EXPLORING THE BISMARCK

The author's Discovery of the Bismarck in a young readers' version, featuring plenty of well-chosen color photos and dramatic military paintings plus a view of the Nazi battleship's brief career through the eyes of four crew members. Ballard has searched out other wrecks with his remote-control deep-sea camera sled, most notably the Titanic; here, he once again re-creates the weary hours watching the video screen, capped by the thrill of discovery as a vague undersea shadow suddenly takes a shape not found in nature. A fine account, enhanced both by the striking illustrations and by a description of how the survivors were rescued and treated by their British captors. Glossary; chronology; brief bibliography. (Nonfiction. 10-13)