Captain’s Corner – August 17

Captain's Corner: K.A. Nelson

Date: Saturday, August 17

Time: 2 PM

Cost: $15 per person (Price includes access to lecture and Olympia.), Free for ISM members.

Location: Captain's Cabin onboard Olympia.

Captain’s Corner, the lecture series onboard our historic ship Olympia!

Offered once a month, from April through September, at 2 PM onboard Olympia in the captain’s cabin, the Independence Seaport Museum will host a variety of speakers, all highlighting themes of relevance to our two historic ships. Admission includes self-guided access to the ship before or after the lecture. Check-in at the ticket booth in front of the historic ships.

This program is free for Members – please email Membership@phillyseaport.org if you have any questions.

Please note that Olympia is not ADA-accessible. If you have any accessibility questions, please email Education@phillyseaport.org.

Speaker: K.A. Nelson

Killing Shore: The True Story of Hitler's U-boats off the New Jersey Coast

Join ISM as we welcome author J.A. Nelson aboard the Olympia to talk about his new book, Killing Shore.  Killing Shore tells the story of Nazi Germany’s U-boat campaign in United States waters through the eyes of those who experienced its brutality firsthand off New Jersey. Leveraging a multitude of primary sources, it provides a seafarer’s view from multiple perspectives—victims, attackers, and rescuers—reflecting the author’s fascination with ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. In addition to providing historical and scientific context for the U-boat offensive in American waters and dispelling a few misconceptions, Killing Shore represents the first-ever detailed exploration of World War II U-boat operations along the Jersey Shore. Moreover, for all but one of the eleven ships featured in its main narrative, this book constitutes the only long-form narrative account ever written about their final journeys.

About K.A.: A native of suburban Philadelphia and lifelong history enthusiast, K.A. Nelson graduated from Penn State University and served six years as a US Marine Corps officer. He was first certified as a scuba diver in 2006, later began diving regularly while stationed in California, and earned the PADI Divemaster certification in 2017. He began exploring New Jersey’s wrecks after relocating back to the Philadelphia area in 2018. This inspired him in 2021 to begin writing Killing Shore: The True Story of Hitler’s U-Boats Off the New Jersey Coast, released by Brookline Books in April 2024. K.A. Nelson lives in West Chester, PA and works for a boutique management consulting firm.

Purchase tickets here!