| CLASSIC DIVE BOOKS
History of Diving Please note: The books are listed for interest only, and not offered for sale. Most of the books listed as Classic Dive Books have some
component of history recorded.
|
HOMEPAGE |
. |
MAN AND THE
UNDERWATER WORLD
Pierre de Latil and Jean Rivoire. Translated from the French by Edward Fitzgerald.
What Ceram did for archeology in Gods, Graves and Scholars, and Herrmann for ecology in Conquest by Man, two brilliant young French authors have done here for the fascinating story of man's endeavors to explore the three quarters of the earth's surface that lies beneath the sea. Truly it constitutes a second universe, which still holds untold secrets and resources. From the earliest times man has sought to penetrate this vast and mysterious realm by various means, but only recently has undersea exploration begun to achieve its real goals. The year 1953, which saw the conquest of the land-surface completed by the ascent of Everest, also saw the conquest of the deep furthered by successful descents to previously unknown depths by bathyscaphe, and the plumbing by oceanographers of the ultimate abysses, which demonstrated that life exists even there. Latil and Rivoire, in a style admirably concise, present all the principal episodes in this long and often heroic history. Greek and Roman divers, the schemes of Leonardo and others in the Middle Ages, the progress of undersea warfare in which the American Fulton played an important part, Jules Verne and his fantasies, some of which were carried out by Beebe and other later explorers, down to the sportsmen, photographers, and skin-divers of today—all are included in this informative, accurate, and readable book. The present enthusiasm for underwater activities of all kinds lends a particular value to this historical survey, but even without it this volume would take its place as a classic in its field. The many well-selected illustrations add considerably to the book's attractions. |
|||
 |
20,000
JOBS UNDER THE SEA
Subtitle: A History of Diving and Underwater Engineering Torrence R. Parker Published by: Sub-Sea Archives, Peninsula, California, USA in 1997. Hard cover with green boards and dustjacket; 354 printed pages. Dimensions: 28.5 cms tall by 22 cms wide This has to be one of the classic diving history books ever published. It focuses on the history of commercial diving in Southern California since the late 1800’s. It helps that the author has spent a working life in the diving industry but I cannot stress enough how comprehensive this book is. It is brimming with photographs and illustrations throughgout and worth it just for those alone, without the text. It is divided into 2 parts, “The Hand Pump Era” and “Diving’s Golden Age” and in turn eact part is broken down into further sections: 1.1 The evolution of diving equipment and compressed air diving. 1.2 Early commercial diving: building the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. 1.3 Los Angeles Harbour’s first divers. 1.4 The hand pump era. 1.5 America’s largest salvage and diving operations. 1.6 The “Black Horse Divers” of Southern California. 1.7 Early Pacific Coast Diving Operations. 1.8 The First Offshore Oil Divers. 1.9 Depression Era Diving. 1.10 Divers and Tenders Labour Union Developments. 1.11 Projects of the Thirties. 1.12 World War II. 1.13 America’s Glory Years of Open-Sea Sponge Diving. 2.14 Postwar Diving Developments. 2.15 The First Diving Schools. 2.16 Breaking In. 2.17 The Abalone Fishery. 2.18 Diving For Oil. 2.19 Large Diameter Pipeline Projects. 2.20 Bends. 2.21 Diving in Harbours and Other Spaces. 2.22 Ship Work and Salvage. 2.23 Moving into the Twenty-First Century. I don’ think Torrence Parker has left any stone unturned in this history of American diving; everything about this book is impressive, even the boards under the dust jacket has a golden embossed shape of a Mk V helmet. Sadly this book is hard to find now but when it was published, it is marked up as £87 (US) which was an expensive book back in the late 1990’s. [pt] I don't like to include values of books on this site as I do not want to influence prices in any way, but at the present (April 2010), this books is selling in the USA within the range of $250 to $700. Like so many book-shop sales through the internet, maybe the high end is a bit ambitious, but it does give an indication of the value of the book, both in dollar terms, and intellectually. I just wish I had the sense to buy one when I had the chance! [ps] |
