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The Roundtable

Matthew Gavin frank's new book is "Submersed: Wonder, Obsession, and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines"

By Joe Donahue
Published July 1, 2025 at 11:15 AM EDT

Author Matthew Gavin Frank’s new book “Submersed: Wonder, Obsession, and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines” begins with an investigation into the subculture of homemade submersible obsessives.

Men and women, mostly men, who are so compelled to sink into the deep sea that they become amateur submarine builders. They do so at great personal risk as the 2023 fatal implosion of OceanGate’s Titan proved to the world.

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Joe Donahue
Joe talks to people on the radio for a living. In addition to countless impressive human "gets" - he has talked to a lot of Muppets. Joe grew up in Philadelphia, has been on the area airwaves for more than 25 years and currently lives in Washington County, NY with his wife, Kelly, and their dog, Brady. And yes, he reads every single book.
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