When the world is shit, we have to find ways to cope. One of the ways I like to cope is consuming media with happy endings. Two movies in particular fill this niche to the point that I’ve seen them more then a dozen times each the past year. The first one is Sully – not surprising since it also caters to my aviation interest – and the second one is Thirteen Lives; a movie based on this very book as well as the events of the cave rescue of twelve boys and their coach in a cave in Thailand.
Picking what book to read was equally daunting. Both John Volanthen and Richard Harris who had important roles during the rescue have written their own books and I was convinced I would only need one book on the topic. However, there was something about Rick Stantons demeanor that won me over; that his book would be the one to read. This turned out to be a good choice; his book does a fair job at covering most aspects of the rescue while at the same time obviously not giving a damn about whose toes he steps on.
The book is rather special in that I do not get the impression that Rick Stanton is trying to win me over to his point of view or in any way make himself into some kind of hero. Mistakes, fears and flaws – as well as a highly cynical look on life -are shared frequently in the book; making it very refreshing. It also comes with honest self-appraisal and a dose of British humor that makes it a very interesting read. The mere fact that the book begins with a reporters summary of him as ”not being very domesticated” sets the tone for the entire book.
Probably not wanting people to skip to the part they want to read, the book is divided. Half of the chapters are based around Ricks life and previous cave explorations and dives as well as when he met other divers involved in the rescue for the first time. The other half is about the rescue of the Wild Boars out of Tham Luang. That said; I never found the non-Thailand chapters boring or fillers; it felt like Stanton had a purpose with telling about his various adventures but also teach similarly minded individuals from his experiences.
The end result is an excellent biography over Rick Stantons hobby as a Cave Diver, how he met the other individuals involved and how it evolved into the closely knit rescue team that responded to the flooded cave in Thailand. If you have any interest in the rescue and feel neither documentary or movie is enough, this book is one of the better ones you can read. Just be ready for a very different experience.