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

I'm an Engineer who loves a mystery, enjoys well done research, and has a library of war and submarine books. This tags them all. Well done.

In the Waves is that rare gem of a nonfiction book where the author is able to bring you on both a personal and factual journey very well. Some books get one or the other down, but Lance is able to balance science, history, and her own journey to the truth perfectly. I highly recommend it, and I eagerly look forward to more of her work.

I received a complimentary galley of IN THE WAVES: MY QUEST TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF A CIVIL WAR SUBMARINE by Rachel Lance for an honest review. Thank you to Dutton Books and Netgalley!<br /><br />Rating: 4.5 / 5<br />IN THE WAVES follows Rachel Lance’s quest to solve a Civil War mystery. On February 17, 1864, the HL Hunley, a small submarine manned by confederates, deployed a torpedo against the union’s USS Housatonic near Charleston. It was successful in its mission to destroy the union ship, but the submarine and its crew disappeared. When it was raised 131 years later, it was a surprise to find that the crew was still in place at their stations having made no apparent attempt to escape. Many theories have been floated as to why the ship sank and how the men died, but Lance set out to get scientific proof as part of completing her PhD at Duke.<br /><br />I really went into this knowing very little about the Hunley, but I was intrigued by the synopsis. Having been a bit hard to engage with a lot of books, I was thrilled to find myself immediately hooked by the author’s writing in this one. Rachel Lance is an excellent writer, effectively setting the scene for the story. While some of the science was definitely beyond my knowledge, she did an excellent job of making it approachable.<br /><br />This book combines science, historical research, experiments and recreations. She examines eye witness testimony from those who survived the sinking of the US S Housatonic and other historical research, such as the makeup of the explosives that would have been used during the civil war. The author also shares some of her personal story in pursuit of her PhD. She reviews others’ theories and sets out to prove or disprove before delving into her own.<br /><br />I found this to be an enjoyable read and it is one I would recommend for the history and non-fiction fans!

Great combination of historical mystery, popular science, and current day memoir. Biomedical engineer Rachel Lance tells the story of how she and a rotating team of assorted professionals finally cracked the mystery of how a Civil War submarine exploded and sank, leaving the crew seemingly undisturbed and at their posts, their skeletons to be discovered over a century later. She explains so that a non expert can follow and the process of determining what could have happened, followed by computer simulations and live experiments, many involving blowing things up, is quite fascinating and occasionally hilarious. She also looks into the historical record to see what eyewitness accounts and contemporary conclusions were drawn. In the process we learn about the sailors in the submarine, about Lance's bid for a doctorate, and how the scientific method can lead to unexpected friendships and even love.

I’ve been fascinated by the mystery of the Hunley since I was a kid: I saw the movie, I saw the submarine twice at the Warren Lasch Center, my family took a special trip down to Charleston for the lectures and funerals when South Carolina buried the crew. <br /><br />This was by far the best thing I’ve read on the Hunley. <br /><br />Dr. Lance gives plenty of important (and some new!) historical narrative, teaches some fascinating bits of science, knocks out other theories of the demise of the Hunley, and then proves her own — all culminating with an incredible narrative of what likely happened that night.

Loved this book. The author relishes explaining technical, scientific concepts to laymen. How much water pressure is on the door of a submarine? "I choose to describe the force in units of Rachel. I personally am 160 pounds' worth of human-being mass, mostly comprised of cake... If Bauer wanted to leave the submarine, he would have needed to be strong enough to lift the 350 Rachel Lances standing on the hatch door."<br /><br />I appreciate how she handles the fact that the subjects of her mystery are Confederates. She tells the story straight and neither turns them into heroes nor strips them of their humanity. <br /><br />Bonus: all Lance's scientific detective work took place just down the road from me at Duke University.

This book is a fascinating blend of history and science focusing on what happened to the Confederate submarine, the HL Hunley and her crew, and how it can be proven over a century and a half later. Once I got to reading this, I could hardly put it down it was so interesting. I already knew the HL Hunley only served one mission which it did not survive. It hadn't realized it had some history even before that mission. I certainly wasn't aware of how it was operated or even explosives in general other than they blow things up. Dr. Lance, with her background as a biomedical engineer and interests in blast injuries and diving projects, brings a lot to examining what happened as well as tons of information on blast injuries. She does clearly explain to readers that she won't provide the specifics on gunpowder making or bomb making but makes the physics and how it works very understandable as she worked on her experiments for her Ph.D. This is as good as any detective story except using science as she shows how much research, searching for contacts, and experimentation goes into good science. My copy is an ARC copy for this is due out April 7, 2020. I highly recommend this book because almost anyone will find this one of interest.

A fantastic book - engagingly written, full of vivid details and intrigue! Lance has a way of explaining complex scientific topics in a manner that is both accessible to and enjoyable for the average reader, which I thoroughly enjoyed!

I love history, but this was a bit gruesome for my liking and I felt an overwhelming desire to escape through the hatch!

Dr. Lance's novel mashes up the science &amp; physics entertainment of the Mythbusters, the engineering puzzle-solving of The Martian, and the personal journey of grad school into an addictive narrative. This book teaches that the mysteries of history require more than just modern tools to solve - they require critical thinking, persistence, and that kind of all-absorbing passion that hooks certain people on especially tough problems. Interwoven narratives take the reader through Civil War scenes, modern-day science sleuthing, and the emotional journey of the author as she follows the trail of engineering and science to answer a question not addressed for more than a hundred years: "What about the Hunley?"<br /><br />This book is great for that science, mystery or history buff in everyone's family - from high schooler to grandparent. Strongly recommended!