Ten books about diving and other ocean-related themes that make the ideal gifts for scuba divers and their favourite dive buddies
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Treasures, Shipwrecks and the Dawn of Red Sea Diving
by Howard Rosenstein
The autobiography of Howard Rosenstein, one of the pioneers of recreational scuba diving in the Red Sea. Proprietor of the first dive centre in Sharm El Sheikh, negotiator for the protection of Ras Mohammed, and the first person to dive the wreck of the Jolanda, Rosenstein was instrumental in kick-starting an industry that, today, represents a significant portion of Egypt’s national income. This is his fascinating, brilliantly told story.
- Read an extract from Howard’s book on the sinking of Jolanda
- Read Mark ‘Crowley’ Russell’s review of the book here
The Diver and the Cook
Lasse Spang Olsen
A gripping true story of survival against all odds as Harrison, a galley chef, fights to stay alive after his ship sinks at sea in the Atlantic Ocean. Nico, a rookie commercial diver faces a daunting challenge as he leads a rescue mission he never expected to make. A gripping read from start to finish – look out for more in DIVE’s upcoming Winter print issue!
52 Assignments: Underwater Photography
Alex Mustard
A collection of photographic workshop assignments designed to build core skills, expand horizons and kickstart creativity in underwater photography, with a year’s worth of weekly challenges, tips and guidance for creating the best underwater images.
- Read Jenny Stock’s review of 52 Assignments: Underwater Photography
- Check out an extract from Alex’s book as featured in DIVE Magazine
The High Seas: Ambition, Power and Greed on the Unclaimed Ocean
by Olive Heffernan
More than two-thirds of our oceans are beyond national boundaries. Olive Heffernan, an experienced ocean scientist turned campaigning writer, explains in this powerful and detailed book, that the world out there on the High Seas is lawless and dangerous.
A Diver’s Guide to the World
Carrie Miller and Chris Taylor
Following on from her excellent and similarly weighty 2019 tome 100 Dives of a Lifetime, National Geographic writer Carrie Miller and her photographer husband, Chris Taylor, spent 14 months in 35 countries exploring 50 of the world’s best dive spots for A Diver’s Guide to the World, with a particular focus on those with significant commitments to environmental sustainability.
The Mountain in the Sea
by Ray Nayler
A group of octopuses make a vast evolutionary leap and develop a recordable language. Helped by a conscious robot, a leading marine biologist is being either used to save or exploit the highly intelligent cephalopods. The Mountain in the Sea is a stunning work of science fiction, which – unlike other underwater adventures – pays proper attention to the details of scuba diving
Many Things Under a Rock – The Mysteries of Octopuses
by David Scheel
A riveting new exploration of the octopus from world-leading expert marine biologist David Scheel, whose riveting book adds another dimension to octopus intelligence which is sure to delight fans of ‘My Octopus Teacher’ and Other Minds. His perspective is the unsentimental and calm gaze of a working scientist who has spent decades studying these elusive and baffling creatures…
Around the Ocean in 80 Fish & Other Sea Life
by Helen Scales
This beautifully illustrated book tour tells the fascinating stories of a variety of sea creatures and their ingenious feats of survival, from producing anti-freeze to enduring boiling temperatures, and reveals the ways in which these creatures have shaped our own lives through medicine, culture or folklore – and the stresses we are placing on the marine world.
Britain’s Living Seas
by Hannah Rudd
This attractively illustrated and well-thought-through guide focuses on why the seas around the British Isles are so important and what needs to be done to protect them. Produced in collaboration with The Wildlife Trusts, this is an essential read for those who care about the ocean and want to help in its preservation.
The Bathysphere Book
by Brad Fox
On 11 June, 1930, a curious steel ball is lowered 3,000 feet into the sea a ship floating near Nonsuch Island. Squeezed inside is famed zoologist William Beebe, about to become the first man to dive to the deep ocean in a Bathysphere. This book is an eyewitness account of his underwater exploration, uncovering a magical world where ghostly glowing organisms test the limits of human understanding.