|||
 |
A
PICTORIAL HISTORY OF DIVING
Edited by Arthur J. Bachrach ph.D, Barbara Mowery Desiderati & Mary Margaret Matzen Published by: Best Publishing Company, San Pedro, California, USA. First Published 1988 Hard Cover with dust jacket and 149 printed pages. Dimensions 30.5 cms tall by 23.5 cms wide A large format book that is not only interesting but has been very useful many times as a reference guide. It contains 11 chapters, each being written by a different author and each chapter is so well illustrated with photos and diagrams, illustrations – they are too numerous to count. Chapter details are very diverse as follows: 1. Breath-hold Diving by Arthur J Bacharach. 2. Diving Bells: Diver Lockout Systems by James T. Joiner. 3. The Hard Hat Diving Helmet by J. A. & S. E. Bauer. 4. The History of the Diving Suit by E. R. Cross & D. J. Styer Sr. 5. Diving Equipment by Glen H Egstrom. 6. Breathing Gas Delivery by Wilber (Jerry) O’Neill. 7. One-Manned Atmospheric Diving Systems by Arthur J. Bacharach. 8. Lockout Submersibles and Diver Propulsion Vehicles by R. W. Cook & C. Chulamanis. 9. Undersea Habitats by James W. Miller. 10. Communications by James H. Elkins 11. Remotely Operated Vehicles by Frank Busby. Each chapter is very well laid out and extremely well illustrated and covers the development of the core subject. Take for example, chapter 2 on the diving bell. It starts with Franz Kesslers bell from 1616 progresses to modern times but shows other examples in development like Halley’s bell and Cadaques bell in the story. Similarly chapter 3 about helmet diving is very comprehensive with examples of diving helmets from manufacturers and countries such as Siebe Gorman, Miller-Dunn, Heinke, U S Navy, Galeazzi, Chinese, Yokohama plus many more – again with numerous excellent photos and illustrations. As well as an interesting book, it is also a useful tool for the serious diving collector. [pt] |
|||
 |
ANOTHER
WHITSTABLE TRADE
Subtitle: An Illustrated History of Helmet Diving. John Bevan. Published by: SUBMEX Ltd, Gosport, UK in 2009 Hard cover with tan coloured boards and dustjacket; 436 printed pages. Dimensions: 30.5 cms tall by 21.5 cms wide This is the second diving history book by the same author the first being “The Infernal Diver”. This book, “Another Whitstable Trade”, has been initially published with a numbered run of 750 copies but I am sure re-prints will soon follow. This is the result of around 30 years work and research and “does it show”! It tells the history of the spread of the diving industry from the small group of divers in Whitstable in the UK in the early 1800’s to the rest of the UK and ultimately the rest of the world. Everything is so well documented and illustrated with contemporary photographs and diagrams, countless numbers of them (well worth having just for all the unseen pictures). This wonderful book is divided into 6 sections and again sub-divided within each section: 1 The Whitstable Connection. 2 Major Organisations. 3 Civil Engineering Applications. 4 Diving Equipment Manufacturers. 5 Selected Notable Divers. 6 Physiology and Medicine. At the back, there are 11 appendixes that again expand on various subjects including the “Dean Diving Manual” and a list of Sir Robert Davis’s patents. This is a truly wonderful record of diving history and is well worth having while copies are still available from the author at www.submex.co.uk where you will see his other books including “The Infernal Diver” and “The Professional Divers Handbook”. [pt] From the publisher: As early as 1856 Robert Stephenson MP, the then President of the Institution of Civil Engineers remarked that ‘Nothing had so much contributed to extend and facilitate marine engineering, as the invention of the diving dress’. Coming from so great an authority and only 27 years after the original invention of the diving dress, this is a truly major proclamation. So where had the diving dress come from? Exactly how did it generate a whole new industry? The birthplace of the diving industry can be traced back to the tiny harbour-town of Whitstable, on the north coast of Kent. It was the seagoing salvage operations