Product Description
This newly-revised edition of a classic introduction to speleology covers the latest discoveries about the mysterious world of caves. Drs. Moore and Sullivan are among the founders of modern cave research. They present here the principles of speleology in language that anyone can understand. The authors show how cave processes involve biological as well as geological, chemical, and physical processes, and they examine such topics as the origin of caves, the structure of cave food chains, and the evolution of blind cave animals. The book was a selection of the Science Book Club and is widely used as a textbook in high schools and colleges. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Science and Truth behind the cave Environment
If you want to know what it is that makes up a cave, get this guide. Included in this book are facts about cave biology, chemistry of the cave, geological assessments that grandly improve your knowledge of the world of caves. Don't believe me? You'll be amazed how many different caves are in your backyard, and you'd want to know what to expect before venturing and exploring it for yourself. Contrary to popular belief, there are living animals that reside where the sunlight does not touch and how simply made or delicate they may be. Not only that, you'll find out much more that is quite intriguing about caves. I understand this is a simple review in comparison to others, in truth here is the reality behind the science.

An intelligent, well-detailed introduction to caves
This book explains the geology and biology of caves, and how they have been used by human beings. The authors explain the details very well, drawing upon lots of interesting examples of caves from around the world and providing useful illustrations, charts, and photographs throughout the book.

In the section on limestone formations, they explain why most limestone caves have been formed by slowly moving water in a thin horizontal zone directly below the water table. They examine scallop formations, carbon dioxide content, calcite solubility and other factors. (Sandstone caves, sea caves and lava tubes are covered just briefly.)

There is some good coverage about water movement through caves, the growth of speleotherms, and how to date caves and cave deposits. There is a table provided that lists the secondary minerals found in limestone caves and the caves they can be found in. You will also learn about cave temperatures, relative humidity, and how different karst formations are related to the nature and distribution of the soil in different climatic zones.

There is also a section about the many cave dwelling micro-organisms, troglobites, and vertebrates. It explains their evolution, adaptation to the cave environment, and how they fit into the food chain.

Good Introduction to the Foundations of Cave Science
This book is the classic introduction to cave sciences.Written for the lay person, but with plenty of scientific specifics.Caving is a very young science.This book was written many years ago, and much has beenadded to our knowledge of caves.Every serious caver starts with thisbook, though.

An easy to understand introduction to cave sciences
Anyone interested in learning more about caves will want this book.It is easy to read, yet introduces cave science (Speleology) in a clear andlogical way. Even a layman like me can understand it. It is beautifullyillustrated with detailed diagrams and striking drawings.Both cave geologyand cave biology are covered. You will find answers to questions like howcaves are formed, why some caves breathe in and out, how stalactites andstalagmites develop, what kind of animals live in caves, and why some caveanimals are blind. The authors were pioneers in modern cave research. Theyhave spent a lifetime studying and exploring caves, and write about thesubject with style and authority. Main sections are: Caves as NaturalLaboratories, Origin of Caves, Characteristics of the UndergroundAtmosphere,Growth of Stalactites and Other Speleothems, Behavior andProducts of Cave Microorganisms, Habits of Cave Animals, Evolution of BlindCave Animals, Uses of Caves, References and Related Readings, Caves in theU.S. Open to the Public, Index. David McClurg, author of Adventure ofCaving, a how-to book on cave exploration. ... Read more

