Dark Descent

Written by Kevin F. McMurray

Narrated by Michael Prichard

Two years after Titanic came another ship disaster of equal magnitude "The most comprehensive and impressive account of the investigation of a shipwreck I've ever read. Kevin McMurray has revealed the secrets of the Empress of Ireland in a spellbinding read." --Clive Cussler, bestselling author of Night Probe! On May 29, 1914, after a collision in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Empress of Ireland sank in minutes, taking 1,012 passengers and crew to their deaths. The disaster shocked the world but then was forgotten with the torpedoing of the Lusitania and the engulfing cataclysm of World War I. Now, in Dark Descent, acclaimed author and diver Kevin McMurray revives the story of this forgotten maritime catastrophe. Dark Descent takes readers down into the frigid depths to explore the controversies of the ship's fatal night and the many attempts to salvage her contents, from the first hardhat diver sent down to recover loved ones to today's "adrenaline junkies" who risk#173;#173;--and often lose#173;#173;--their lives in pursuit of the perfect descent.

• Language: English
• Publisher: McGraw Hill-Ascent Audio
• Release date: Oct 1, 2005
• ISBN: 9781639291311

Kevin F. McMurray

Kevin F. McMurray is a freelance writer/author whose articles have appeared in The New York Times, the Sunday Times of London, Outside, Men's Journal and others. Kevin has written several articles about true crimes that have appeared in Connecticut Magazine and several men's magazines. He is the author of St. Martin's True Crime titles including Desire Turned Deadly, If You Really Loved Me and A Family Cursed. He is also the author of Deep Descent and Dark Descent, historical-adventure nonfiction works about notorious shipwrecks. Kevin lives in Brewster, NY.

Reviews for Dark Descent

[drmaf-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Empress of Ireland is the forgotten ship disaster of the early 20th century. Sandwiched between the Titanic and Lusitania, she has been overshadowed by thos two famous wrecks, yet proportionately more people were lost when this luxurious liner collided with a collier in the St Lawrence seaway in May 1914 than in either the Titanic or Lusitania. Only 350 survived out of a complement of 1470. Because of the strong tides and murky water in the St Lawrence River, the wreck remains a difficult proposition for divers, although this hasn't stopped it being plundered by scavengers. This is an enthralling book about the story of the wreck and the dangers of diving on her. Highly recommended.