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books - fact and fiction

	With over 50 islands and islets, the British Virgin Islands in the eastern Caribbean offers extraordinary vacation opportunities. Uninhabited islands, sunken shipwrecks, bountiful marine life, secluded coves, treasure caves, exquisite beaches, and thickly wooded slopes await the laid-back and adventurous alike. Pristine and undeveloped, with not a single traffic light or fast food restaurant, the BVI has long been a haven for discerning divers and yachtsmen. There is always a new and exciting dive site to explore, from the sunken island of Anegada, with over 300 shipwrecks, to the Dogs off Virgin Gorda; from the popular dive at The Indians to the remote sites off Jost Van Dyke. This book includes a separate chapter on the wreck of the RMS Rhone, the most famous dive in the BVI. The terrain and marine life of over 50 of the best dive sites are described in detail, and nine maps pinpoint the dive sites or the best routes for divers to follow. In addition to the superb diving, an island-by-island description of the topside attractions, including beaches, parks, restaurants and hotels is given. There are also listings of dive centers, live-aboards and useful travel information. Whether you are a serious diver, holiday snorkeler or an admirer of the undersea world, Diving British Virgin Islands will prove a valuable reference.
	At 11.10pm on July 25, 1956, the luxurious Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria collided with the Stockholm 45 miles south of Nantucklet. Half a century later the wreck of the Andrea Doria is still claiming lives. Professional and amateur divers the world over consider the Andrea Doria to be the Everest of diving. At 225 feet below the surface, the wreck lies at the very edge of human endurance and accomplishment: ordinary air becomes toxic, and the divers who go there suffer nitrogen narcosis or "the rapture of the deep". Symptoms include confusion, lack of coordination, and perhaps most deadly of all, a loss of the ability to make clear decisions. As a result, divers use TriMix, an exotic blend of oxygen, nitrogen and helium to descend through the strong currents, rusted metal and twisted wires to seek fame and fortune in the form of china teacups and plates. For serious wreck divers, these fragile artefacts are genuine proof of their abilities. During the summer of 1998 three elite divers lost their lives, all on separate dives from the top dive boat out of Montauk, the 65-foot Seeker. Craig Sicola was clearly suffering from "china fever" before he went down. He'd handled teacups brought up by veteran Doria diver Gary Gentile, and the gleam in Craig's eye was unmistakable. Craig dived on June 24, 1998. A few hours later his body bobbed to the surface. He was carrying a plate. Joe Haberstroh, the award-winning Newsday reporter, watched events unfold during the summer of 1998. In this book he re-creates what was the pride of the Italian fleet, how it sank, the dangers of the deep, and the gripping personal stories of the men who live or die for a teacup from its remains. Hardcover - 256 pages (1 March, 2003)
	The Helldivers' Rodeo: A Deadly, Extreme, Scuba-Diving, Spearfishing Adventure Amid the Offshore Oil Platforms in the Murky Waters of the Gul Paperback - 244 pages (1 January, 2003)
	More than 35 passages from novelists, journalists, poets, playwrights, essayists, and scientists detail an intertwined passion for diving and the written word in this collection. From Robert Stone's portrayal of a diver who faces the terrorizing prospect of his air running out to Clare Booth Luce's search for the treasures of the underwater realm, every passage reveals a perspective of the world that only divers have known. Humor columnist Dave Barry battles a lobster and explains why staying on the ocean's surface is like "going to the circus and staring at the outside of a tent." From Rangiroa to the Red Sea, from deep within caverns to the eerie light under ice, from the lethal silliness of nitrogen narcosis to the elation of soaring over unfathomable depths, every selection, like every dive, is a unique experience. Paperback - (1 April, 2002) 274 pages
	In the shock of bereavement, Tim Ecott went scuba diving in the Indian Ocean. What began as an underwater excursion to displace his grief became an obsession that has shaped his life. In "Neutral Buoyancy" he shares his passion for the sea. Gripping tales of historical diving bells, Greek sponge-divers, World War II frogmen and record-setting breath-hold divers are laced with captivating accounts of the author's own experience underwater in an elegant blend of arcane history, vivid reportage and memoir. The reader is taken from Ireland to Austria, Florida to Papua New Guinea and the islands of the Bahamas and the Seychelles. "Neutral Buoyancy" is a journey filled with exotic, eccentric human characters competing for space with misunderstood sharks, weeping turtles, smiling dolphins and erotically shaped sea slugs. This unique and inspiring insight into our relationship with the deep will allow even the most timid swimmer to lose themselves underwater. Paperback - 368 pages (30 May, 2002)