Product Description
This book summarizes our knowledge of the caves and cave research in Bulgaria. The first Bulgarian caving society was founded as early as 1929, but the first cave animals, fossils and archaeological artefacts in Bulgarian caves had been found and published even earlier, at the end of the 19th century. However, sporting speleology was established much later, since the restoration of organized caving in 1958. By that time, only some 200 caves had been known in Bulgaria, largely highly superficially. At present they outnumber 5,100, most of them being well-documented. Cave animals have been recorded from more than 700 Bulgarian caves. Bulgarian cavers have discovered and surveyed 62 caves longer than 1,000 m, as well as 52 potholes deeper than 100 m. Bulgarian caving is currently well-organized network of caving clubs, including more than 800 members. Over the past 40 years, Bulgarian cavers have organized the exploration of hundreds of caves in more than 45 countries, including independent missions to Austria, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Cuba, China, Vietnam, Indonesia etc.Some of them also participated in such complex international expeditions as the British Speleological Expedition to Papua New Guinea in 1975. Numerous new animal species have been described by Bulgarian specialists from caves in different parts of the world. The Bulgarian Federation of Speleology has initiated the creation of a Balkan speleological union. One of the major achievements of Bulgarian speleology has become the compilation of the Main Card Index of Bulgarian caves. Keeping in mind all these achievements, time has come to publish both in Bulgarian and English a compendium containing, besides other things, concise descriptions of 260 of he most important and spectacular caves and potholes of Bulgaria. An outline is also given of some general subjects like Biospeleology, Speleopalaeontology, Speleoarcheology, Speleomineralogy, Geomorphology and Hydrogeology of Karst, Cave diving, Cave rescue and others. The book contains data on various aspects of research carried out by Bulgarian cavers all over the world, as well as biographical information about many Bulgarian cavers and cave scientists. The publication is richly illustrated by numerous colour pictures, graphs and maps. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

In-depth cave information
This a small book with a lot of information from how caves and various formations are created to the animals that inhabit caves.It is well-written and easy to understand though technical enough for those who want all the whys and wherefores.I've owned this book for 30 years and wouldn't consider parting with it. ... Read more

Product Description
Brings together for the first time diverse aspects of caves in northern Thailand with chapters on geology, archaeology and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Visitors' Guide to Thai Caves
This is a very nice book, and the price is extremely reasonable, considering that it has between one and five color photos on almost every page. The first half of the book is introductory material, including nice, concise summaries of cave geology and biology. There are chapters on archaeology, especially rock art and the log-coffin sites found in the area, and Buddhist temple caves. The log coffins date from one to two thousand years ago; none of the sculptures and other shrine material in the temples are very old. There are a brief introduction to safe caving techniques and a discussion of cave photography. Human uses of caves and human impacts are covered, with a good conservation message.

The second half of the book contains brief descriptions and many photos (but no cave maps) of over one hundred caves in the eight northernmost provinces of Thailand. Forty of them are in the Pang Ma Fa area, where a research project in 1998-2000 provided the motivation for this book. Vertical caves and caves known for bad air are excluded. The cave names are given in Thai, both in Latin letters and the Thai alphabet, but not translated. Map coordinates (degrees and minutes) and directions to all the caves are given in an appendix. I hope the conservation message is taken to heart by readers, because among the caves included in this book, which is clearly meant to encourage cave tourism, are well-decorated wild caves and poorly protected archaeological sites. (Approximate locations are also shown on regional maps on the endpapers.) The photographs, generally several per cave, as well printed, but some have color-balance problems.
Glossary, bibliography, and index wrap things up. Curiously, the part of the bibliography on cave photography has not been translated into English, providing about a half a page of Thai script to admire. The publication dates there are given in the Buddhist system, in years since the Buddha's death in 543 BC.--Bill Mixon ... Read more

Product Description
High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Caving?also known as spelunking in the United States?is the recreational sport of exploring caves. In contrast, speleology is the scientific study of caves and the cave environment. ... Read more

Product Description
A caveor cavernis a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter. Some people suggest that the term caveshould only apply to cavities that have some part that does not receive daylight; however, in popular usage, the term includes smaller spaces like sea caves, rock shelters, and grottos. Speleology is the science of exploration and study of all aspects of caves and the environment which surrounds the caves. Exploring a cave for recreation or science may be called caving , potholing , or, in Canada and the United States, spelunking. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review
If you were to travel to the Amazon, say, or the source of the Nile, youwould likely find the people there wearing corporate logo-branded T-shirtsand listening to the latest pop hits on the radio. Using a GPS device orsatellite photos, you can track your location just about anywhere on theface of the planet. Given globalism and the ease of travel to once-remoteplaces, where is a would-be flag-planting adventurer to go these days?

