…great little nautical gem, light wear but good overall condition, there is an gift inscription inside the front cover dating it to 1971, the same year it was published. read more about the book and author below…

approx: 10.5” x 7.5” x 1”

from the web:

Jacques-Yves Cousteau name is synonymous with underwater exploration. As indeed it should be. In the middle of the Second World War, Cousteau solved a problem that had restricted humans to the ocean's surface - or to where a person could dive on one long breath - since the beginning. Along with Emile Gagnan, he invited the "Aqua-Lung," or, as it is more commonly called, the underwater regulator - a devise that can deliver air to the diver at the ambient pressure of the surrounding war. With some French government funding, they managed to acquire a suitable vessel for diving, and scientific exploration, the "Calypso," which was an American made mine sweeper which had been flagged to the British, and was deemed "surplus."

This book is an account of the year-long journey of the Calypso, from March, 1967 to February, 1968. The journey covered some of the best, and most varied tropical diving in the world. It commenced in Monaco, where Cousteau was associated with the "Musée Océanographique." They entered the Red Sea, traveling and diving its length, went passed the Yemeni island of Socotra, on to the Maldives, then back to the Seychelles, Mombasa in Kenya, and back up into the Red Sea. They got caught by the Six Day War between Israeli and the Arab countries. The Suez Canal would be closed for a number of years, so they went south again, to Madagascar. A comprehensive and essential itinerary for underwater exploration.

This was a period of time when sports diving was in its infancy, and there were very few "diving resorts," certainly none in the areas that the Calypso sailed. They had some rather sophisticated equipment for the time, including a mini-sub that could descend to 1000 ft., a decompression chamber for "the bends," cages to protect them from sharks, an underwater scooter, state-of-the-art camera equipment and Cousteau even had his son, Phillippe, become certified as a hot-air balloonist so that he could guide them through treacherous coral shallows. There are 122 color photos, and 20 black and white photos throughout the book. None are stunning; much better photographs of each subject have been taken since, but as an early historical record they are important. The book also contains important appendixes, with drawings of diving gear, including a good sketch of the "Aqua-Lung" mechanism, as well as sketches of some underwater plants. There is also an excellent glossary of terms for sea life, which vary significantly in the vernacular, so the Latin names are always also referenced.

A strong theme throughout the book is for the protection of the oceans, which have been - and are - used as "garbage pits." Not revolutionary thinking now, during the time of yet another massive pollution of the oceans by oil, yet "cutting edge" when this book was written, before the very first "Earth Day." Cousteau's legacy is impressive and durable, yet one senses that he would be sadly disappointed at how the oceans and seas continue to be abused.