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In Descent: The Heroic Discovery of the
Abyss, Brad Matsen brings to vivid life the famous deep-sea
expeditions of Otis Barton and William Beebe. At a time
when no one had traveled deeper than a few hundred feet,
they took the world to a half mile down. At the height of
the Depression, Beebe and Barton plumbed the depths of the
ocean in nothing but a steel sphere, setting two records
at once: it was also the first time a dramatic journey of
discovery was broadcast live in America and Europe.
Beebe was an internationally acclaimed naturalist
when he became obsessed with oceanography. He had an oceanographic
research station on Nonsuch Island off Bermuda and a tug
that could launch the craft, Beebe also had the support
of many of the most famous financiers and industrialists
of the day, the ability to drum up publicity wherever he
went, and connections at the New York Zoological Society
and National Geographic.
Barton was half Beebe's age and heir to
a considerable fortune, and had long dreamed of deep-sea
exploration and making his mark on the world as an adventurer.
Barton had the engineering skill to design the craft --
his idea was simple, yet elegant: a steel sphere with thick
portholes tethered to a support ship by a steel cable --
and he had the wherewithal to build it. Together, Beebe
and barton would achieve what no one had done before --
direct observation of life in the blackness of the abyss.
But even as they achieved their greatest success, a bitter
rift left the two explorers on barely more than speaking
terms.
In this vivid narrative history of scientific
vision, courage, and adventure, Brad Matsen illuminates
the dramatic achievements of Beebe and Barton against the
backdrop of the great age of exploration, in a riveting
tale of man and nature.
Brad Matsen is the author of many books
about the sea and its inhabitants. He was a creative producer
for the television series The Shape of Life. His
articles on marine science and environmental topics have
appeared in Mother Jones, Audubon, and Nature,
among other publications. He divides his time between Seattle
and New York City.
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