Please note: original design of this website was based on the display size of the smaller vacuum tube computer monitors (screens). Current screens are flat, and at least 21-inch (angle). Changes may gradually be made to reflect the greater screen width, which may then be awkward when viewed with smaller screens - apologies for that. Note also that I have recently added a few more categories, for ease of browsing and to reduce download times. I have also expanded the time period, considering more recent publications if they warrant consideration as exceptional books. This is particularly applicable to the History of Diving category. The way this website has
expanded over the years, perhaps I should call it CLASSIC UNDERWATER BOOKS
PLUS OTHER RELEVENT INTERESTS PERTAINING TO THE OCEANS !
A special thankyou to Phil Thurtle in the UK who has added a wealth of information to the website - and hopefully more to come. It is contributions like this that make the site so useful. NEW WEBPAGE - FOR COLLECTORS - TO ENQUIRE AND TO SELL. *** RARE BOOK ON OFFER **** NEW WEBSITE - CLASSIC
DIVER ADVERTISMENTS
Also CARTOONS WHAT'S NEW: WE'VE MADE IT TO 2000 BOOKS (on 6 July 2011). It has been a combined effort from many collectors around the world. I would especially like to thank Phil Thurtle in the UK for his contining contributions, and indeed all those collectors listed below. The site has received some very pleasant comment from many collectors who have found the listings of great value. That is what it is all about - a sharing of knowledge so that we may all enjoy such a rewarding pastime. We are indebted to Italian collector Massimo Bertoni for his inclusion of many Italian language diving books. See FOREIGN-ITALIAN below, also HANS HASS. British collector Phil Thurtle continues to add a wealth off interesting information; we are now loading details on EPHEMERA such as 'trade cards', and now diver advertisements (see above). |
| Link to FULL ALPHABETIC INDEX - A LIST FOR COLLECTORS for individual book titles. |
| Classic dive book?
Who is to pass such judgement? Only the greater public can do so, and typical of the attitudes of today, the classic book will, unfortunately, be determined by its monetary value. If you are prepared to pay big money, then it must be classic, right? I think not, but who am I to judge. I would hope that a 'classic' book, on any theme, would be one with merit in its prose, its interest, its facts, its encouragement. It may also be old, but that should not be a sole criteria, even though I have used age in the determination of some of the books chosen to be included. No doubt, many of you may judge otherwise. An update to such thinking: I am now including more recent titles that are of interst, no doubt, to readers and collectors of 'underwater' material. It is perhaps rather pretentious of me to suggest which contemporay books in print or recently out of print will become classics, but then, its my website!!! I have particularly enjoyed the books listed, both for their content and literary competence (such as I am able to judge), and for these reasons, they will remain important works on their subject matter even if they are not granted 'classic' status in the years to come. In mentioning literary merit, I must admit that many old and some recent books which lack such merit are now collectors items if price is any criteria. So, who am I to judge. And who am I?
Do you have an old diving
book but without a dust jacket?
Did you enjoy this site,
and found it useful?
Interested in the history
of diving?
Books for sale? Or an
enquiry?
Looking for second-hand
diving books?
Recent acknowledgements:
|
Major Contributors:
Stephan Aldebert SA Bob Bamford BB Alexander Becker AB Massimo Bertoni MBE Mario Bertora MB Geoff Clark GC David Crooks DC Chris Deane CD Abel Domenech AB David Fenton DF Mike Giltzow MG Gordon Graham GG Peter Hardy PH Robert Marx RM Richard Meier RM Sam Miller SM Vincent O'Donnell VO Bob Rieseberg BR Loren Rieseberg LR Darren Smith DS Francis Smith [FS] Peter Stone PS Phil Thurtle PT Des Williams DW |
This CLASSIC DIVE BOOKS
site is sponsored by:
 |
For
OCEANS ENTERPRISES homepage, link on graphic. |
Publishers and Distributors 303 Commercial Road, Yarram, Vic 3971, Australia Phone (03) 5182 5108 International 61 3 5182 5108 Email: peter@oceans.com.au |