of the inhabitants of this small town that first attracted, nurtured and then exploited the diving helmet and dress in the early 1800s. Having established and honed their diving skills, Whitstablers retained a virtual monopoly over them for many years. The novel technology inevitably outgrew the small harbour town and spread all over the world. The transfer of this technology was achieved through a combination of entrepreneurial copying, dispersion through Royal Navy dockyards and vessels throughout the British Empire, sale of equipment and the progressive emigration of divers themselves. In addition to the massive contribution to marine civil engineering, the impact of the diving dress on the maritime operations of the unfortunate nations embroiled in two World Wars was enormous. The present world-wide diving industry, including the diving companies operating offshore to recover the oil and gas reserves, owes its existence to the enterprising divers of Whitstable. This book describes how professional diving developed from its original roots in Whitstable, how it spread around Britain and how it developed into a world-wide industry. [pt],[ps] |
|||
 |
CAST
A DEEP SHADOW
Subtitle: Joe Savoie, The Early Oilfield Divers and the Invention of the Modern Diving Helmet Gary L Harris Published by: Legacy Publishing, Florida, USA in 2005. Card back with illustrated covers; 189 printed pages. Dimensions: 21 cms tall by 13.5 cms wide Joe Savoie is probably best remembered for inventing the diving helmet that was originally converted from a crash helmet and had a “flip up” face plate in the earky 1960’s. He also invented the neck dam principle, the basis of all modern diving helmets and making modern diving possible as well as many other underwater items. The book is divided into 9 chapters: “Hard Times”, “Deal With The Devil”, “Up the Down Line”, “The Simplest Idea of All”, “A Mighty Wind”, “Not the Crockpot Too”, “Bonald Boone”, “The Water Dam” and “The Rest is Silence”. The book is extremely well illustrated with diagrams (including patent drawings) and monochrome photographs, somewhere in the region of 80 in all. [pt]
|
|||
 |
CONQUEST
OF THE DEEP
Vsevolod Romanovsky. (Translated by Patrick Bowles and revised by Mike Busultili) Published by: Studio Vista Ltd, London in 1965. Hard blue covers; 192 printed pages. Dimensions: 18.5 cms tall by 11.5 cms wide. Translated into English from the French book “La Conquete des Fonds Marins”. It sets out in a condensed way the history of diving from early times to 1965. It is very well illustrated with monochrome photographs and diagrams and divided into 6 sections: “The Beginning of an Era”, “From Neptune to Cousteau”, “Underwater Exploration”, “Independent Divers Serving Science”, “From Rigid Diving Suits to Bathyscapes” and “Taking Stock of the Conquest”. [pt] |
|||
 |
DEEP,
DEEPER, DEEPEST.
Man’s Exploration of the Sea. Robert F. Marx. Best Publishing Company, Arizona. 1998. Hardcover, 326 pages, mono photos. I think there was also a softcover edition. If anyone can write a book on ‘Man’s Exploration of theSea’ it is Robert Marx. His treasure and archaeological finds are quiteamazing, and with fifteen books to his credit, he is well versed to writethis book. His style is easy and interesting and the photographs are adequateto complement the text. He starts of with free diving, then goes into theearly diving bells, diving machines and helmet diving. Armoured divingsuits get a mention, and of course the modern scuba equipment. Additionalchapter cover warfare, submersibles, underwater habitats, underwater archaeology,sunken treasure, and oceanography. A very good read - interesting and informative. [ps] See Author Robert Marx. |
|||
 |
DIVERS
AND DIVING
Adam Gowans Whyte Published by Sir Issac Pitman and Sons, London 1938. Probably the only edition. Hardcover, prited cloth covered boards, 128 pages, well illustrated with 33 photographs and engravings, size 13 X 19 cms. From eBay: Great little book describing early diving techniques, contents include; diving in the olden days, the all metal diving dress, salving the 'Gladiator', Raising an American submarine, The treasure of the 'Laurentic', Tales of sunken treasure'... etc... Link here for expanded description/review - and photographs. |
|||
 |
DIVERS
IN TIME - Australia's Untold History.
Jeff Maynard. The author is well known for his many well researchedand fascinating articles on diving history that appear regularly in thediving magazines, as well as his book ‘Niagara's Gold'. The first thingI checked out was to see if there was any mention of Noel and Kitty Monkman- and there was, indeed a very good tribute to these pioneer Australianfilm-makers. The seven major chapters cover: The Standard Dress Divers,The Pearl Divers, The Inventors, The Salvage Divers, Divers at Work, TheNavy Divers, The Scuba Divers. Thus the book covers commercial and militaryoperations, police, pearl and navy divers, and the introduction of recreationalscuba into Autralia. A great read, educational and entertaining. And didyou know - the single-hose regulator, now used by divers worldwide, wasinvented in Melbourne? Softcover, 158 pages, large A4 size, mono prints. Currently in print. Available from Oceans Enterprises. |
|||
 |
DIVING
PIONEERS - An Oral History of Diving in America.
Eric Hanauer. Watersport Publishing, San Diego, 1994. Softcover, 266 pages, mono photographs. If sport diving did not start in America, it was certainly developed there post war, with the development in improved equipment, promotion through television and film, and remarkable treasure salvage. This is the pioneering era of diving, when innovation and courage was the prime requisite, and achievement the reward. The book commenced with a potted history of diving, and the first US dive club, the San Diego Bottom Scratchers, followed by oral histories from: Walter Davis, E.R.Cross, Dick Anderson, Wheeler North, Andy Rechnitzer, Connie Limbaugh, Jim Stewart, Chuck Mitchell, Dottie Frazier, Zale Parry (remembr Sea Hunt), Norrine Rouse, John Steel, Chuck Nicklin, Bill and Bob Meistrell, Dick Bonin, Bob Hollis, Frank Scalli, Dan Wagner, Ralph Erikson, Lee Somers and Tom Mount. This book will tell you who did the great paintings on the early editions of Skin Diver magazine, who formed the great dive equipment company Oceanic, who played the leading female role in Sea Hunt. A very interesting book. |
|||
 |
DIVING
PIONEERS AND INNOVATORS
A Series of In-Depth Interviews. Bret Gilliam and others. Hardcover, dustjacket, 488-page ‘A4 ‘coffee-table' size, with over 400 photographs. A remarkeable book, huge physically and in its content, documenting some of the great divers of the world, men and womewn who have contributed so magnificnetly to our humble enjoyment of sport diving. It profiles twenty divers fromwidely varying backgrounds who have shaped the diving industry through its evolution that continues to this day. And they are not all American - Ron and Val Taylor get a guernsey. Others include Stan Waterman, Bev Morgan, Chuck Nicklin, Peter Benchley, Bob Ballard, Michele Hall, Paul Humann, Bob Hollis, Howard Hall and the editor himself, Brett Gilliam. The conversations in each chapter provide an insight into the oral history of diving that is both exciting and revealing. Lavishly , the reader is taken inside the fascinating careers of diving's most intriguing personalities. If you have enjoyed your diving over the years, and are interested in the achievements of men and women who have contributed in some way to your enjoyment, consider this book. |
|||
 |
DIVING
THE CLASSICS
Standard Dress Sport Diving. "A Practical Guide to Sport Dive the Classic Standard Dress Diving Helmet". Stephen K. Taylor This very informative book came about because of the interest of recreational scuba divers (and indeed non divers) in the use of the traditional old "hard-hat" equipment used exclusively before the advent of on-demand scuba and surface supplied hookah diving. It is only recently that the fascinating use of this early design diving apparatus by recreational divers gives an added perspective of their enjoyment underwater. The physics may be the same as scuba but the operation and enjoyment is a new experience that is growing to such an extent that many divers are now buying old equipment and fully restoring it for recreational use, or even buying new equipment which, perhaps surprisingly is still available. Of particular interest is the fact that in 2009 and 2010, a recreational standard dress course has been conducted in Portland, Victoria, by Professional Diving Services with the endoursement of the international NAUI organisation. This excellent book gives a very useful background for anyone interested in standard dress diving, both from an historic and a practical persepective. It describes in some detail some of the ‘hardhat helmets' that are currently used recreationally, and the accompanying accessories such as the dress, boots, weights etc, describing the equipment terminology and its fundamental use. The new skills required, predominantly to do with air control and buoyancy, are described in some detail, and of course maintenance of equipment and diver safety is emphasised throughout. The author recently dived in the Melbourne Aquarium in his own standard dress and allows a page to describe the experience - something that the public will see more frequently over the years I am sure. A delightful book even if you don;t have ambitions to give it a try. Maybe this concise book will chance your mind! .A5 size, saddle stiched (stapled), 44 pages, well illusatrated with many mono photographs, resources list. |
|||
 |
DRESSED
FOR THE DEEP - Diving Helmet Designs and Dangers.
Stewart Parker. Foreward by Tony Groom. Commissar Books, Great Britain, 2011 - but I think self-publised - no self-respectinmg publisher woulkd put out a book like this. Softcover, 216 pages, mono photographs and drawings. This is rather an unfortunate book - very poorly edited, badly written and I'm not sure just where the author is coming from - or going to!! The description of various types of helmets at the beginning of the book is interesting enough, but then we have the rest of the book basically about Mr Parker trying to build his own standard dress - from various separate parts. The end result is that it does not work. There are other bits and pieces of interest such as one atmosphere suits but overall, the book seems to have no purpose. [pjs] |
|||
 |
EARLY
DIVERS: UNDERWATER ADVENTURES IN THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURIES
Zelide Cowan. Treasure World, 1985. Card covers, 8vo, ; 102pp; illustrated. No idea on its content - it may be a children's book. Update: Thanks to Phil in England, we have the following: Early Divers. Subtitle: Underwater Adventures of the 17th and 18th Century Author Zélide Cowan Published by Treasure World Publishing c1993. (No date but signed by author March 1993) Illustrated Card Covers (front only) - 102 Printed Pages. Dimensions 21 cms tall x 15 cms wid This short book seems to be a potted history of diving up to the early 1800’s – there’s a fair bit of diving history covered but not a lot of detail. The book opens with a chapter called Early Divers which actually is an introduction. The book is then divided into broad diving subjects and goes into more fie detail within the sections. Initially the book covers Bells which includes Kessler 1616, Bell Divers in Sweden 1663, “Maule, Trieleben and Partners 1657-1683”, John Been – The Oldest Diver, Edmund Halley and Marten Triewald and the Swedish Diving Company. The book continues with Prophesy and Diving covering ideas prophesised by Mother Shipton and weird and wonderful designs including one by John Williams 1683-1698. Then Barrel Diving starting with Alexander the Great, Robert Davis the Singing Diver, John Lethbridge 1678-1759, De-Manville , Jacob Rowe – Diver and Inventor 1720-1743, William Evans and the Wine Bottles and James Bushell East Coast Dive. Now the book switches to the Diving Suit with characters like Vegetius, Diego Ufano, Leonardo Da Vinci, “Borelli: Priest, Psychologist, and Physicist”, Chevalier Christian de Beaune 1715, Braithwaite and Sons, John Smeaton1724-1792, C H Klingert 1797 and Drieberg’s Triton – The Sea God. There is also a section on Women Divers, Naked Diving which continues with How Deep, How Long – An Examination of the Facts. The book concludes with the Deane Brothers- Fire and Water and concludes with Siebe’s Closed Suit 1837. The book is extremely well illustrated with drawings and prints on most pages – many of which are familiar to the historical diving fraternity. As you will see, there is a lot of ground covered in such a small book so no subject is covered in detail, very good as an overview of early diving. It was suggested it could be a juvenile’s book but I think it could be suitable for young and old not too interested in going into diving history in any detail. The book mentions the author being connected with Treasure World in Great Yarmouth England. I tried “googling” the place but could only find mentions not a web site. [pt] |
|||
 |
EXPLORERS
OF THE DEEP
From the Oldest Divers to the Inhabitants of Underwater Cities. Bohumil Kolar and Oldrich Unger. Mamlyn Publishing Ltd., England. 1976. Hardcover, dustjacket, medium square format, 164 pages, mono and coliur drawings, no index. A good read, covering the history of diving. [ps] |
|||
 |
HISTORY
OF SPEARFISHING AND SCUBA DIVING IN AUSTRALIA.
(The First 80 years 1917 to 1997). Tom Byron. This was certainly worth waiting for. It is unusuallypresented in that it departs from the normal continuous text concept andrelies instead on hundreds of newspaper-style headings and stories, someindeed condensed directly from newspaper and magazine articles. It is thereforeand eminently readable book as you can skip from article to article asthe interest warrants - from death to treasure, failures and achievements,early equipment and technique, and the pioneers of our sport. A most valuablebook and a must for all divers. Hardcover (laminated boards), A4 size,311 pages, index, many fascinating mono photographs. Currently in print. Available from Oceans Enterprises. |
|||
. |
MAN
EXPLORES THE SEA
The Story of Underwater Exploration from the Earliest times to Commandant Cousteau. James Dugan. First published in Great Britain, 1956, by Hamish Hamilton Ltd, London. Hardcover, dust jacket, 366 pages, 32 mpno plates, situated in two sections. The author, a scribe with the Calypso Oceanographic Expeditions, collaborated with Cousteau in his acclaimed The Silent World (and probably wrote most of it), so there is no doubting his credibility. His book is one of the most authorative on the development of diving, which he covers in sixteen independant chapters. It is an excellent read and a valuable contribution to our knowledge of the history and development of diving. [ps]
|
|||
 |
MAN
UNDER WATER
Henry Billings. Lutterworth Press, London, 1956. Hardcover, dustjacket, 190 pages, mono drawings. I have to say that this looks like a 'boy's own' book, nicely presented for the teenager inderested in, well, man under water. That is not to suggest that the book does not have merit, but I wonder about that when the author indicates that when 'the diver sinks beloww 150ft the excess nitrogen in his system may act as a mild anaesthetic'. Its an extraordinary diver who is not narked below 100ft, but be that as it may, the description of narcosis is to the point ... until he suggests that 'below 300ft the diver may black out completely for short periods'. The description is based on a hard-hat diver but the symptoms are the same of course with the scuba diver. Still, its an interesting, easy read, but not one that will cause a rush if the book is found on eBay. [ps] |
|||
 |
MEN
UNDER THE SEA
Egon Larsen First published 1955. Phoenix House Ltd, London. Hardcover, dust jacket, 220 pages, mono plates throughout. The author is an author, not a diver - or at least, certainly not one of note. He has written several books on a variety of subjects which places him in a goodd position to research adequately and write well - which indeed he seems to have done. The nine chapters cover a range of topics, from early diving through to the latest contemporary attemps to explor the bottom of the sea. The book in itself is perhaps nopt of significant historical value, but it does cover some important events and is a good read. From the fly: In many thousands of years of seafaring, Man has only floated upon the surface of the oceans which cover two thirds of the globe and are the cradle of organic life on earth. But in the last few years intrepid explorers on the ocean bed have given us glimpses of the beauty and adventure waiting there, and of the vast potential riches of the sea which could transform our daily lives. In this book for t'he reader young or old, Egon Larsen surveys the entire vast field of the 'seventh continent' with the imagination and competence we- have come to expect from this outstanding writer on popular science. He traces the exploration of the sea-bed back to Man's first diving attempts, and extends the range of his exciting story into the amphibious future. He recalls innumerable dran:latic adventures which have happened to scientists, divers and treasure- seekers in that silent world. He tells the story of the frogmen, the submarine and the aqualung, sketches the life of the salvage diver and the many \;1nknown jobs which are daily carried out under the water, including television and film-making, and even holiday excursions. He describes the plans for linking the continents by tunnels under the sea and predicts the day when mankind will use the ocean as its inexhaustible larder, power station and store-room of vital materials The book is brilliantly illustrated from Admiralty and private sources. A full bibliography and index contribute to the value of this comprehensive work. [ps] Although out of print, contact Oceans Enterprises - they may have a copy. |
|||
 . |
PREPARE
TO DIVE! THE STORY OF MAN UNDERSEA
Jack Coggins.
|
|||
 |
SKIN DIVING
IN AUSTRALIA
Edward Du Cros. Angus and Robertson (Publishers) Pty Ltd, Sydney. First published 1960. No other editions. Full REVIEW of book. |
|||
. 
. |
STARS
BENEATH THE SEA.
Trevor Norton.
|
|||
.  |
THE
AMERICAN DIVE CATALOG COLLECTION.
Ray Mathieson. From the 1870's. Over 400 pages of very rare American catalogs: Alfred Hale Co.;A.Schrader Diving Equip. Co. (3) catalogs; A.J.Morse &Son (3); D.E.S.Co.; Miller Dunn Co. (3); Batteryless Telephone Equip. Co.; Craftsweld Co.; John Date Co. (2); M.&E. Marine Supply Co.; Buie ww2 Helium Helmet; Ohio Rubber Co. (maker of the Victor Berge mask); Thompson Eng. Co. (maker of the T.E.Co. full face mask); E.J. Willis Co. (distributor of the Snead Shallow water helmets and air pump). Hard cover with leatherette finish, A4 size, limited to 1500 un-numbered copies. |
|||
 |
THE FIRST TREASURE DIVERS:
THE TRUE STORY OF HOW TWO BROTHERS INVENTED THE DIVING HELMET AND SOUGHT SUNKEN TREASURE AND FAME John Bevan Published by AquaPress, UK, 2010. Softcover. Pages 219Softback155 x 233 mm. ISBN: 1905492162 The recorded history of the diving industry has been fundamentally corrupted over the past 150 years. The result is a complete misunderstanding of how it all began. Who invented the diving helmet? Refer to any encyclopaedia or history book and the answer you will find will almost certainly be wrong. The First Treasure Divers reveals the true and fascinating story. It blows away the myths and deliberate misinformation that have crept into the historical record. Thanks to the painstaking research the author has carried out over the past 25 years, the falsehoods are peeled away to unveil the true, definitive account. It follows the lives of two brothers as they struggle to turn their newly-invented diving helmet to advantage and how they wrestle with apathetic and even hostile authorities for recognition of their invention. It thunders through sunken treasure adventures to the heroism and horrors of the Crimean War. The impact of the invention of the diving helmet is immense. In the 180 years since the Deane brothers carried out the first ever commercial helmet dive off the Isle of Wight on the south coast of England, the diving business has expanded to a global industry with an annual turnover in excess of $3,000,000,000. From another point of view, the life-support technology developed in the diving industry provided the knowledge for keeping the pioneering, high altitude pilots alive, which in turn evolved into the life-support systems of the astronauts who walked on the moon. See also John Bevan page. |
|||
 |
THE
HISTORY OF UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY AND CINEMATOGRAPHY IN ITALY.
Storia della Fotografia e Cinematografia Subacqquea Italiana. Alberto Romeo. Editrice La Mandragon s.r.l., Italy, 2009. Special foldout plastic cover bound, 430 pages, hundreds of mono photographs, index, bibliography, text and captions in Italian and English. Published with the support of the Historical Diving Society of Italy. 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 stabulkised 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. [Also listed under Foreign books.] |
|||
 |
THE DEEP-SEA DIVER -
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
Robert C. Martin. Published in 1978 by Cornell Maritime Press, Inc. Maryland, USA. Hardcover, dustjacket, 213 pages. From the fly: A very important book for anyone interested in standard dress (hard-hat) diving, and the subsequent move toward light-weight suits and helmets and mixed-gas use. A comprehensive work exploring the world of the deep-sea diver. The primary purpose of this book is to explain the origins, development, cur- rent status, future of the commercial deep-sea diver and the equipment he uses and how it has evolved historically. Furthermore, the text describes in de- tail exactly how the equipment is used by the diver and how different types of diving apparatus are used depending upon the nature of the diver's work. The material is presented in detail using non- technical language. This is the story of how diving apparatus has evolved from simple beginnings into highly-sophis- ticated devices requiring skilled operators and ad- vanced technical knowledge for proper use. Start- ing with the caveman, the deep-sea diver is traced through time to understand how he has studied, invented, and improvised to allow himself to de- scend into the sea and explore its depths. Emphasis is placed on the equipment worn di- rectly by a diver - his helmet, dress, weight belt, and shoes. The initial attempts to provide these devices, their subsequent modifications, and ulti- mate development are described to provide an un- derstanding of the tremendOus difficulties man has overcome to walk beneath the waves. The last four chapters present a photographic and word compilation of diving equipment cover- ing 200 years of development. This information is historically accurate and comprehensive. Contents: A Brief History of the Deep-Sea Diving Outfit - The Physics of Being Underwater - Mark V Diving Apparatus - Diving with a Mark V Outfit - Commercial Heavyweight Deep-Sea Diving - Lightweight Diving Apparatus - Scuba - Keeping Warm Underwater - Mixed-Gas Diving Apparatus - Decompression Procedures - Other Diving Systems - A Summary of Equipment and 118 Usage - Heavyweight Helmets - Lightweight Helmets and Masks - Weight Belts - Shoes and Boots. [ps] |
|||
 |
THE
HISTORY OF SCUBA GEAR - (50 + Years in the Making)
Captain Fred Calhoun. This is a very interesting book as it took me back to the days of rubberised ‘life-saving' vests (I never had a Fenzy), the old J-valves on the steel 72s, and long-johns. I never went back as far a twin-hose regs, but I did once use a snorkel with a ping-pong ball! But the book is more than a trip down memory lane. I shows the development of scuba gear up to present times - but not into the mdoern technical equipment that is becoming quite popular. The book is also most useful in giving the reader a better idea of how equipment works. A very interesting book. 60 pages, 8-1/2x5-3/8, saddle stitched, tables. |
|||
 |
THE
SCHRADER COLLECTION
An historic collection of material from the A. Schrader Diving Equipment Co. Of New York, manufactures of diving helmets. The collection consists of several items, provided in clear plastic protective sheets A4 size in a four-ring D binder. Included: * An 8-page A4 size history of August Schrader and his company. * Forty (40) exclusive diving prints on archival paper suitable for framing, or retaining as is, each in its own plastic protective sheet * An 8-page A4 size full colour booklet of Schrder and Craftswell Equipment Corp helmets. Within the collection you will find a complete set of 10 MkV drawings; Helium Hat; 1916 Schrader MkV Prototype photo and drawing; 1898, 1912 and 1917 Schrader Knives; Early Schrader Air Pumps; Many Schrader helmets from 1898 to 1941 including 4 & 5 bolt helmets. Note: Only the Australian released edition from Oceans Enterprises contains the collection in a ring-binder and plastic protective sheets. (The US edition contains loose booklets and sheets in a cardboard folder). |
|||
 |
THE
SCIENTIST AND MACHINERY
Exploring The History Of Hyperbaric Chambers, Atmospheric Diving Suits And Manned Submersibles: The Scientists And Machinery. Joseph Stewart. Xlibris Corporation. USA. 2011. Hardcover, dustjacket. 151 pages, bibliography, glossary - no index.ono photographs and drawings. From the Introduction: By definition, hyperbarics could be defined as the science of placing its occupant, whether human or animal, in a structure with pressure greater than that found at sea-level. Hyperbarics used in the medical field for helping humans, entails the use of a chamber with pure pressurized Oxygen. In this book, we will look in to the science behind the discoveries, the history of the very scientists, the quackery, and some truly miraculous healing results. The author chose to write this book, due to the general lack of books on hyperbarics. There are a couple of books containing the history, and a few more purely medical books, but no one book covers the entire hyperbaric scene. This book is in no way meant to be a medical book, although scientific theory and fact will be discussed. This author simply felt that the book would be beneficial to many interested parties in the rapidly-growing hyperbaric field as a brief tutorial to what hyperbarics truly is. After having read this book, the author hopes that even the layman will have a general knowledge of what hyperbarics can do, where hyperbarics came from and how it fits in with our modern medical equipment. --- I'm not so sure that there is a general 'lack of books on hyperbarics' but nevertheless, thgis is an interesting book covering the development and use of hyperbaric chambers over the ages since the late 19th century. It covers also the situations of working and living in an enclosed atmospheric systems - such as submarines, submersibles and one-atmosphere suits, and oxygen physiology. And just in case you are heading off for a few hours in a hyperbaric chamber, there is an interesting appendix on 'Items Not Approved to be Taken Into a Monoplace Chamber'. - and tems that may be taken into a chamber, some of which may have contra-indications to safety. Hearing Aids may be a problem but my pacemaker seems okay - and my dentures and my.... oh well, the zimmer frame can stay outside, I'm not going anywhere! [pjs] |
|||
. |
THE
WORLD BENEATH THE WAVES
Gilbert Doukan. Translated by A. and R.M. Case.
|
.