The answer, writes Michael Ray Taylor in this intriguing book, is inward:inside the earth by way of the millions of caves that pierce its surface.Following an international team of fellow cavers--men and women in peakphysical form and apparently without fear--his narrative takes us deepwithin the ice caves of Greenland; a vast underground labyrinth of riversand chambers in Mexico's Yucatan; a cave on a cliff wall overlooking theColorado River near the Grand Canyon, one that no human had ever beforeentered; and other great caverns of North America. High-quality (andsometimes astounding) full-color images accompany the text, offering viewsthat usher us into a world of blind snakes, bats, strange geologicalformations, and uncanny sights that few surface-dwellers have beenprivileged to see.

Caving is not merely adventure for its own sake, Taylor notes. "Over thepast decade," he observes, "scientists have been surprised to learn that inthe deepest recesses of the Earth are repositories of exotic microbes ...far more varied in types of species and their individual strategies forsurvival than all the plants of an equatorial rain forest." Some of thesemicrobes, he suggests, may deliver chemicals for fighting disease;they also deliver important evidence about the history of life on theplanet.

But, all that said, caving offers plenty of thrills, and Taylor's book doesa superb job of capturing both the science and the adventure of a journeyto the center of the earth. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great Book!
My husband and I sent this to a friend who really loved the book. A great gift success.

Great for getting biology students excited
I used this book, and the related IMAX video, as part of a cave biology experience for undergraduate biology majors this year.Both the book and the video are fantastic; I challenge anyone to consider biology boring after reading/viewing them.To prepare for a spring break "wild cave tour," our students read Taylor's book, watched the video, then had a presentation on caving by Taylor.He also accompanied us on the caving trip. (It doesn't hurt that both of us teach at the same university....)The students loved it all. They asked for, and received, permission to sample for microbes in the cave, and have grown up their bugs.We don't expect to find anything earthshaking, as human contamination even in lightly used caves is apparently ubiquitous, but this really got students excited.I enthusiastically recommend the book and the video combined, and following it up even with a trip to a developed cave would be a great experience for students.

Where no large-format camera has gone before...
CAVES: EXPLORING HIDDEN REALMS by Michael Ray Taylor (0792279042, $35.00) provides some outstanding cave shots from caving experiences around the world. The book accompanies a new film 'Journey Into Amazing Caves' which was released in March 2001: many of the hundred-plus photos are from the film and highlight places no large-format camera has gone before.

How would you like to explore the mysteries of caves?
Many of us have probably been very fascinated with caves since we were small children. However, we probably never had the actual experience of exploring caves nor will we ever undertake such a voyage to many of our planet's uncharted regions.

Perhaps, the wisest and safest way to satisfy our curiosity pertaining to the study of caves, or as it is called, Speleology, is to seek out a good reference text. National Geographic Society's coffee-table book entitled CAVES: EXPLORING HIDDEN REALMS, authored by Michael Ray Taylor, would certainly meet the criteria as being one of the most outstanding introductions to the mysteries of the underground.

The tome is the companion text to the McGillivray Freeman Imax film by the same title.
Taylor separates the book into three distinct sections, ice, water and earth in order that we have a general understanding as to where caves are to be located as well as their respective formations. As the author states: "the skin of the world hides many caves. All are profoundly shaped by, and profoundly affect, the nature of the land overhead. Caves are to a surface landscape as veins and capillaries are to a human face-the hidden structure of an inseparable whole."

The ice section introduces us to the caves of the heartland of Greenland where glossy photos provide us with fantastic visual entertainment that convey to us the beauty of these caves as well as the danger constantly prevalent within. Moreover, we are also clued in to the many animal creatures found within these subterranean enclaves such as the tardigrade. It is to be noted that the study of life in caves is known as biospeleology.

Our adventure moves onto to some of the caves discovered beneath the Yucatan or the section dealing with water. One only has to stare at the introductory photos to this chapter and we can appreciate the utterances of the cavers when they assert: "we are amid the wildest scenery we had yet found in Yucatan; and, besides the deep and exciting interest of the ruins themselves, we had around us what we wanted at all other places, the magnificence of nature."

The final stop on our journey delivers us to the caves of the earth where we explore the deepest one in the United States, Lechuguilla located in New Mexico. We also venture into the caves of Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia or as they are termed the TAG region. The spectacular photo of the Lechuguilla certainly reaffirms the statement that "a picture is worth a thousand words."