	A Navy salvage diver recounts his experience in the effort to save the lives of sailors trapped in sinking ships after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Paperback 240 pages (10 October, 2001)
	Over the recent years the sport of diving has become very popular, and is featured almost every week on television, whether as a prize on a game show, on children's television, or as part as a drama series. Watching it is not as good as doing it, however. In the underwater world, when the only sound is that of your exhaled breath, the excitement starts the adrenaline flowing. Sub aqua diving is one the fastest growing sports enjoyed by anyone medically fit to do so. With courses starting for anyone over the age of twelve there has never been a better time to start. Paperback - 144 pages (23 June, 1999)
	Dive right into the wonderful world of undersea adventure with Scuba Diving & Snorkelling For Dummies. Veteran diver John Newman (former editor and art director for Dive Magazine) leads you step-by-step through predive fundamentals, explains what to expect when you're underwate, and describes the options available to you after you get your feet wet. So get in the swim of things and find out everything you need to know to explore the underwater world - from masks, snorkels, and fins to wetsuits, regulators and tanks. Scuba Diving & Snorkelling For Dummies shows you how to snorkel and dive safely - and how to stay cool in emergency situations. You find information on getting certified the quick and easy way and tips on planning an exciting and adventure-filled trip to one of the twenty finest dive spots in the world. In addition, for the more-experienced diver, this friendly guide can help you investigate more-advanced diving options, such as photography and cave exploration. What's more, the book comes with a colour photo section that should inspire you to take the plunge and discover the wonderful art and sport of scuba diving and snorkelling. Paperback - 358 pages (September 1999)
	Journey with scuba instructor Michael Zinsley as he dives his way through 16 countries, rubbing shoulders with the locals and mixing underwater adventure with after-hours escapades. The Rapture of the Deep is fast paced and rich in content, consisting of humorous anecdotes, insightful histories, underwater descriptions, and terrifying close calls. The diving stories relate events seen once in a thousand dives. Native cultures are revealed with an awareness that only someone who has lived in those lands can describe. The book's lighter side is the combination of underwater adventure mixed with after-hours escapades (imagine Cousteau extending his documentaries to include closing time in the local bars). The descriptions of coral reef life are written in a way that non-diving readers will be as intrigued as the experts. Featuring stories from: Antigua, Australia, Bermuda, Bonaire, California, Fiji, Guam, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Palau, Philippines, Ponape, Saint Lucia, Solomon Islands, Thailand, Tonga, Truk, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vanuatu, Western Samoa, and Yap. Includes over 20 color photos and maps. Paperback - 280 pages (1 December, 1999)
	From the Publisher SYNOPSIS, REVIEWS Synopsis: A one-volume compilation of updated scuba quizzes dealing with equipment, environment, decompression/recompression, physics, physiology, diving activities, safety and emergencies. It contains information not found in scuba texts. Reviews: "I cannot think of a better resource for preparing examinations, be they written or oral...an excellent resource for every diver." - Werner A. Lissauer, M.D., Chairman, Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. "The topics are relevant and challenging...not always found in the most common diving text books." Tom Hemphill, NAUI Board of Directors, Instructor Trainer Paperback - 223 pages (November, 1996)
	Many of the world's best known divers share their experiences in this collection of stories of memorable underwater adventures. Encounters with whales, sharks, and giant squid; dives to the USS Monitor and into sunken mine shafts; and unusual situations of all kinds serve as settings for these entertaining tales, where the unexpected is common. Contributors: Dick Anderson, Bonnie Cardone, Ellis Cross, Richard Ellis, Rod Farb, Stephen Frink, Howard Hall, Eric Hanauer, Hillary Hauser, Jack McKenney, Chris Newbert, Carl Roessler, Marty Snyderman, Bob Talbot and Stan Waterman. Paperback - 326 pages (January 1996)