Submersed Wonder, obsession, and murder in the world of amateur submarines

Review by Booklist Review

As noted in his introduction to this scintillating investigative work, Frank did not intend to report on a true crime story when he began researching the worldwide personal submersible community. But the murder of journalist Kim Wall in a small submarine by a longtime member of that informal group could not be ignored, and so he threads the story of her efforts to cover the competition between Danish inventors into a larger tale about the allure of pushing the limits on underwater engineering and adventure. The media turned Wall's death into a sensation, but Frank's thoughtful approach resists the temptation to revel in lurid details. Instead, he delves into the intriguing history of submarines and how the lack of personal submersible regulation results in catastrophes like the implosion of the Titan submersible near the Titanic wreck site. He chronicles the misogyny and sexual harassment within the U.S. Navy submarine force, shares interviews with the almost entirely male fraternity of hobbyist fantasists and builders, and always returns to a faithful documentation of how Wall's dreams of a freelance opportunity brought her into the orbit of a psychopathic killer. Excellent for book groups, Frank's unique approach is a distinguished tour de force.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

---

Review by Library Journal Review

Deep-water enthusiasts will marvel at this detailed account of amateur submarine builders and the 2017 murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall aboard a PSUB (personal submersible) named Nautilus. Frank's exploration of DIY submersibles is woven into the backstory of Wall's death at the hands of Danish submariner Peter Madsen. Frank also links these stories to other self-taught sub builders and reminds listeners of the 2023 PSUB Titan tragedy. Narrator Deakins deftly voices all of the PSUBers whose ventures hold many underwater, both metaphorically and financially. Frank's subjects are mostly men who idolize ocean explorers from as far back as the Revolutionary War. As such, they value loyalty, taking risks, and are not shy about posting their views on social media. Though some never attempt to build a submersible, much less navigate one, their curiosity feeds an explorer industry that invites wealthy clients to envision deep-sea adventuring as an untapped entrepreneurial frontier. VERDICT Frank asks, are they just making noise, or really imploding? Listeners will take that question to heart through a murder trial and the author's twist to wrap up this account of Wall's bewildering case.--Sharon Sherman

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

---

Review by Kirkus Book Review

Close encounters with DIY submarine culture's underbelly. A sharp researcher and stylish writer who's "obsessed with obsessives," Frank sets aside his lifelong fear of the ocean in this excellent book to plumb the peculiar depths of the DIY sub community. The water is cold. Beneath the niche fixations of geeky tinkerers and misfit enthusiasts, Frank discovers a strong undercurrent of violence and misogyny. The manosphere, it seems, has entered the bathysphere. "For some men," he writes, "the presence of a woman on the submarine not only conjures their inadequacies, but also reminds them that the sub itself...isn't so different from land: rife with whimsy, chance, perplexity." One such man would appear to be Peter Madsen. Convicted of the brutal 2017 killing in Denmark of Swedish freelance journalist Kim Wall, Madsen was a narcissistic amateur rocket builder who became obsessed with submarines as a "safe haven from surface mores," where he alone could exert "ultimate control." The story of the murder and its aftermath--including a prison sit-down between Frank and Madsen--provides a chilling throughline to an otherwise interdisciplinary look at what lies beneath the human compulsion to dive. Frank is witty and incisive--a sub-builder meetup, for example, is like being "trapped in a bouillon cube of white male machismo"--and he draws wonderful connections throughout. Along with contemporary academics, we encounter Aristotle, who was obsessed with the "watery world," and his student Alexander the Great, whose diving bell served as both tactical advantage and personal retreat. Mythic creatures of Nordic and Norse folktales arrive, as does Jules Verne, who we learn would find it absurd to dream of going 20,000 leagues deep (it was a measure of distance). We also spend time with a few amateur sub builders. The most memorable is Shanee Stopnitzki, "one of the few 'non-dudes'" in the community. She gives the book some of its best lines, including this one: "I think curiosity makes everything better." In this book, Frank's certainly has. A fascinating voyage among the hidden tides shaping a social niche. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

---