Stars Beneath The Sea

When most of us turn our thoughts to the pioneers of diving, the first name which springs to mind is usually Jacques Cousteau certainly an individual worth of being called a pioneer.

The book briefly details the lives of thirteen different individuals with a chapter describing the exploits of each. Some names will already be familiar, such as John Haldane, Hans Hass and Frederic Dumas.

Others include Henri Milne Edwards who explored the underwater coast of Sicily in the late 1800s, wearing a hood held in place by stirrups passing under his feet. His equipment worked reasonably well but was a little restrictive as he discovered, as only a slight tilt forward allowed the water to rush into his helmet!