Enhancing the usefulness of the book are the many articles pertaining to the study of caves that have been contributed by several well-known experts. These short essays also include those of the author, Michael Ray Taylor, who has explored more than 600 caves in expeditions that have taken him around the world.

Bon voyage on your next expedition into the world of caves where all you will need is a good chair and Michael Ray Taylor's brilliant book.

Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com

Where in the world to cave
I am always left breatheless at the majestic beauty of every cave I am blessed to enter. This book gives wonderful descriptions of caves and the pictures in this coffeesque style bookare the icing on the cake. ... Read more

Product Description

In a narrative that combines cutting-edge science with intense physical adventure, Dark Life tells the fascinating story of the quest to find life far underground and deep in space.

Able to thrive without sunlight or oxygen, dark life is a mass of subterranean bacteria that would likely tip the scale if weighed against all other living matter combined. Journalist Michael Ray Taylor takes us from Antarctic lakes to Hawaiian volcanoes to the satellites of Jupiter in search of these mysterious underground creatures that are redefining our understanding of evolution.

Taylor serves as a field assistant on several key scientific expeditions. He descends deep into New Mexico's tortuous Lechuguilla Cave and focuses powerful NASA microscopes on never-before-seen life-forms. He accompanies a young NASA intern who unknowingly kicks off a raging international scientific debate when she uncovers traces of dark life in a rock extracted from nearly two miles below Washington State -- traces that appear identical to the "micro-fossils" found in a Martian meteorite. He meets another scientist who has staked his reputation on using dark life to generate a cure for breast cancer. Throughout his adventures, Taylor gains unique insight into a growing controversy about the very definition of life itself -- an issue that scientists had long ago considered settled. Whether he is exploring the structures of a mysterious cell or reconnoitering tropical caves, Michael Ray Taylor is an adventurer for the new millennium.Amazon.com Review
The microbes that caver Michael Ray Taylor calls "dark life"are found deep in the earth, in boiling oceanic vents, Antarctic ice,and lots of other places far from the reach of the sun's energy. These"extremophiles" are energy opportunists, subsisting on chemicals,radioactivity, or the faint light of molten rock. The study of theseorganisms is quite new, and scientists are learning that examiningthem may provide hints about the possibility of extraterrestriallife. Dark Life is a first-person tour of the places Taylor haslooked for archaebacteria and other strangemicroorganisms--Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico, the hot springs ofViterbo in central Italy, NASA laboratories, and the halls ofacademia. Taylor met with passionate scientists searching for answersabout how things can live deep in the earth and if they can survive inthe unimaginable cold of outer space while hitchhiking onmeteors. Dark Life chronicles the triumphs and disappointmentsof this new field of science with engaging and personal stories.

The steady but frustrating progress of science is never more apparentthan in the passages relating to the rise and fall of ALH84001. Thepotato-sized meteorite from Mars (and the scientists who analyzed it)enjoyed brief but frenzied attention when it was announced thatmicroscopic forms in the rock may have indicated the presence ofnanobacteria. But if you're expecting resolution to this question inDark Life, be warned: to Taylor, it's the journey that's mostexciting. --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Entertaining and Informative
Michael Taylor writes a fantastic narrative non-fiction account of mid 1990's events involving discoveries in the fields of microbiology, evolution, astrobiology, and biogeochemistry.His narritive is smooth and entertaining, and he includes enough science to appropriately validate his claims.
Though the idea of a three-branched tree of life on Earth is rather old, Taylor gives great insight into the idea for the regular person. While most biology classes contain some reference to nanobacteria and extremophiles, the extent of their populations may be misrepresented in some textbooks.
His accounts of cave exporations were most fascinating, as are the colorful discriptions of well known scientists.

