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NARRATIVES,
BIOGRAPHIES,
and FACTUAL ANTHOLOGIES |
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RECENT
RELEASES |
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DIVER.
Tony Groom.
A simple title - Diver.
Thats what most of you who read this no doubt are. This could be a book
about comfortable recreational diving in warm tropical waters on the Great
Barrier Reef, or a jaunt after bottles under Portsea pier - but it's not.
We recreational divers may share the same word to describe our pastime,
but when it comes to military and commercial diving, there is no further
comparison. If you have ever thought of moving across (up? down?) to the
military/commercial field, then read this book first. It may encourage
you. Or, as in my case, it may lead to the realisation that ‘no son of
mine will ever be a deep sea diver'. Not if he is a wimp like his Dad,
anyway! This is an excellent book. Tony Groom will never win a literary
award, but thats a greater part of the beauty of the book. He writes with
an honesty of style, describing his in- and out-of-the-water experiences
after several decades of military and commercial diving. And those
experiences are worthy of reading: a Royal Navy trained demolition diver
who has experienced war (you should know which one if the time period is
the 1980s), and went into the commercial field in 1985. He tells of what
you are likely to experience in taking up one of the most demanding, and
danegrous, jobs in the world - and why you should avoid a tourist trip
to Nigeria, avoid (some of) the girls in Newcastle (UK), and what to do
when you confront a prick with a stick!! Oh yes, and don't mix it with
Geordie Shorty. Guaranteed you wont put it down once you start. Softcover,
333 pages, mono and colour photos. $32.00 |
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RAISING
THE DEAD. An Australian Story of Death and Survival.
Phillip Finch.
You may remember the tragedy.
It is January 2005. The scenario was simple. Man dies in deep crater hole
in Africa. His remains are found ten years later.Aussie diver attempts
to recover it. He dies in the valliant attempt. There was much discussion
within the Australian diving community at the time, centered around the
risks involved, but few (of us) would ever be able to imgine the dedication
and skill required for deep penetration - and this was deep, 270 metres.
This was no misplaced bravado by a gung-ho diver. Dave Shaw was a respected
Cathay Pacific pilot, living in Hong Kong, a mature remarkable man of fifty.
So, what went wrong? From the inside cover blurb: "Wearing some of the
most advanced diving equipment ever developed, Shaw descended. Just below
the surface was a narrow fissure in the dolomite bottom of the basin. He
slipped through the opening and disappeared from sight.... Twenty
minutes later (he) was dead." Why do men (and women) stretch themselves
to the edge of physical credibility - to the extremes of their sport. Perhaps
it is because they have the imagination and intelligence to do so. Sometimes
however, the challenge proves fateful. The author is well qualified to
do justice to the tragedy being a professional journalist and author, and
experienced cave diver. A remrkable read. Softcover, 310 pages, index,
colour plates. $28.00 |
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A FRAGILE
PARADISE.
Andrew Mitchell.
A marvellous journey through
the south-western Pacific islands including Solomons and Gizo. Written
by a naturalist so concentrates on life.
Hardcover,dw, 252p. Full
colour. Limited stock.$24.95 |
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BEYOND THE DEEP
The Deadly Descent Into
the World's Most Treacherous Cave.
William Stone and Barbara
Am Enden, with Monte Paulsen.
The Huautla cave in Mexico
is probably the deepest system in the world. Shafts rach down to enormous
depths, with huge stadium-sized cvrns. The author's 44-member team entered
the sinkhole at Sotano de San Augustin, the first camp being 2328 ft below
ground level. The second camp was established at the jinction of two sunterranean
rivers met. Nobody had gone further and survived, excepot for Bill Stone
and Barabara Am Ende, who forged on for no less than eighteen days. Dr.
William Stone is the engineer who invented the Cis-Lunar rebreather, a
life-support backpack that allows divers to stay underwater for up to 24
hours. Dr Am Ende is a geologist. Paulsen is a Pulitzer Prize winner.
Hardcover. $59.95 |
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BLOOD IN THE WATER
Ben Cropp.
