Three Miles Down

James Hamilton-Paterson describes Three Miles Down (first published in 1998) as 'the account of a treasure hunt in 1995 which I joined as the expedition's chronicler. A group of Britons had chartered the Russian oceanographic ship, the Mstislav Keldysh, to look for the wrecks of two vessels sunk in the Atlantic in the Second World War... Both were alleged to be carrying cargoes of gold.' For the author the experience was to bring home all 'the emotions and practical technicalities of the search phase of marine salvage.' '[Hamilton-Paterson's] unfolding of the story and his deft sketching of some unusual personalities grips like the skinny hand of the Ancient Mariner.' Scotsman 'He proves to be a chronicler of the intrigue among a crew of strangers, a fount of lore about wrecks and deep-sea exploration, and a marvellous witness to the lightless wonders of profound depths.' Outside