| CLASSIC DIVE BOOKS
Foreign Language
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FOR A LIST OF FRENCH TITLES | HOMEPAGE |
ITALIAN
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THE
HISTORY OF UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY AND CINEMATOGRAPHY IN ITALY.
Storia della Fotografia e Cinematografia Subacqquea Italiana. Alberto Romeo. Published by Editrice La Mandragora s.r.l., Imola, Italy. 2009. Published with the support of the Historical Diving Society of Italy. Special foldout plastic cover bound, 430 pages, hundreds of mono photographs, index, bibliography, text and captions in Italian and English. We know of the French contribution to recreational diving - Cousteau made sure of that - but few of us have bothered to appreciate the contribution of the Italians, especially in underwater photography and cinematography. They have been at it since 1932, with weird and bulky homemade and later commercial equipment housing the Rolleimarin and Praktiflex, and the Elmo cinecamera. Names such as Raimondo Bucher, Roberto Rossellini, Victor de Sanctis and the author himself are not familiar to us, but they should be for their contribution to the development of underwater photography. And where did the Nikonos system originate? We are however familiar, or should be if we have an interest in the history of diving, with Folco Quilici, Fosco Maraini, Bruno Vailati, Dimitri Rebikoff, and Louis Boutan, all significant players in the development of underwater photographer. The book takes a chronological look at this development, from 1932 to 1989, the latter mentioning contributions from Hass and Cousteau as well as our Aussies Cropp and Taylor. The diving gear is an interest in itself, whereas the photographic equipment seems to have stabulised in development after a decade or so, its use divided between housings and the self-contained Nikonos system. A very interesting book and a great contribution by Alberto Romeo to the historical record of diving. By the way, has anyone got a copy of the first issue of the Italian Fotosub magazine, published in 1977; look, it is an artistic cover, thats why I want it. [ps] |
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SPANISH (ARGENTINA)
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INTRODUCCION
AL BUCEO
Salvamentos Maritimos Rescates - Inspecciones y Equipmos de Gran Profundidad Pontones - Soldadura Grupos Electrtrogenos - Bombas. Ernesto F. Tornquist Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1962 - Privately published. This translates to: INTRODUCTION TO DIVING. Salvage, Marine Rescue - Inspections and Deep Pontoon Equipment - Welding Generators - Pumps. The title page also shows Salvamar S.A. (En Formacion), with two addresses, one for 'Slipway and Maintenance' in Tigre and the other for 'Administration' in Buenos Aires. I am indebted to Abel Domenech in Buenos Aires for the scans, and the following: I met Ernesto (a.k.a. 'Tito') Tornquist in the mid 1960s. He sold my own copy of this little humble book himself, though now I very much regret I had not signed and dedicated it to me then. Tito was a professional salvage diver, and in those far days, he run a little pioneer diving shop, in partnership with Enrique Alvarez, in the downtown of Buenos Aires City. Certainly, all of the old timers of diving here, have one or two nice anecdotes and good memories connected with that diving shop and its two 'one of a kind' owners! This is a very humble little book (actually 20 x 14,5 cms) printed in a very thin low quality paper, now very yellow in my copy. Its covers are just a little more heavy stock paper than the inside. The importance of this book, is that it is the first and only bibliography ever published to the open public in Argentina, in connection with diving, at least up to the 1990s. It begins with the quotation from a book of William Beebe, which impressed me so much since I read it the first time. A councel from Beebe which reads more or less: "Before you die, get to ask the lending, buy, make yourself, or steal, some kind of apparatus which allow you to give a look to this new world." Then the eighty-two pages of this little book, gives the reader an quick insight of the history of man underwater, from the naked divers, the diving bells, and primitive diving suits, through the deep diver helmet equipped, and the scuba development. Then, the author introduces the reader in the physics of diving, physiological aspects, and, being a commercial diver himself, he includes some description of helmet diving gear, and can't refrain to include some 'tips' to maintain the equipment, for example, how to make sure the safety exhaust valve of the helmet has to be checked for proper working! The book shows also some tables, like the old decompression tables then in use, and those to calculate air supply for a helmet diver underwater, etc. Thus, the author achieved in a very small book, a very comprehensive and somewhat