From ‘shark hunter to passionate
conservationist', Ben Cropp is well known to Australian divers, particlarly
those of my vintage who had the pleasure of knowing him in the 1970s and
80s, and seeing his films on the dive congress circuit. He is a passionate
diver, rsearcher, author and film-maker. This is his autobiography, a fascinating
and well presented account of his extraordinary life. From the blurb: Ben
Cropp is a one-off, an original - a self-confessed old pirate - whose life
story is inseparable from from giant sharks, gaping jaws and trails of
blood in the water. One of the worlds legendary shark hunters, Cropp is
Australias best known skindiver and underwater explorer. Now, for the first
time, after a career spanning 50 years, Cropp has agreed to tell his complete,
no-holds-barred story. Ben Cropp: Blood in the Water is packed with adventure,
larger-than-life characters, and Cropps own award-winning pictures of deep-blue
danger." He chronicles tales of close encounters with White Pointers; the
largest shark ever captured on film; and adventures with Clint Eastwood,
Peter Allen, Leonard Nimoy, Rupert Murdoch and others. Hey, how come I'm
not included!!!
Softcover, large format
230 x 270 mm, full colour, 240 pages. $38.00 |
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DIVING WITH SHARKS and
other Adventures Dives.
Include practical advice
for experienced divers. Jack Jackson
Beautifully photographed
and presented, this is an interesting books for those who have ventured
beyond the odd dive at the end of the jetty. Covers the fascinating experieinces
of diving with sharks, whales, dolphons, manta rays, and turtles, potato
cod and sea snakes, with locations throughoput the world, including Australia
of course. There is an informative section on diving in strong currents,
and wreck diving covers twelve sections including the Yongala, Andrea Doria
and Truk Lagoon, and of course the Prsident Coolidge. Finally, the chspter
on closed overhad environmnts includes cavern and sinkhole diving, and
under the Antarctic ice. A very interesting read, informative and beautifully
presented. An appendix provides a brief directory of locations with a star
graded system for experience required.
Softcover, large A4 format,
160 pages, full colour throughout. $28.95 |
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EXPLORATIONS.
An Autobiography by Robert
Ballard.
Think of a man who has combined
high adventure, exploration and discovery, scientific know-how, documeentary
creation and a bloody good life and you need only mention the name Robert
Ballard. As an oceanographer and mrine scientist, he is best known for
his work on the Titanic. Add to that incredible adventures on exploring
the Lusitania, Bismark, andd the deep wrecks of Iron Bottom Sound in the
Solomons. This book is more on his explorations and discoveries using deep
submersibles, than on the man himself. A remarkable read. Limited stock
only.
Softcover, colour plates,
408 pages. Limited copies available.$34.00
SORRY
- OUT OF STOCK - PROBABLY OUT OF PRINT |
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NEUTRAL BUOYANCY - Adventures
in a Liquid World
Tim Ecott.
It is encouraging to see
that the diving world is attracting excellent writers, and Ecott, who is
with the BBC World Servic, is quite superb. I found it hard to put down
as he covers so many areas of interest. I excepted an autobiography, but
this is not so, although he writes of his mny travels to dive estinations,
including the Pacific. Instead we have a book entwining the history of
diving with the lives and achievements of those still alive who can thier
story. He interviews Hans Hass, Robert Croft, Bob Barth, Umberto Pelizzari
and many othwrs, and speaks of the Haldanes, LePrieur, Louis de Corlieu,
of sponge divers and competitive free divers. Added to these wonderful
vignettes of diving life, he includes much of the development of diving
and diving interest in the various countries he visits, and is never short
of words to describe the local people, particulartly those who dive. Older
exploits, such as sponge diving in Greece, treasure diving, and world war
two frogmen are also included with fascinating relevance. A truly great
book. Softcover paperback, 345 pages, mono prints. $24.00 |
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SHARK HUNTERS
- WHALE OF A SHARK.
Ben Cropp.
First published in 1964
as two individual books, they have been in demand ever since. Ben Cropp
is one of the Australian diving legends, and his books, magazine features,
films and TV documentaries have contributed greatly to the enjoy of others
that have followed in his wake. We may no longer hunt sharks and kill for
sport, but we do swim with whale sharks. The book is informative and an
excellent read, and includes many references to the many shipwrecks that
Ben has located. It is an excellent addition to the history of diving in
Australia.
