Rachel Lance Writes

Rachel Lance uses in-depth archival research to uncover stories from military history so wild they can only be true. She retells them alongside relatable explanations of the science behind the experiences, because from blast lung during the Civil War to TBI in Afghanistan, biomedical engineer and extreme environment specialist Dr. Lance believes that every war has its lessons.

Chamber Divers – available now

as heard on Fresh Air with Terry Gross

Most Americans picture the start of WWII as boots on the sand, storming the beaches of Normandy on the windy morning of D-Day. But what made that day possible for the Allies? Chamber Divers tells the previously classified story of a group of scientists who conducted hundreds of injurious experiments to figure out the science of underwater breathing necessary to make D-Day a success. They kickstarted the world of amphibious warfare- and they did the life-threatening research on themselves.

 “Meticulously researched, the unbelievable yet true story of the eccentric, maverick submarine scientists whose courage and expertise ensured the success of D-Day”
— Dr. Helen Fry, author of MI9

In the Waves – available now

In 1864, the hand-cranked death tube HL Hunley became the first submarine ever to sink an enemy ship in combat, but then the little Confederate sub disappeared with not one clue about the cause of its demise. The puzzle of its disappearance deepened when the boat was recovered in 2000 and the hull was opened to reveal that the remains of the crew died seated at their battle stations, no attempts to escape, and apparently unharmed. This book provides a deep dive into blast trauma in order to answer one of history’s most haunting questions: What killed the crew of the HL Hunley?

 “Harrowing, and inspiring” — The Wall Street Journal