surprising combination of historical and technical first look to diving, and though lacking of any photographs, it was illustrated with some simple and nice hand drawings, which I suspect were made by Ernesto himself. In all, it makes for a very charming little book, with historical significance for the book collector, though of course, with the limitations of its small size, page quantity, and humble printing, but that anyway shows the love of the author for sharing his own passion for the underwater world, in an edition made with a significant financial effort for his rather limited economic resources at that time. This book is very, very rare to find in the used book market here. I have heard about a rather recent reprint of it, but never had the opportunity of seeing a copy or verifying that this reprint was ever made. Abel A. Domenech, Buenos Aires, April 2010. Important note: One of the great benefits and pleasures in preparing this website on classic diving books is that it frequently solicits communication from not only enthusiastic collectors but also from the authors themselves or their families. Such was the case this morning (23 August 2010) with an email from Eric Tornquist in Argentia, son of Ernesto Tornquist. Eric kindly offered a few words of praise, and advised that his father died ten years ago. He has a website on which the full content of the book is available. You will need to brush up on your Spanish but even so, it is a great book to browse through, thanks to Eric's generousity to making it available on his website. See http://www.erictornquist.com.ar/post/201254058/homenaje-a-un-buen-amigo |
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SPANISH (ARGENTINA)
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LOS
BUZOS DEL PUERTO DE MAR DEL PLATA
Veronica Elvira Inurrieta. Published by Editorial Martin, Argentina, 2005; reprint second edition (as here) 2007. This translates as: THE DIVERS FROM THE PORT OF MAR DEL PLATA Winner of the Dr Art Bachrach Literary Award in 2006 from The Historical Diving Society of London, for contributing to the history of diving in the world. From the blurb: Historia de buzos: sus sacrificios, inicios y anecdota. Siendo este el primer libro en espanol que recibe este reconocimiento, desde 1996 en que fuera instituido este premio a la literatura de la historia del buceo. Translates as: History of divers: their sacrifices, early and anecdotes. It was the first book in Spanish to receive this recognition since 1996 that was instituted this award to the literature of the history of diving. The (second edition) is softcover, 416 pages with numerous mono photographs. Unfortunately I cannot read the language but it is quite clear why the book has been so well accepted as it is a thorough documented history. Review by Abel Domenech: This book is the only book edited in Argentina, completely devoted to the study of the history of professional diving in Argentina, and though it is centered specially in the diving activity around the construction of the Port of Mar del Plata (a city 400 kilometers South of Buenos Aires, on the Atlantic Ocean) it gives also some additional information regarding the first divers of Argentina. For example, it states that the first “submarine suit” was imported in February 1867, and arrived to the city of Buenos Aires, in the ship Calypso, from England, with the appropiate instructions for its use. The diver in charge of this suit was Mr. Samuel Boubuis who had orders to work in the Rio de la Plata river, on the Buenos Aires coast, for salvage operations and removal of shipwrecks and other underwater obstacles risking navigation or operation on the ports. The first diver in Mar del Plata arrived from Italy, circa 1881, and the construction of this port was of capital importance, not only for its commercial significance, but also because an important Argentine Navy base was built in the same area of the port. This Navy base, with its important tactical location, very soon included a diving training facility which in short term came to be the main Military Diving School in Argentina, training military men of different armed forces (Navy, Army, Coast Guards, etc.) with the use of deep diving helmets, and later, with the development of tactical “frogmen” in 1948, and later scuba divers. In the 1980´s the Navy School of diving received great technical support from foreign petroleum companies which needed a suitable place for training of deep sea divers to work in their off shore riggs. The school received important material, decompression chambers, and technical support from Comex, being one of the more important professional diving schools in America, out of the USA. In this period, the school trained not only military men, but also civilian professionals. Many Argentine Navy divers went to France to train (with Comex) in the then new saturation diving techinques. Unfortunately, this is now a thing of the past, though the Argentine