The untold story of the D-Day scientists who changed special operations forever. 'Fascinating...a great historical military account and essential reading' John Volanthen, author of Thirteen Lives. On the beaches of Normandy, two summers before D-Day, the Allies attempted an all but forgotten landing. Of the nearly seven thousand Allied troops sent ashore, only a few hundred survived the terrible massacre, and the reason for the debacle was a lack of reconnaissance. The shore turned out to be impassable to tanks. The Nazis had hidden obstacles in unexpected places. The fortifications were more numerous - and deadly - than imagined. The Allies knew they needed to take the fight to Hitler on the European mainland to end the war, but they could not afford to be unprepared again. A small group of eccentric researchers, experimenting on themselves from inside pressure tanks in the middle of the London air raids, explored the deadly science needed to enable the critical reconnaissance vessels and underwater breathing apparatuses that would enable the Allies' dramatic, history-making success during the next major beach landing: D-Day.
Reviews
'Meticulously researched, the unbelievable yet true story of the eccentric, maverick submarine scientists whose courage and expertise ensured the success of D-Day. Inspirational reading.' -Dr Helen Fry, author of MI9
'Rachel Lance has produced a gripping, beautifully researched narrative that plunges readers deep into the drama of one of the most important military operations in history. WWII buffs and those looking for a genuine page turner will be delighted.' -Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of Against All Odds
'A riveting account of the daredevil Allied researchers who made advances in underwater warfare possible during WWII... Propulsively narrated and full of moments of astonishing sacrifice, this brings a remarkable history to light.'
-- Publishers Weekly 'In this bracing history of an obscure but significant aspect of the D-Day landing, Lance combines a staggering amount of research with an array of compelling personalities to tell an unforgettable story. In prose both gripping and erudite, she takes readers back to the disastrous attempted 1942 Allied amphibious landing in Dieppe, France (terming this a massacre would not be an exaggeration). She then reveals the story of the scientists whose work transformed how such landings would be conducted going forward, contributing enormously to the later, crucial, success at Normandy.... Poring over declassified documents, teasing out family stories, and tirelessly tracking down every clue, Lance gifts readers with a big, brash history that will have broad appeal.'
-- Booklist 'An illuminating account of the women and men whose dogged efforts and sacrifice helped to enable and protect the most critical, but also most fragile, weapon in war-the human body. Chamber Divers sheds new light on a little-known aspect of some of history's most famous operations. Entertaining and informative-a great read.'
-- -General Stanley McChrystal, US Army (Ret.) 'With skill and heart, Rachel Lance tells the story of a group of unlikely heroes, who sacrificed their own bodies to advance a hidden world of warfare. Exploring the unseen depths of WWII's most dangerous operations, Lance reveals the secret wartime science that remains essential to protecting our freedoms.'
-- Nathalia Holt
Author description
Rachel Lance is an author and Assistant Consulting Professor at Duke University, where she conducts research out of their Hyperbaric Medicine facility. She enjoys scientific non-fiction, and is passionate about writing because it lets her share with the world her love of finding the answers to complex riddles.
