The U.S.S. Lagarto (SS-371) was the 50th of the 52 submarines lost in World War II. As Americans were rejoicing at the news of the war's end, Lagarto families were informed that their sailors were missing. Almost nothing was known of the submarine's fate for 60 years. Then in 2005 - a miracle! British divers found Lagarto, sitting upright in almost perfect condition, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The submarine crew's families were shocked and elated by the news.

"The Lost Submarine" tells the tale of the ill-fated warship - whose loss was announced by the Navy just 5 days before VJ Day. The story weaves together two distince time periods - the war years and the present. Letters from Lagarto's crew give readers a first-person glimpse into the world of sailors at war in the South Pacific. They also see the families' struggle in a different way 60 years later in their quest to honor the lost submarine's crew. "The Lost Submarine" is a story of patriotism, duty, and love. It is also a story of the Lagarto familes' determination to gain official recognition of the submarine's discovery. Initially met with indifference, they ultimately engage the press, members of Congress, the U.S. Navy, and well-wishers across the country. This ordeal becomes something positive, and the outcome is a memorial service less than a year later - with the Navy fully involved. Others embrace the discovery.

Famous divers John Chatterton and Richie Kohler, "Shadow Divers," visit Lagarto in March 2007 and report to the families on what they determine caused the submarine's demise. The most important part of the book is the story of the war years told in the first person - literally. Letters from the crew, saved by families for over sixty years, were written during breaks in dangerous and secret submarine missions. The are sad, funny, and heart-breakingly human. This is as real as it gets.