Navy keeps its divers school inside this base. The book written by Miss Iñurrieta, is full of information, as well as many very interesting interviews with old professional and military divers, and with members of the family of pioneer divers. It also describes the beginnings of the sport diving activity around Mar del Plata, starting as early as in the 1960´s. Overall, this book, written in Spanish, and with its 416 pages including drawings, lots of historical photos, etc., present a very comprehensive description of the diving history in Argentina, being the only book I am aware of about this theme except a couple of little books devoted to the sport aspects of diving in our country. Once again I am indebted to Abel Domenech for his kindness, and similarly to the author Veronica Elvira Inurrieta, who dedicates a copy to me with the words, Apasionado del mar y de los libros. Con afecto. Thankyou Abel and Veronica. |
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| SPANISH | MANUAL
DEL BUCEADOR
[Scuba-Diving Manual] Clay Coleman Paidotribo Editorial, 2008. (ISBN: 8480199806) Paperback; 470 pages. 8.50x5.80x1.20 inches. Synopsis: Esta guÃÂa completa de aventuras subacuáticas va dirigida a buceadores titulados y aporta todas las indicaciones e informaciones necesarias para que el buceo forme una parte constante y gratificante de la vida. Es una guÃÂa definitiva y realista, llena de sugerencias y datos útiles referentes a equipo, seguridad, procedimientos de rescate y técnicas de buceo. El lector aprenderá a responsabilizarse de sus programas de buceo y de su propia seguridad subacuática. Con el Manual para el buceador el lector se puede convertir en un buceador activo y autónomo y hacer que el buceo no sólo sea un acontecimiento especial, sino un estilo de vida. |
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FRENCH
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ADVENTURES
EXTRAORDINAIRES DE JOSEPH ROULETABILE
(The Extraordinary Adventures of Joseph Rouletable - Google Translation) Gaston Leroux Published by: Pierre Lafitte, Paris in 1922 Soft printed covers - 75 printed pages Dimension s: 24.5 cms tall by 17 cms wide This is more like a magazine than a book. It starts in the first world war but seems to take the story diving for treasure as the cover and illustrations seem to indicate. |
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FRENCH
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LA
COLLECTION DANIEL BOUDOT (The Collection of Daniel Boudot)
Private Publication c2009 in France (Publication un-dated) Photographs by: Jean-Patrick Paszula Black hard covers with dust jacket, Landscape format Dimensions: 22.5 cms tall by 28.5 cms wide - 100 printed pages un-numbered This book is published totally in the French language, has a limited edition of 300 copies, each copy numbered and I do believe there were also five private copies produced (not sure what that means). The book is a photographic record of Daniel Boudot's diving equipment collection categorised into helmets, air pumps, knives, boots, cuff expanders, corsolet spanners, telephones, leather belts, weights, cutting torches, tools, lamps and gauges and contains over 350 photographs - all in colour. 
In the helmet section, there are 25 pages of helmets from manufacturers such as Boutan, Petit, Piel, Casassa, Scauda from France; Galeazzi and Salvas from Italy; Siebe Gorman and Heinke from the UK; Drager and Medi from Germany, Chinese TF12, TOA, Yokohama, various Russian helmets; finally Miller Dunn, Desco and Morse from the USA. Each helmet has at least 2 photographs from different directions. It is a similar story of all the other equipment included in all the other sections. All pages have colour photographs which are extremely clear and sharp, another book well worth owning but it does have the look of a cut down version of "Helmets of the Deep". The French text is kept to a minimum, just descriptions of the equipment included in the book so it is easy to get the idea of what is being said. However, the introduction in the front of the book about the collection is again totally in French, as is the details on the very last page about the photographer (Jean-Patrick Paszula) and the owner of the collection (Daniel Boudot). More information about the book can be seen on http://www.historicdiving.com/boudot/index.html |
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| FRENCH | LA
NAVIGATION SOUS-MARINE
G.-L. Pesce. Preface de M. Laubeuf. Libraire Vuibert, Paris. (no date, circa 1908, second edition). Hardcover; 407pp., 4pp. ads. Illustrated title page and 356 other b/w engravings, photographs and diagrams. 4to, elaborate gilt and black stamped pictorial cloth. Text in French. From a sales blurb: A gorgeous copy of this interesting book on submarines, diving and underwater exploration. |
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| FRENCH | LA
PHOTOGRAPHIE SOUS-MARINE ET LES PROGRES DE LA PHOTOGRAPHIE