Paperback, 128 pages, mono
photographs.$12.00 |
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SHARKS AND SHIPWRECKS.
Hugh Edwards.
Contributions by top Aussie
divers including Johnno Johnstone, Jeremy Green, Henri Bource, Rod Fox,
Dave Burchell, Wade Doak. Covers shipwrecks, sharks and shark attacks,
diving experiences. Very interesting and easy reading.
Colour photos. Soft,128
pages. Limited stock.$15.00 |
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TAKING THE
PLUNGE.
Bill McBride.
‘Forty Crazy Years Under
Water' - a collection of interesting and humourrous anecedotes from an
instructor and retailer. "Its been forty years of laughs, adventures, and
interactions with some pretty spectacular people". I particularly
liked the chapter on "Scuba Students to Remember', and ‘Is Scuba For You?'
covering 18 misconceptions of scuba (all of which, by the way, are covered
in Peter Stone's Dive Australia).
A very interesting and funny
book. Softcover, 204 pages, all text.
$28.95 |
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THE ADVENTUROUS AQUANAUT
Hillary Hauser (editor).
The ideal book not only
for the armchair aquanaut but also the serious recreational and commercial
diver who wants to read of the life of several brilliant men and women
whohave achieved something extraordinary, but also have the ability to
string more than two words together in a most readable manner. Here we
have an anthology of remarkable essays from Peter Benchly, David Doubilet,
Hans Hass, Cousteau of course, William Beebe, Jules Verne, Herman Melville,
Joe McInnes, Henry Siebe, Lloyd Bridges. Sylvia Earle, Harry Rieseberg,
Robert Marx, Dick nderson, Rodney Fox, Philippe Diole, Phillipoe Tailliez.
I'm surprised that Guy Gilpatrick is not included - and damn it, they missed
me out, again. Each author's contribution commences with a potted history
of their life. This is truly an excellent book. Hardcover, dust jacket,
508 pages, nd not one photo to distract you from the superb writing. $58.00 |
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THE
FIRESIDE DIVER, edited by Bonnie Cardone. $28.00
An
Anthology of Underwater Adventure. A collection of thirty-three stories
about the sea - mainly below the surface - by sixteen authors, including
the renown photographers Howard Hall, Bob Talbot and Chris Newbert, the
late Jack McKenney, artist extraordinaire Richard Ellis, film-makers Stan
Waterman (sorry, Stanton A. Waterman) and the humorist Dick Anderson -
and a few others of note, more to American divers than to us downunder.
Subject themes cover shipwrecks and salvage, underwater photography and
adventure diving - 'Mugged by a Squid', 'Trapped Underwater by a Great
White Shark" (wow!!!), and 'How to Paint a Whale' (by Ellis of course).
Fireside Diver will not make it into a bibliography of great literature
but the stories are interesting, and some amusing. A very interesting read.
Softcover, 326 pages, a few mono photographs. |
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THE KON-TIKI
MAN
Christopher Ralling.
The story of Thor Heyerdahl,
one of the greatest adventurers and authors this century. An excellent
book covering the life and achievements of a remarkable man.
Hardcover, dust jacket,
335 pages, colour plates. Limited stock.$26.00 |
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THE LAST DIVE.
A Father and Son's Fatal
Descent into the Ocean's Depths.
Bernie Chowdhury.
This is a sad story, as
it tells the tale of a father and son's last, fatal, descent in a quest
for knowledge and adventure. Motivated by the glory of seeking new information
on a mysterious U-boat located off the North Carolina coast, they pushed
their physical and emotional psyche to the limit, and paid the ultimate
price. But for the grace of God and some good old fashioned luck, many
of us could say, "been there, done that", but have survived. The author,
himself an experienced technical diver and a friend of the men who died
is a gifted writer who has managed to capture the sheer horror of the events
that unfolded, and seeks to delve deeper into the minds of a family affair
that shared a common goal despite constant bickering and soul-searching.
