by Brad Matsen
Pantheon Books, 2009
Comments: As a boy the first thing I ever remember wanting to "be" was an oceanographer -- or more precisely a scuba-diver. That was due in large part to watching The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau series on television. I idolized Cousteau and dreamed of someday being a part of his adventures. Even though that eventually passed as I grew older, I've always maintained an interest in his life and work.
This is the only biography about Cousteau that I've read, but it's certainly a good one. The author is a notable oceanographer/writer who was similarly influenced by Cousteau as a young man. In this book he expertly charts a course through the arc of Cousteau's life, including his many professional achievements and his shortcomings as a husband and father. Like many driven people, Cousteau was a complex character. But this is a well told story that respects and celebrates the accomplishments of a great man and his adventures aboard the renowned ship Calypso.
Copy Notes: Hardback, first edition, photographs