[Underwater Photography and the Progress of Photography] Louis Boutan. Paris, Reinwald, Schleicher, 1900. Broché, couverture imprimée. In-8 (230 x 145 mm) de VI, 327 pp., 12 pl. Première édition, rare. Elle est illustrée par 52 figures dans le texte et 12 planches hors-texte dont 4 en couleurs. Le biologiste français, Louis Boutan (1859-1934) s'est illustré par ses travaux d'océanographie et a été un pionnier de la photographie sous-marine. |
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| FRENCH | LES
EXPLORATIONS SOUS-MARINES
Edmond Perrier 1886. Description: reliure demi-chagrin rouge grand in-octavo (binding half shagreen in-octavo), dos 4 faux-nerfs ceints de filets à froid (spine with 4 false raised bands encircled of blind-stamping decoration line) - entre-nerfs à double filets or à fleuron au fer évidé et rinceaux aux angles avec des petits fers en remplissage (between the raised bands double gilt lines - floweret with hollowed out blocking stamp - with foliages executed in the curved lines in angles - with small blocking stamp in filling) - titre frappé or (gilt title) - filets or en tête et en pied (top and at the foot of spine gilt lines), papier imitation chagrin rouge aux plats décorés à froid (paper imitation red shagreen on the cover with blind stamping decoration) - 1 fer spécial sur le premier plat (special blocking stamp on the front cover) "Lycée de Jeunes Filles Niort", marque-page en tissu (bookmark in tissue), toutes tranches jaspées (all marbled edges), pages de garde peignées peignées à motif "coquille sur fond caillouté" (painting endpapers - model shell on paved bottom), peignées à motif "veiné sur fond caillouté" (painting endpapers - model on paved bottom), page de faux-titre (half title page), ex-dono sur feuille volante : Université de France - Académie de Poitiers - Lycée de Jeunes Filles - Classe de 4è année - Prix de physique décerné à Virginie Payrault à Niort le 1er Août 1887, illustrations 243 gravures (illustrations : 243 engravings), rousseurs passim (redness marks almost everywhere), IV pages + 352 pages, 1886 à Paris Librairie Hachette et Compagnie 79 boulevard Saint-Germain, Collection "Bibliothèque des Ecoles et des Familles" - sommaire (contents) : historique, le travailleur et le talisman, l'outillage, le monde des rivages et de la haute mer, les animaux des grandes profondeurs - belle reliure en bel état malgré le petit défaut signalé (beautiful binding in very good condition in spite of the small defect indicated). |
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FRENCH
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LES
MEILLEURES RECETTES CULINAIRES POUR POISSONS, CRUSTACES ET COQUILLAGES
[The Best Recipes for Cooking Fish, Crustaceans and Shellfish.] Ed. Blondel la Rougery / Publie par le comite de la Semaine du poisson de Boulogne-Sur-Mer, Paris, 1923. Softcover. First edition. Octavo. Original pictorial card covers. 98, [6]pp. Illustrated. Wouldn't Heston Bloomenthal love this one; he probably has it anyway. A period and charming French cook book. One illustrated advertisement shows a man in a diving bell suit retrieving a bounty of seafood from the ocean's depths. |
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FRENCH
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LE
JOUET SCAPHANDRIER
Philippe Damon Translation: The Toy Diver Subtitle: Et Son Histoire de Jules Verne À Nos Jours Translated: and its history of Jules Verne at our days (? Google) Published by: Alan Sutton, France in 2005. Soft printed covers - 96 printed pages Dimensions: 23.5 cms tall by 16.5 cms wide Although this book is published in French and I am an English speaker with only schoolboy French (and that's not very good), this book has proved very interesting and useful. It looks at toy divers made through the years from victorian times to relative recent dates. Not only does it show toys, it also enlightens the reader on board games that involved divers, juvenile books (only in French), magazine prints and views of contemporary diving equipment through the years. It is extremely well illustrated mainly with colour photographs and scans taking the reader from early times right up to the comemorative Action Man/G I Joe divers produced in recent years. We are all kids at heart and this re-kindles memories! [pt] |
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FRENCH
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MARINE
NATIONALE LA PLONGE
B. Arthaud. (Navy Diving) Published (in France no doubt) 1961. Hard back with dustjacket, 190 printed pages. Dimensions: 21 cms tall by 15.5 cms wide A French book that covers all aspects of diving including the history, hard hat, scuba, military and deep water exploration. Extremely well illustrated with many monochrome drawings and photographs. [pt]
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FRENCH
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PERLES
REQUINS ET CORAUX (PEARLS, SHARKS AND CORALS).
