Both of the stories in this book are true, and accompanied by all the science to explain them. The book is a blend of the historical narrative, which I have told as accurately as possible based on the documentation currently known to exist, and the modern story of what it took to work through the puzzle. For a purely historical book that more exhaustively lists the details of the Hunley’s genesis and life, I recommend Tom Chaffin’s excellent The H. L. Hunley: The Secret Hope of the Confederacy.
I have told my story as truthfully and completely as possible without writing thousands of pages of nauseatingly comprehensive text. These narratives are based on my memory, email records, and contemporary notes. However, as with all memories, it is possible that other people may recall things differently. I have shortened the narrative of some of the modern events for brevity and clarity, but where I have done so I have checked with the other people involved to be sure they agreed that I maintained the intent, purpose, and tone. For example, some of the events in the book, such as the lucky-shot testing, included more people than are explicitly mentioned; rather than introducing and providing background on everyone, I focused on the portions of the events that were relevant to the narrative.
The views in this book are my own. They do not necessarily represent the official views or positions of anybody else, especially not any of my past or present employers. This assertion is doubly true for the federal government. Where I have mentioned my employers, it was only to provide context for the broader discussion of the storyline, and it is not meant in any way to imply endorsement of this book or its contents.
This mystery has intrigued uncounted millions of people. And now we finally know the answer.