Books on History of Diving.

[Diver2018]

What do people think of "The Complete Diver" by Brylske?
Just as an introductory high level overview to the history and operations of diving

 

[Sam Miller III]

By gum ole chap you are so correct (with apologies to the late great Dick Anderson)

I was unaware or had totally forgotten that the HDS copies were numbed -- Mine is number 17 out of 1500 copies.

I question how many copies remain in the HDS inventory ? After they are gone I suspect no more issues

In the early issued of Skin Diver Magazine Sir. Roberts Deep diving and submarine operations was available for abou $5.00 Yankee dollars.

I read "some where" that Sir. Robert began at S/G as a 12 year old office boy, rose to be president and had a massive heart attack at age 96 (as I recall) a whopping 84 years at the same company!

Do you know or have been in contact with Les Aston -Smith - a former MD of SG?

Cheers from northern CenCal

Sam Miller,111

 

[JMBL]

Would add :

- Silent Word by J.Y. Cousteau
- World without a sun, by the same
- Any book by Hans Hass and the one and only by his wife Lotte 'A girl on the ocean's floor', but it's been out of print in English for 50 years, and the price of a vintage copy was beyond ridiculous last time I checked.
- Navy Diver by Lonsdale
- Naked Warrior by Lt Cmdr D. Fane

The Robert Davis book is indeed a must.

 

[kelemvor]

What do people think of "The Complete Diver" by Brylske?
Just as an introductory high level overview to the history and operations of diving

I liked it. I've seen other posters pan Brylske on this site.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

How about:

Man Beneath the Sea; A Review of Underwater Ocean Engineering, by Walter Penzias and M.W. Goodman, Wiley-Interscience, A Division of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; New York, London, Sydney, Toronto; 1973.

This book goes into:
2. A History of Technical Diving
3. Design Concepts for Diving Systems
4. Review of Diving Systems
5. Manned Submersibles
8. Life Support Systems
12. Underwater Breathing Apparatus
13. Diver Dress
17. Introduction to the Physiology of Diving and Subsea Work
18. Man in the Sea
19. The Future

This book goes into detail in thing like the Sealab III ("Fink rig") breathing apparatus, the Aboalone breadboard model, the Drager SM-1, and other underwater breathing apparatus'.

SeaRat

 

[Sam Miller III]

John,
Great tip ! I was going to locate and purchase a copy then I discovered I have a copy ! Thanks for the heads UP!

re Silent World
I have been searching for the past 40 years for foreign and unique or rare copies of JY C's Silent World to add to my collection.
Any one out there in SCUBA board land have any access to foreign copies of the Silent World ?
PM me if you do...

Sam Miller,111

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Sam,

I'm not sure of your copy of Man Beneath the Sea; A Review of Underwater Ocean Engineering, but mine has an insert located on the back cover with three pages titled "Manned Submersibles." This details all the manned submersibles by name, and is a table which also states their operating depth in feet, launch date, designer/builder/Owner/operator, maximum dimensions in feet, dry air weight in lbs, normal life support in hours, and power source capacity (kW=hr). If yours does not have this, I can scan it and send you a PDF of it.

John (SeaRat)

 

[JMBL]

John,
Great tip ! I was going to locate and purchase a copy then I discovered I have a copy ! Thanks for the heads UP!

re Silent World
I have been searching for the past 40 years for foreign and unique or rare copies of JY C's Silent World to add to my collection.
Any one out there in SCUBA board land have any access to foreign copies of the Silent World ?
PM me if you do...

Sam Miller,111

My device : ebay.fr + adavanced book exchange

 

[DontheDiver]

One interesting book of many is Newnes Complete Guide to Underwater Swimming by Guy Poulet and translated by Douglas Burton. The Technical Adviser was the great Mike Busuttili.

My copy is dated 1964

 

[Sam Miller III]

A repost from the book section.. Perhaps it contains historical information that just might be helpful It provides insight into the "first 25 Years of SCUBA..." It has been almost 25 years since first published. It is consider a rare book and if located a very expensive book.. $$$--(be prepared to pay)


WHO'S WHO OF SCUBA DIVING

Academy of Marine science and undersea research

The golden anniversary of SCUBA Diving

Who’s who in SCUBA DIVING

Academy of Marine science and undersea research

1993-Best Publications

Paperback 436 pages

First edition- ISBN 0-941332-28-4

Nine Sections:

1) Individuals

2) Agencies, Associations Foundations and Institutions

3) Equipment manufactures

4) Publishers and Magazines

5) Destinations and resorts

6) Travel agents- specializing in dive travel

7) Retail dive stores in US

8) Commercial divers, commercial diving schools

9) Recipients of Major awards in diving

All the sections are extremely interesting. List most of the pioneer movers and shakers of the genesis – the first 50 years of SCUBA diving

In section one: Individuals -- most have departed from the diving world or are now diving on the big reef in the sky

I did not recognize one individual listed by named (except mine & son Sam IV) from the SCUBA board—Did I over look some one? My apologies

All sections are historically interesting. So much has changed in the past almost 25 years- I now question what the next 25 years will bring?

Sam Miller III