Jean Foucher-Creteau. Librairie des Champs-Elysées. Paris. 1955. Soft cover, dj, 56 pp, plus 110 pages with 62 b/w & 32 colour illustrations. French text. 28 x 22.5. Diving and filming expedition in the Red Sea in April 1954. See also: MY ADVENTURES UNDER THE SEA, Jean Foucher-Creteau |
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TORPILLES
HUMAINNES (Trans: Human Torpedoes)
Serge Ouvaroff. Forward by Jacques Cousteau. Les hommes grenouilles a l'assaut d'Alexandrie et de Pearl Harbour, de Gibraltar et des fjords de Norvege. (Google translation: The male frogs attack Alexandria and Pearl Harbor, Gibraltar and the fjords of Norway.) The male frogs? Okay, frogmen. Published by Gerard & Com Verviers, Belgium, 1951. In the French language. The copy I have is a scruffy paperback, published probably in the 1950s156 pages. I have no idea if there was an English edition. The book is in a series indicated as 'Marabout-Junior, La Collection Jeune Pour Tout Les Ages', which translates to 'Young collection for all ages'. Not sure one interprets that but it certainly does not like a kids book. From the back cover: Qu'il s'agisse des torp~lIes montees appelees {{ cochons par les Italiens ou des petits sous-marins nommes {{ midget par les Anglais, {{ mouches par les Japonais ou {{ castors par les Allemands : que leur action se deroule a Gibraltar ou a Pearl Harbour, a Alexandrie ou dans les fjords de Norvege: qu'on appelle les heros de 'C;; ces combats {{ torpilles humaines , {{ hommes grenouilles ou {{ nageurs de combat , peu importe en somme ! Une chose est commune a taus ces hommes : I'audace incroyable dont ils durent faire preuve. Se laisser glisser seul ou a quelques-uns dans I'eau glaciale et noire, dans ou sur une machine derisoirement fragile, affronter les grenades sous-marines, les filets mines, les navires patrouilleurs pour aller assaillir dans son gite Ie formimable cuirasse ou croiseur ennemi, temoigne d'un courage bien trempe et d'une endurance a toute epreuve. La fortune sourit d' ailleurs aces audacieux puisqu'ils coulerent, durant la guerre, au mains trois cuirasses, trois croiseurs et des dizaines d' autres batiments. Google translation: Whether it torpedo ascents called pigs by the Italians or small submarines midget men by the English, flies by the Japanese or beaver by the Germans that their action place in Gibraltar or a Pearl Harbor, Alexandria or in the fjords of Norway: the hero is called human torpedoes, frogmen or combat swimmers, regardless of amount in ! One thing is common with these men l'audace incredible they had to show. To slide one or a few in cold and dark water, in or on a machine ridiculously fragile face grenades submarine nets mines, patrol vessels to go in its assault cottage le formimable armor or cruiser enemy, shows a good temper courage and endurance against all odds. Fortune smiled moreover daring aces since flowed during the war, hands three breastplates, three cruisers and dozens of other buildings. [Well, you get the idea]. [ps] |
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FRENCH
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TROIS
INVENTEURS MECONNUS (Three Forgotten Inventors)
Jacques Michel Published in 1980 Hard back with dustjacket; 220 printed pages. Dimensions: 24 cms tall by 17 cms wide. This French book covers the story of Benoit Raquayrol, August Denayrouze and Louis Denayrouze. Although I am unable to read this book, it is absolutely filled with interesting photographs and diagrams appertaining to Raquayrol and Denayrouze. Pictures range from drawings from the original manual in the mid 1860's to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" to pictures of the equipments in use. [pt] |
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FRENCH
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MANUEL
DU SCAPHANDRIER
Republique Francaise Marine National, 5th Edition.
