Vulcanium: (The Secret of Captain Nemo and the Nautilus) Hardcover – October 7, 2013

As a lifelong fan of the Jules Verne saga, I found this to be a most satisfying backstory. I cannot recommend it highly enough and Pat Regan’s experience in diving and the related technology is readily apparent. The characters are well developed and the story is nicely crafted to dovetail with Verne’s original. If only Vulcanium existed!

Author Pat Regan's background in designing and building underwater gear serves him well in this novel, which should have a special appeal to those already familiar with such techologies. Those who are not are in for a reading experience both entertaining and educational. I would never have expected to be enthralled by a play-by-play description of the construction of an eight-foot convex circular window suited to the requirements of a submersible boat! And that's just one example of the fascinating feats of engineering in "Vulcanium".In this "prequel" to "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", Regan breaks with the informal tradition of anonymity surrounding the crew of the fictional submarine Nautilus. Escapees from a gulag-like slave labor work camp, they range from a notorious jewel thief turned expert builder of advanced diving gear to a tattooed, fiercely protective Maori warrior who learns to walk the ocean floor wearing it. Each man is an individual with his own backstory and motivation. At the center of it all is genius in the person of an inventor, naval architect, and physicist whose life has already been decimated by those who would steal his discoveries -- and who will become a legend under a name that means "nobody": Captain Nemo.Their enemy is no one nation, but a faceless and powerful order made up of those who, able to create nothing on their own, seek to loot the work of great minds in order to conquer and enslave. In "Vulcanium" the captain and crew of the Nautilus must learn to walk a razor's edge between trying to bring a liberating new technology to the world and doing what's necessary to keep it out of the hands of those who would turn it into an engine of destruction.

I think this is a great prequel to a great movie version of Verne's book. It explains and fleshes out parts of the movie that were not explained before. On second thought, it would make a great movie by itself and I would get the DVD to complete my Disney movie. Now someone has to remake a Mysterious Island movie that doesn't suck like all the other attempts.I totally recommend this book to anyone who loves science fiction and especially Nautilus fans, but then again I have scratch built 11 shelf sitting Nautilus submarines in the past 2 years.

The story scope, details and plot I thought were excellent. As a prequel to 20,000 leagues, it lays out a very plausible history and setups the extreme motivations and behaviors of Capt Nemo and his crew.Be warned or appreciate (in my case) that the book contained a great deal of technical information building a Nautilus. I thinks this actually pairs with Jules Vern's book. Much of the 20,000 leagues dealt with oceanography and navigation but was light on the mechanics of the Nautilus. Pat Regan information fills in most of the other aspects of the Nautilus. He has an interesting technical background and insight to submarine mechanics. He has engineered, designed and built in his garage a man caring working Nautilus based upon the Disney Harper Goff model. He also builds diving gear.I did not particularly like the print font and found the literary style not bad but was not great either.

Let me start off by saying I have always been fascinated with the Jules Verne style of science fiction writing! And (in my opinion) this book continues in the same tradition! Pat Regan, like Jules Verne, knows how to write and entertain in such a believable fashion, that you could almost believe this story and the events herein, actually took place. The technical detail of every aspect in this story is astonishing! And incorporating the “modern” 19th Century technologies and historical dates and events furthermore make this book incredible. There are certain aspects in the story that seem to drag out and slow the story down, but, like any good story, it’s all in the details! And this book doesn’t skimp on details. I have yet to completely read this book yet, as I didn’t want to rush through it. I want to sit back and enjoy this story for a while. Regardless of that, I’ve still found this a very good read!! And honestly, this is one high seas adventure story I would love to see made into a movie! The visual effects alone would be stunning based on the level of detail Pat Regan provides!!

Take a ride and see where Nemo takes you.

I bought this book after seeing a working submarine miniature online. I have to say that I really enjoyed this prequel to 20,000 leagues. As a new author myself I can really appreciate the work that Mr. Regan put into this. The characters were colorful and the plot was well thought out and connected to the original story seamlessly. I will be recommending this book to my friends.

Interesting prequel to 20,000 leagues under the sea.

A worthy prequel to 20,00 Leagues Under the Sea. A very credible and gripping backstory as to how Captain Nemo and his crew came into being and the reasons behind the construction of the Nautilus.

An excellent read that gives depth to the Jules Verne story 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,even if you have only watched the Disney movie version,you've only got half or a quarter of the story...Vulcanium is well thought out and makes the characters have purpose,plus the author's personal expertise and life long passion for this enable him to tell a compelling tale from start to finish... Check out his extensive web site if you don't believe me!!! http://www.vulcaniasubmarine.com/