Descent: The Heroic Discovery of the Abyss

William Beebe was already an internationally renowned naturalist when he became obsessed with oceanography. Otis Barton, half Beebe's age and heir to a considerable fortune, had long dreamed of deep-sea exploration and of making his mark as an adventurer. They shared a vision of the ocean as a great undiscovered wilderness, and through Barton's engineering skills and wherewithal, and Beebe's connections in the financial, industrial, and scientific communities, they were able to turn their vision into reality. In June of 1930, they made the first of their many descents of up to half a mile in the Barton-designed "bathysphere." It was a stunning achievement that laid the foundation for our understanding of the ocean's complexities. Brad Matsen, whose long and distinguished career as a journalist has focused on the sea and its inhabitants, gives us an illuminating portrait of these two men and their world: the particulars of their lives, their extraordinary collaborative achievements, and the bitter rift that left them barely on speaking terms. A wonderful fusion of history and adventure writing, "Descent is a vivid and fascinating account of one of the seminal scientific ventures of the 20th century.