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| FRENCH | DIX
MÈTRES SOUS LA MER
Bernard Gorsky. Preface par Léon Bertin. Paris: Durel Ed., 1946. XIV,212 p.: lams.; 4º menor.- Las cubiertas algo fatigadas. |
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| FRENCH | L'ATOLL
: VIE ET MORT D'UNE ILE DU PACIFIQUE
Bernard Gorsky Editions De La Pensee Moderne Paris 1975. Hardcover, dustjacket, 291pp. |
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| FRENCH | LA
DERNIERE ILE
Bernard Gorsky Paris. 1965. Editions Albin Michel. Pictorial soft cover, 208pp, (4)pp with 4 maps, plus 44 pages with 1 b/w and 66 colour photos.. French text. A year through the outposts of the French Pacific: Tahiti, Wallis, New Caledonia (Loyalty Islands, Isle of Pines). |
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| FRENCH | LA GRANDE BARRIERE DE
CORAIL.
Bernard Gorsky. Paris. 1969. Hardcover, dustjacket, 253pp. col & b/w ills. French text. Underwater photography of the Great Barrier Reef. |
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GERMAN
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IN
MEERESTEIFEN (In Ocean Depths)
by: C Falkenhorst Published in Germany in 1891 Illustrated hard covers - 188 printed pages Dimensions: 20 cms tall by 13 cms wide This small book is divided into 13 chapters, each very well illustrated with some beautiful block prints, many full pages. It covers all subjects underwater including plants and animals from shallow depths to deep sea exploration on the Challenger expedition and the laying of the trans-atlantic cable by the Great Eastern. Another chapter deals with sea salvage, another with early submarine boats and of course diving with a splendid print of an early diver, presumably at night, carrying a lantern (the same print as can be seen on the cover). [pt]
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| GERMAN | KREUZER EDINBURGH : GOLDTRESOR IM
NORDMEER
[CRUISER EDINBURGH: GOLD VAULT IN THE ARCTIC OCEAN] Günter Lanitzki. Edition: 2., verb. und erw. Aufl. Publisher: Koehler, Germany, 1991. ISBN-13: 9783782205313 ISBN: 3782205316 In German. |
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GERMAN
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DIE EROBERUNG DER TIEFE (See translation below.)
Hans Gunther Published in Germany in 1928.
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GERMAN
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PHYSIOLOGIE
DES TAUCHERS (Physiology of Divers)
Hermann Stelzner Published by: Dragerwerk, Lubeck, Germany in 1962. Printed card covers; 95 printed pages. Dimensions: 20 cms tall by 17 cms wide. Manual that bears all the “hallmarks” of being produced by Drager in Germany. Most of the photographs and diagrams are of helmet divers but there are some of early scuba divers. None of the diagrams are in colour as such, each have a characteristic blue tint. All written in German but interesting for the old photographs. Covers scuba twin hose era and standard equipment with details of decompression tables and chambers. [pt]
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TAUCHER TECHNIK
Hermann Stelzner. Lubek, 1943. |
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GERMAN
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TECHNICAL
DIVING - TAUCHEN AM LIMIT
Mario M. Weidner Müller Rüschlikon Verlags AG.; 1998. (ISBN: 3275012630 / 3-275-01263-0) Hardcover. Language: German. Details? |
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RUSSIAN
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RUSSIAN
DIVING HISTORY
P. A. Borovikova. Published in Russia, 2005. Printed hard covers, 233 printed pages. Dimensions: 22 cms tall by 17 cms wide. This book is written I gather about the history in Russia although it does start with t history of diving throughout the world with prints shown from many countries. Well illustrated with countless monochrome photographs and diagrams. Unfortunately, this book is all in Russian and is impossible to read and now the history of diving in Russia is documented in a book written in English as well as Russian called "Illustrated History of Russian Diving" by Dr Pavel A Borovikov. [pt] |
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| ICELANDIC | VERKLEG SJOVINNA.