Could young Chris ever fulfil his fathers ideals? A remarkable book
and one that will leave you emotionally concerned.
Softcover.$38.00 |
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THE LIVING
SEA.
Jacques Cousteau.
Diving the world with the
father of recreational scuba diving. Incredible stories of ships and exploration,
marine life and discoveries. Good reading, and educational.
First published in Great
Britain in 1963.
Hardcover, 301p. Limited
stock.$32.00 |
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THE
LUSITANIA CONTROVERSIES
Two
volumes.
Gary
Gentile.
I
was attracted to read these books because of a fascination with the Lusitania,
which, as you probably know, was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland in
1915. But, as the cliche says, dont judge a book by its cover. Although
the two volumes contain an interesting account of the loss of the Cunard
liner, and an even more fascinating description of diving the ship, these
books are an authobiography of one of most experienced and influential
deep wreck divers in the world. I was initially disappointed at the sparcity
of historic Lusitania facts, but Gentile's excellent writing drew me in
to a world of incredible deep diving, pioneering new techniques, and virgin
wrecks at over 300 feet. Of particular fascination, and one in which we
can at times relate, is the petty-mindedness of government officials and
the sheer bitchines of dive boat skippers and fellow divers. There seems
to be a nasty rivalry betwen fellow deep-wreck divers in seeking the rewards
of relics to be raised and taken into personal posession. Well, been there,
done that! But Gentile pulls no punches in his condemnation of divers who
lack the skills and the mental attitude to be ‘real wreck divers'. Here
we have entwined superb diving with tragic episodes on the Andrea Doria,
the Empress of Ireland, the Lusitania, and many other deep shipwrecks and
submarines not so well known. The death toll on some of these ships is
staggering for a recreational activity - thirteen at least so far on the
Andrea Doria. Gentile's writing absorbs you into the scenario like a good
work of fiction - which this is most assuredly not. And to make matters
even more remarkable I that Gentile was shot through the chest whilst on
duty in Vietnam, taking many years to recover, but not fully. This is a
book(s) for the serious wreck, deep and technical diver, or, like myself,
someone fascinated by the pioneering exploits of these adventurers. And
all the action has taken place within the last few decades. A remarkable
read.
Two
volumes, hardcover, dust jacket, 312, 392 pages, mono and colour
plates.
$90.00
(two volume set). |
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THROW ME THE
WRECK JOHNNY - MEMORIES OF KELLY TARLTON
The Man Behind The Legend.
- Steve Locker-Lampson.
The Preface of the book
states that Kelly Tarlton was one of the world's great divers - indeed
he was, but he was, more importantly, one of the world's great men.
His diving exploits are quite incredible, having recovered a fortune in
jewellery from the SS Tasmania and the Elingamite. He estabvlished
a shipwreck museum at Waitangi (New Zealand), and during his final
days, worked himself into an early grave by establishing the superb walk
through Underwater World in Auckland. A fascinating story of a fascinating
man.
Softcover, 192 pages, mono
and colour prints. $29.95 |
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TIGRIS EXPEDITION.
Thor Heyerdahl.
Famous expedition down the
Persian Gulf to Djibouti. Excellent reading.
Hard, 333 pages. Limited
stock. $35.00 |
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TREASURES
OF THE DEEP
The Extraordinary Life
and Times of Captain Mike Hatcher.
Hugh Edwards.
The name Hatcher may not
be so well remembered, but mention the Nanking Cargo to a diver and you
will see an immediate interest. But the Nanking Cargo of exquisite porcelain
is only one of Hatcher’s incredible recoveries. This excellent book by
Perth-based award-winning author Hugh Edwards tells of Hatcher’ discoveries,
his battles with governments and bureaucracies, and his life threatening
experiences in Asian waters. “His story is one of guts and determination
in the face of adversity, and of daring, skill and fantastic rewards”.
Soft, 280 pages, colour
plates. $32.95 |
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UNDERWATER
MAN
Joe McInnes.
Experiences of a famous
underwater explorer and scientist. Seeking tresure, diving to tremendous
depths, and beneath the Arctic.
Soft cover, 143 pages. $12.00 |
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