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The Art of Living Under Water by Marten Triewald
The Art of Living Under Water by Marten Triewald
In a current-day context, a title such as The Art of Living Under Water could easily be about underwater habitats and saturation diving. Forget that. The first edition of this book was published in the year 1734. The 'art' it refers to is the fundamental art of keeping a diver alive for longer than a single breath-hold.
Marten Triewald's 1734 manuscript has been re-packaged as a limited-edition hardcover book by the Historical Diving Society, with an introduction providing a brief biography of Triewald and placing his work in context.
In 1734, the understanding of physics and chemistry we take for granted was in its infancy. It was known that air was needed for breathing, and that something in air was used up by breathing and by fire, but oxygen had yet to be discovered.
Triewald's development of diving bells was a leading edge application of the science of the time.
In its time it must have been the equivalent of the BSAC Diving Manual or the PADI Encyclopaedia of Diving, or perhaps something more military such as the US Navy Diving Manual.
Despite some excellent explanation of salvage lifting techniques, it isn't a text book now. Neither is it a coffee-table book. It's a book for collectors and students of diving history. It's a celebration of the roots of what we do - a book to own for the pure gratification of owning it.
John Liddiard
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| The Art of Living Under Water by Marten Triewald (Historical Diving Society, www.thehds.com, ISBN 0954383419). Hardback, 96pp limited edition, £18 |
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