Arsaell Jonasson, Henrik Thorlacius. Arsaell Jonasson, Kafari, 1952 Handbok Sjomanna og Utvegsmanna. Kennslubok. Reykjavik: Arsaell Jonasson, Kafari, 1952. In two volumes. Pp 214, [5] folding plates; 217-419, [4] folding plates. Large 8vo, green cloth. No. 1658 of a numbered edition. An extensively illustrated manual to modern mercantile seamanship and diving. In Icelandic. |
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YUGOSLAVIAN
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SPREHODI POD MORJEM
(Walks Under The Sea - Google translation) Editor: Ivan Kuscer Published by:Drzavna Zalozba, Ljubljana, Slovenia (Yugoslavia) in 1963. Soft printed covers - 142 printed pages. Dimensions: 21.5 cms tall by 16 cms wide This book tells the story about two brothers, Ivan and Dusan Kuscer and their mother Marjeta who were diving with home made equipment off the old Yugoslavian coast (now Slovenia) in 1937. They used home made equipment; air supplied by a converted bicycle pump through a pipe to a home made helmet or even just simply held in the mouth while wearing a home made mask made from an old car tyre innertube. In fact, there are templates in the back of the book to make a mask like theirs. I cannot read this book as it written in Slovenian/ Yugoslavian but I was given it by a friend who has a diving museum in Piran, Slovenia. The book is quite rare but this copy has been signed to me by the only surviving brother, Dusan. Throughtout, the book has many monochrome photographs diagrams and prints and there are two half page colour prints. Many of the photographs were taken in the 1930's. In March 2008, the Museum in Piran re-enacted the dives of the Kuscer family and it was widely reported in the Historical Diving Times in the UK and Australia. [pt] Would this make Marjeta the "first lady of diving"?  .. . . |
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GREEK
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With communication from
the author, I gather this is called, in English:
PHYSIOLOGY AND MEDICICE OF FREE DIVING. Yannis Detorakis. Possibly published by Idelson-Gnocchi L.t.d. Publishers. 2001. Softcover, laminated with front and back fly; 124 pages, mono drawings and photograps in blue tinge, bibliography, no index. The book was kindly sent to me by the author with a view to publishing it in English, which I apologetically declined. It is of course printed in the Greek language. The eleven chapters cover the physiology of free diving as the title informs: The Diving Reflec; Pressure Equalisation of the Middle Ear; Respiration; Apnea Diving; Hyperventilation; Hyposxia; Thermal problems; Nutritional davice - the Free Divers Diet; Medical problems. Yannis advises that: "The physiology and medicine of free diving" is a book aiming to cover all the aspects of free diving physiology. The book is a unique worldwide edition. Its objective is to be recognized as the encyclopedia of breath-hold diving physiology. The purpose of the book is to function as a free diving manual, guiding the reader step by step through the necessary knowledge and the described diving techniques. The book is written in plain and understandable language. Specialized photos, drawings and tables are side by side with the text, helping the reader to assimilate the knowledge in every chapter. It is very easy for the reader to search and find answers in specialized subjects through the book so that the new diver will be able to find and follow specific instructions in any possible question. A large part of every chapter includes practical guidelines and specific underwater techniques for the new free diver. Free divers of a higher level will recognize the book as a complete encyclopedia of free diving physiology, discovering new methods of safe diving, completing their knowledge and improving their performance in free diving. Free diving instructors, scuba diving instructors and medical doctors can use the book as a reference manual with complete chapters about every aspect of apnea diving physiology. A special part of the book covers the methods of avoiding hypoxia ("shallow water blackouf). This chapter includes exclusive interviews of five great world champions of free diving and spearfishing: Umberto Pelizzary, Tern" Maas, Olivier Bardoux, Roberto Kalich and George loannou. Their view on the matter and their impressive advices are the most up to date practical techniques of avoiding the free divers' most dangerous enemy: hypoxia! I do not know if the book was printed in English, but it certainly looks like an informative and useful publication. [pjs] |
