Whether you want to explore the sunken German WWI High Seas Fleet wrecks at Scapa Flow, the sunken Japanese WWII wrecks at Truk Lagoon or read about my adventures diving shipwrecks around the world, these books will give you everything you need to know!
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I took up diving in the early 1980s – it seems so long ago now – before even Wham were popular. I developed an interest in shipwrecks after my first dive trip to Scapa Flow in Orkney where the remains of the German High Seas Fleet from Word War I still lie on the seabed – 4 cruisers, 3 gigantic battleships along with many other shipwrecks.
At the time there was virtually no information on the wrecks available for divers – and this led me to come up with the idea of writing a Dive Guide to the Scapa wrecks. The First Edition of Dive Scapa Flow was published in 1990 and soon became the essential and ever present guide to diving in Scapa Flow. Recently it has been totally rewritten and given a 21st century make over for its centenary 6th edition, published to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the scuttling of the German High Seas Fleet on 21 June 2019.
Dive Scotland’s Greatest Wrecks followed in 1992 covering the histories and current condition of the classic Scottish wreck dives – and this was followed by a complimentary book about the top 10 wrecks south of the border, Dive England’s Greatest Wrecks
The Diving Trilogy
Great British Shipwrecks – A Personal Adventure focusses on 37 of the most famous shipwrecks around the UK that I have personally explored. In a coffee table style format, the history of each wreck is recounted and the wreck itself is beautifully illustrated with topside and underwater photographs – and stunning illustrations of the wreck on the seabed today.
Force Z Shipwrecks of the South China Sea – HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse was released in March 2013 at OZTeK 2013 and covers the careers of these two famous British capital ships and their subsequent demise to a massed attack by 85 Japanese bombers – the sinking of Prince of Wales heralded the end of the era of the battleship.
Dive Truk Lagoon – the Japanese WWII Pacific shipwrecks covers the 37 major shipwrecks and aircraft wrecks of the world’s greatest wreck diving location; the legacy of the American Operation Hailstone of 17/18 February 1944.
Dive Palau – the Shipwrecks covers the 20 major shipwrecks of the U.S. Operation Desecrate 1 – that followed just 6 weeks after Truk Lagoon was neutralised in Operation Hailstone.
Shipwrecks of Truk Lagoon is a slim booklet covering 21 of Truk Lagoon’s most famous wrecks in a easy to read, visual format filled with illustrations of the wrecks as they lie at the bottom of the lagoon today.
Many thanks to Bob Anderson skipper of the MV Halton dive boat and to Ewan Rowell for use of their fine photography.
The Manuscript for this new book has now been edited and is away for the next step of being page set. March 2023 for publication…
Continue reading → Pearl Harbor’s Revenge: How the Devastated U.S. Battleships Returned to War
Delighted to announce that my new book about how 6 of the 8 U.S. battleships sunk or damaged at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941,…
Continue reading → Pearl Harbor’s Revenge: How the Devastated U.S. Battleships Returned to War
Just uploaded a new video tour of the wreck of the SS Shuna in the Sound of Mull on the west coast of Scotland. The…
Continue reading → New video – diving the wreck of the SS Shuna, Sound of Mull, Scotland
Just back from a week’s expedition to survey the wrecks of the two K-class submarines K4 & K17 lost during the so-called Battle of May…
Continue reading → HMS K-4 & HMS K-17. Firth of Forth, Scotland
Just posted a new video tour of the wreck of the Japanese WWII transport Hoki Maru sunk at Truk Lagoon on 18 February 1944 during…
My author copies of the new book have just arrived – what a lovely production from Pen & Sword
Rod Macdonald 