It is time to depart from the never ending saga of a 50 page paper back "book" return to real books and to the fountain head of knowledge ..
POISONOUS AND VENOMOUS MARINE ANIMALS OF THE WORLD
DR. BRUCE HALSTEAD
Back ground:
I first met Dr Halstead about 1956 or so at a party at Bob Rutherford's home in Anaheim California. During that party and later on numerous chance meetings he repeatedly invited me if I would like to accompany him on one of his tropical expeditions being conducted to collect and photograph samples for his future book. I had just purchased my first home and was entering the civilian job market after service during the Korean War as an USAF officer , so graciously declined, besides I would probably have been stung or bitten--or eaten-- ( I now have had enough stings ,bites and acres and acres of scares from diving to last two life times.)
Dr. Halstead and I met socially and professionally periodically over the years. During several of these meetings I had him inscribe his latest works to me--five in total.
He passed on to the big reef in the sky in 2002 and was buried with out fanfare or recognition of the contribution he left the world of recreational diving and the uderstanding of dangerous marine animals
My last contact with his family was a few years back at the marriage of Bob Rutherford's widow Sheri.
<<There is a picture of Sheri and Bob in the article "Sea Sabres signaling system " in The, Legends of diving (
http://www.internationallegendsofdiving.com/Articles/miller_051407.htm ) -- Amoung other things Bob was the father of the "Underwater Signaling system" and certainly one of a kind--read the article and you will understand a little about the early divers>>
Now you know at least a part of the saga of these books....and each and every book ever published has a saga..
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Poisonous and venomous Marine Animals of the world" by Dr Bruce Halstead, LCCC 65-60000, is a - a monumental three volume set.that consumed 23 years of intensive research to produce. There was nothing like it published prior to his research and certainly nothing of this magnitude will probably never published by future researchers any where in the world. Dr Halstead's work is the base line which all present and certainly future research will be based .
A very brief description of these volumes is as follows;
Hard picture cover with out dust jackets published in 1965 by the US Government printing office. Volume 1 is 994 Pages, Volume 11 consists of 1070 pages and volume three consists of 1006 all 3070 8 -1/2 X 11 pages are well illustrated with glossy photgraphs and/or drawings. Since it's publication almost fifty (50) years ago as the definitive base line work on dangerous marine life the three volumes has been recognized world wide as the fountain head of knowledge for serious researchers..........
It's original publication price in 1965 was $160.00 hard earned Yankee dollars. Some years ago a beat up well used research set sold for $750.00 on E bay, currently the set is being sold around the $600.00 price range, so I suspect that most do not have or have never seen or possibly heard of the set. And if you have, donot have the dedication to diving to invest in a set
Yes I have the three volume set -- Inscribed to me by Dr Halstead
There are several less expensive books also by Dr Halstead that is addressed to the layman. They are:
"Dangerous marine Animals-that bite, sting -are non-edible" published 1959,Cornell Maritime press, LCCC 58-59799, 146 pages, hard cover with dust jacket
The second edition;
"Dangerous marine Animals-that bite, sting -are non-edible" was revised and enlarged was published in 1980, ISBN 0- 87033-268-6, 208 pages, picture cover, no dust jacket.
Yes I also have both editions inscribed to me by Dr Halstead.
Dr Halstead's last book was publised in 1992--"Dangerous Aquatic Animals of the World: A Color Atlas: With Prevention, First Aid, and Emergency Treatment Procedures," Darwin Press,hard cover with dust jacket, 265 pages, ISBN-13: 9780878500451.
This book contains over 470 color photographs, as well as 11 color maps. a glossary, and suggested readings. Included are: sharks, rays, and other wound-producing animals; aquatic animals that sting; invertebrates and vertebrates poisonous to eat; electric fishes and human parasitic catfish.,as well as sections dealing with their identifying features, biology, and habitat, as well as a section on prevention, first aid, and emergency procedures.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Those of you who are considering books on any type of dangerous marine life should first consider purchasing a book of Dr. Bruce Halstead, they are indeed the fountain head knowledge; they ae the source which all authors obtain their knowledge...
I like and have Paul Humann books--the are invaluable for ID, but I would strongly recommend to those of you who are serious about diving especially those who frequently travel or live in the isolated areas of the diving world that you acquire one of the later books, books as a handy reference. The early less expensive Halstead books were very popular when originally published and are still some what common on the shelves of SoCal used book dealers and I would suspect also available from selected on line used book merchants.
SDM
