Down to a sunless sea by Mike Boon published-1977 Stalctite press

[Arnold Mesiser]

"Down to a sunless sea" 1977 Stalactite Press, Edmonton written by Mike Boon

.It is out of print but hopefully soon a reprint run will take place ( I have tentative permission to go ahead and re=print this treasure trove of knowledge and great caving adventures)




For those of you who have not heard of Mike Boon..the following is something Ian Mackenzie( Long time Alberta Speleological society member / cave explorer-karst specialist for decades and past Canadian Caver editor posted (he says it better than I can and knows far more of the history than I do)

"Mike Boon was a British caver who was active from the late 1950s thru the 1970s. You might know him from the accounts of early Swildons dives, but he also surveyed (with Tich Morris) the entrance series of Darren Cilau - Mike went on to fame caving in Mexico when Mexico wasn't cool, did a solo expedition to the back of Castleguard Cave in Canada, and was considered by some to be the best caver in the world... and currently lives quietly in Calgary."






The book contains stories of cave diving/dry caving exploration and good descriptions/ surveys of Quashies River Cave and Bristol Cave Jamaica , as well as tales/surveys of many British systems (Swildons etc) as well as virgin explorations in Ireland,Slovenia ,Yochib river cave and many others in Mexico. Mike did the first sidemount dive in Britain circa 1962- "A technical review of cave diving " had a huge impact when he released it in 1966 .

The book contains MANY wonderful/hair raising stories by a man who had a pure and all encompassing passion for cave exploration and furthering caving knowledge . He could ALWAYS be found assisting as many cavers as he could when he was not pushing a solo endeavor.

Some of the accounts show just how far Mike would go to ensure he could even GET to a caving area to explore and the severe hardships he would endure to facilitate his passion.Many of of the greats in Mexican cave exploration have stories of Mike's exploits -I am taken by the fact that they all seem to have some reverence for his abilities and the fact he was always willing to help fellow cavers .Bill Steele makes mention of Mike in the latest NSS news (June 2009)

I believe he was born to cave and he has certainly ate-breathed-and bled for them.


If anyone would be interested in getting a new version of this book-please let me know and maybe enough interest will bring this to fruition.

Cost will be reasonable and depending on desired volumes.I am pursuing this as a volunteer and any proceeds would go to Mike Boon.

[sskasser]

I picked up an older version at an NSS convention...EXCELLENT book! I'd be interested in seeing it reprinted.

Shirley

[Arnold Mesiser]

I picked up an older version at an NSS convention...EXCELLENT book! I'd be interested in seeing it reprinted.

Shirley


Good to hear-very few have heard of it in recent times.Old copies are hard to come by and the content is fascinating IMHO although some bits may be controversial.He certainly was a pioneer.

[sskasser]

I recall getting NOTHING done once I picked the book up, until I finished it. It was a compelling read.

[Arnold Mesiser]

I scanned some pages to give an idea of content

[Spd 135]

Excellent book. Lost my first one to the floods of Katrina. Found another about 2 months ago.

[temrich]

I would be interested.

[FW]

Is there more than one book with the same name?

From Wikipedia:
David Graham (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Graham_(author))'s Down to a Sunless Sea (1979) is a post-apocalyptic novel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalyptic_and_post-apocalyptic_fiction) about a planeload of people during and after a short nuclear war (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_warfare), set in a near-future world where the USA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA) is critically short of oil.

[FW]

I found a very interesting link, in the CDF archives :-)

http://www.cavediver.net/archives/books/cdfbooks.html

[sskasser]

I found a very interesting link, in the CDF archives :-)

http://www.cavediver.net/archives/books/cdfbooks.html


This is awesome! Let's revive this link! I'd be glad to be the point of contact for posting reviews.

[sskasser]

Is there more than one book with the same name?

From Wikipedia:
David Graham (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Graham_(author))'s Down to a Sunless Sea (1979) is a post-apocalyptic novel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalyptic_and_post-apocalyptic_fiction) about a planeload of people during and after a short nuclear war (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_warfare), set in a near-future world where the USA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA) is critically short of oil.

Yes, different books.

[Spd 135]

Is there more than one book with the same name?

From Wikipedia:
David Graham (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Graham_(author))'s Down to a Sunless Sea (1979) is a post-apocalyptic novel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalyptic_and_post-apocalyptic_fiction) about a planeload of people during and after a short nuclear war (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_warfare), set in a near-future world where the USA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA) is critically short of oil.

Mine makes a third. The one I have is written by David Poyer in 1996 and is dedicated to Sheck Exley, Bobby Mcguire and others with a lot of parallels to Sheck Exley and others from cave country in this novel. I didn't realize it til I grabbed it this morning and started to read it again.

