Sea of Darkness: Unraveling the Mysteries of the HL Hunley

On a a dark night in the waning days of the Civil War, the H.L. Hunley torpedoed the Union blockade ship USS Housatonic. The Hunley become the first submarine to sink an enemy ship in battle — a feat that wouldn’t be repeated for 50 years. But fate wasn’t kind to the historic craft. The sub and her crew disappeared that night in February 1864, and their final resting place remained a mystery for more than a century.

In 1995, The Civil War submarine was discovered by a dive team led by the famed novelist and shipwreck hunter Clive Cussler. After five years of bureaucratic in-fighting, scientific ingenuity and a race against nature, the Hunley was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean on August 8, 2000. Since then, the extensive research and restorative efforts underway have unraveled incredible secrets locked within the 19th century submarine.

About the Author

Brian hicks is the metro columnist for The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, and the author or coauthor of 10 books. He has written about Southern history and politics for more than 35 years, including turns as a statehouse newspaper correspondent in three states.

Praise 

"Brian Hicks' unique perspective provides the true story of the Confederate submarine remembered as teh Hunley from the beginning to the present... His every detail is visibly accountable as he preserves the time period with intimate research of the people and the undersea vessel that forever changed the history of naval warfare. "

—Clive Cussler, best-selling adventure novelist and founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency