My Father, The Captain

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boulderjohn

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There is a 2+ year old thread on this title, but it does not contain an actual review of the book itself. I thought I would offer one now.
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My Father, the Captain by Jean-Michel Cousteau

I bought this book at an ocean conservation conference attended by the author because the proceeds went to a good cause and because I could get my copy autographed. I was also pretty curious about its contents because I knew a lot less about the topic than you would expect from an avid diver of my age, embarrassingly little, in fact. Because of what was going on in my life at the time, including living in a fringe TV reception area that could not get ABC, I had never seen a single episode of The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, and I really only knew the big details of his life.

Now that I have finished the book, I have to admit to being a bit disappointed. I think it was written for an audience that knew more than I did, for it seems as if Jean-Michel wanted to focus on the behind-the-scenes details that such people did not already know. There is a lot about Jean-Michel’s childhood, including his schooling, but very little about life aboard the Calypso and its biggest adventures. He leaves out the big details that he apparently assumes people already know.

In many ways, the story could be titled, My Mother, the Captain’s Wife, for she is a very prominent character in the book. Jean-Michel was obviously very close to her. We learn how important she was to his childhood and especially how important she was on the Calypso, where Jean-Michel clearly feels she was the indispensable leader of all the critical logistics that made Jacques Cousteau’s success possible. He makes it even more clear how disappointed he was to learn that his father had carried on a serious affair, fathered two children in that affair, and married his mistress as soon as possible after his wife’s death.

I didn’t know anything about that before reading the book. I also did not know how much Jean-Michel was estranged from his father from then on, with only a brief reconciliation shortly before his father’s death. Having led up to that, the book would have been expected to give the behind the scenes details of that split, but there is surprisingly little. We get only a few details to indicate that it was very serious, and only a few hints as to why. That led me scurrying to Internet sources for more information, but there is little to be had, at least without a much more serious search.

What we do get is a much more complex view of the man who made scuba diving popular, the man who brought the undersea world to the movie theaters and home TV sets. We see more of his motivations and interests. We see why he made some of the decisions he did. All of that was good, good enough to make me wish there was more of it in the book. Despite my disappointment, I am still glad I bought and read it.
 
I've known and worked with Jean-Michel since the mid-70s. He sent me an autographed copy of his book when it came out. I thought the book highlighted much of the story that most don't tell about the Cousteau family. As with any subject, it takes several sources to round out the picture. Maybe a read of Jacques Cousteau's Calypso or some of the other books about JYC and/or the Calypso would help.
 
I've known and worked with Jean-Michel since the mid-70s. He sent me an autographed copy of his book when it came out. I thought the book highlighted much of the story that most don't tell about the Cousteau family. As with any subject, it takes several sources to round out the picture. Maybe a read of Jacques Cousteau's Calypso or some of the other books about JYC and/or the Calypso would help.

Brad Madsen, The Sea King, was an interesting biography. In my opinion, the definitive biography of this complex man had not been written. In light of Dr. Bill's point on several sources, a very interesting take on the Captain's contribution to our perception of the ocean realm can be found in America's Ocean Wilderness: A Cultural History of Twentieth Century Exploration. In chapter 6, the author compares the actions of Thor Hyderahl and Cousteau and their influence of our view of post-WWII oceans and society.
 
I appreciated how My Father The Captain thoughtfully approached the more unfortunate personal decisions at the end of the Captain's life. Jean-Michel tactfully let his disappointment and personal pain show through the facts. It was a delicate balancing act, and he handled it well without appearing petty or judgmental.

I agree that a totally satisfying biography has not been written. Madsen's books are good. Munson's biography is kind of a shallow attempt to whip up controversy, looking for conspiracies, as if Kitty Kelly took on the Cousteaus. Indeed, read them all.

If you really want to know the Captain, I suggest you use The Silent World and The Living Sea as your first sources. They'll tell you the most. And are the best reads of the lot.
 
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