of suburban Detroit, Dr. Lance lives with her husband in Durham, North Carolina.

Review

“Ever since the Confederate submarine H L Hunley was brought up from the ocean floor in 2000 with the skeletons of its eight crewmen still at their posts inside the intact hull, conservators and historians have speculated about their fate.  Were they drowned by water pouring in from damage by the torpedo explosion that sank their target the USS Housatonic?  Were they asphyxiated by lack of oxygen and carbon dioxide poisoning?  Or did they die from some other cause?  In this enthralling account based on extensive research and testing, the US Navy blast-injury specialist Rachel Lance solves the mystery in convincing fashion and offers an important contribution to Civil War literature.”--James M. McPherson, Princeton University, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era

Edition details

• Publisher: Dutton
• Publication date: 2020
• ISBN 10: 1524744158
• ISBN 13: 9781524744151
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 368