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Who are you kidding Mark? We all know you can't read! Book must have some nice pictures for you to own it :)

[FW]

This is awesome! Let's revive this link! I'd be glad to be the point of contact for posting reviews.
Sure, but it wouldn't hurt to grab the original rewiews as well. I think a new thread under this forum would be a good place.

[Arnold Mesiser]

I always knew there was one book written after Mike's that had the same title..now 2!!! I guess they did not search titles before publishing or Mike's book is that obscure...damn good though.

The post Forrest brought up by Duncan price about the book is what made me seek it out..and in the course learned a lot about a now Canadian cave explorer...funny a Brit knew more about a book published in Canada than many Canucks did. then again they seemed to know more and have more interest in Dr.Benjamin as well.

[Slüdge]

Expect more books by that name over the years as authors piggyback on Sheck's book. They are from two lines from "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge:

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

[sskasser]

Expect more books by that name over the years as authors piggyback on Sheck's book. They are from two lines from "Kubla Khan" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge:

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree :
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.

I'm pretty sure that's quoted in the book...I'll have to look when I get home.

[icestac]

I scanned some pages to give an idea of content

I couldn't put down the computer. Keep em coming ;)

Jeff

[MORGAN]

Put me down as interested in a copy if you get it reprinted.

Thanks,

Mike

[Cleric]

I couldn't put down the computer. Keep em coming ;)

Jeff

Sick, Cruel, Twisted.. posting non-sequential pages! Just got me tied up and interested, then shifted 80 pages!

I would be interested in a copy as well!

Thanks,

[Arnold Mesiser]

Thanks for the feedback people_ I am starting to feel more positive this might happen-especially with a 30 book interest from a fellow Canadian.


I tried to be strategic about the page choices ;)...anyone catch the 17 km sink to resurgence in Jamaica that I don't think has been pushed by many (Dornoch head)..it is rather turbid water but man what a dive to pursue..

[chimie007]

Would print on demand be an option for this ? I'm not familiar with the cost versus a formal order to a print shop. It could be an option to make sure you don't end up in the red with a bunch of unsold books and Mike not seeing a penny.

A lot of folks do that to sell photography/posters.

[icestac]

As it turns out your first post was too long for me to read the first time....

I finally made it down to the bottom and I would be interested in a copy.

Cheers,
Jeff

[Arnold Mesiser]

I will be using a print on demand machine called Expresso at a university that has the roots for a lot of caving in Canada and many co- horts of Mike's resided there.The Canadian Caver was also born there//sort of appropriate.


this makes costs reasonable enough and will allow future extras if needed. The printing cash is coming out of my pocket so I want to make sure appropriate interest exists before going ahead.

[Cleric]

I would like to chime in here...

While I have been laid up for the past couple of weeks, I came across this thread. The original pages posted piqued my interest and I tracked down a paperback copy of the book. Just finished it last night. Took me exactly 17 hours to complete it! It was a good read. I will be the first to admit, I know little about some of the founding pioneers of cave diving, but the book describes these caves much as I remember them. It held me spell-bound for the duration. The plot had the beginnings of a typical mystery, however it had great turns and not too far-fetched twists and turns.

I would recommend this book to all who enjoy a good mystery / whodonnit.

Roger

[NEON]

I'd love to get a copy too!

[Cleric]

I'd love to get a copy too!

I just did a quick search and found it through Amazon, or you could contact the OP here and reserve a copy! Seems like he might have more than enough interest to justify a reprinting..

[Arnold Mesiser]

It is looking like I will be able to justify a run...most likely in the late fall as I have to voice dictate the text + (redraw maps) (scanning did not fare well for quality) and I have some surgeries to get out of the way..I am thinking it will probably be best to distribute it through the NSS CDS /similar minded orgs- if they are interested when the run is completed.


I am not sure what you found on Amazon but I doubt it is Mike's book -unless it is a used copy.His book is the first one called "Down to a sunless sea" printed in 1977 by the Stalactite press in Edmonton

[cavedivingwoman]

by that name. It's a novel by David Poyer, published 10-15 years ago. It's set in FL and featues one of Poyer's fictional characters, along with an expert diver named Lamont Exmore. Lamont dies on a cave dive in China....but that is not the story. The book's a who-dunnit and a good read. You can find it at second hand book stores. I won't lend mine anymore because it never comes back.
Barbara

[cavedivingwoman]

Mine makes a third. The one I have is written by David Poyer in 1996 and is dedicated to Sheck Exley, Bobby Mcguire and others with a lot of parallels to Sheck Exley and others from cave country in this novel. I didn't realize it til I grabbed it this morning and started to read it again.

Missed this, but agree...it's a good read! 'Glad that someone else is aware of it---spread the word.
Barbara

[NEON]

Any progress with the reprint?

[mdax]

I'm also interested in a copy if it's reprinted.

[ffdiver5597]

I'de take one too.

[Greenwood_60]

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