Politics, personalities, and science of the dark world
_Dark Life_ by Michael Ray Taylor was a very interesting book. The author began it writing as a science journalist - having written a previous book on cave exploration as well has having articles published in such magazines as _Audubon_ - but over the course of the two and a half years he worked on this book went from becoming an observer to an active participant, a point he himself made several times in amazement and wonder. Originally he had set out to chronicle what was known about "dark life," microorganisms that dwell far underground or in the deep sea, organisms that derive their nourishment from sources independent of sunlight. These organisms, which have been found in such varied places as salt domes, Antarctic ice cores, and in highly acidic caves, have continually challenged notions of what life can tolerate, organisms so common that they may outnumber surface organisms (indeed Taylor rejected the commonly used term "extremophile" as he believes the term implies that these organisms are a "rare curiosity"). Taylor wrote of the history of the search for these microbes, the personalities involved, and where current research was in the field (as well as possible applications of this research).

Somewhere along the way he became part of the story, as he became the friend and later colleague of several of the researchers he covered. While not a trained scientist per se, at least not in the field of microbiology, he assisted in and even proposed a number of experiments in the search for controversial nanobacteria (microbes with a size of less than 0.2 micrometers, once thought to be too small to be an independent functioning organism or at least too small for a prokaryotic organism, including known bacteria and archaea; not a virus) in a variety of environments, mostly notably Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas. By the end of the book he was regularly exchanging email with researchers, providing samples for them, and even had co-authored a few presentations at various seminars.

Much of the book is focused on personalities - understandable given Taylor's increasing personal involvement in the story himself - though mainly in the context of research on the topic at hand. The main characters (if you will) in the book were Larry Mallory (a scientist who had devoted his career to harvesting and culturing cave microbes in a promising search for a cure for cancer, particularly from microbes from the fascinating Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico, an interesting place described in great detail in the book), Bob Folk (a colorful scientist who discovered nanobacteria and their presence in a number of substances and had been in the lead in efforts to prove that microorganisms are vital in the formation of travertine in caves and hot springs as well as in some cases at least entire caves and cave systems), and Anne Taunton (an undergraduate student who as part of a NASA internship became embroiled in the efforts to determine whether or not the famed Martian meteorite ALH 84001 contained fossils of extraterrestrial nanobacteria). Others are followed to lesser degrees, among them Finnish nanobacteria expert E. Olavi Kajander, who had done pioneer work showing that nanobacteria may be the possible agents of many maladies such as kidney stones, Alzheimer's, and Mad Cow Disease that involve mineral precipitation in the body.In large measure these and other personalities faced considerable skepticism, criticism, and worse in their studies, as scientists found it hard to accept (in different instances) what was thought of as "impossibly" small bacteria, biological origins for various types of minerals and mineral formations, and the presence of microfossils in ALH 84001. Mallory had to leave his university because he was essentially denied tenure, the administration not believing his study of cave microorganisms important, Folk faced considerable criticism for suggesting that such substances as travertine owed their origins to bacteria, and Taunton (and the team she worked with) had a very difficult time with several scientists - including even her own undergraduate academic advisor - over efforts to demonstrate that the ALH 84001 microfossils were evidence of Martian life or even life of any kind. Although Taylor did a good job of showing the fact there was sometimes intense and even rather personal criticism in science, I don't know if he always showed why people had such a hard time accepting bold new theories. In particular some of the opposition to ALH 84001 fossils was quite heated.

Though much of the focus was on personalities, politics, and the process of research the microbes were much discussed as well, many with bizarre biologies. Some cold-loving organisms were termed "psychrophiles," capable of growth below freezing, at -5 degrees Celsius, organisms that exhibit slower metabolisms at temperatures above freezing and death at anything approaching human body temperature (organisms that for years - like many other examples of dark life - proved difficult to study and culture in the lab). Some organisms found in apparently solid rock two miles deep, existing only on hydrogen and water, have unbelievably slow metabolisms, appearing to divide cells no more than once per century. Though many caves and indeed individual pools in caves produced unique microorganisms there were also astonishing similarities; the closest relatives to some sulfur-oxidizing thermophilic (heat-loving) bacteria from a cave in Kentucky were found to be a sulfur-oxidizing, symbiotic bacterium from a deep sea polychaeta worm, a relationship that has not yet been explained.

At least as far as this reader is concerned Taylor made his case that nanobacteria exist, that they are key in the formation of some minerals and many caves, and I am very open to the idea that ALH 84001 may indeed contain Martian microfossils. I enjoyed reading about the discussions scientists had about whether or not subsurface Antarctic lakes such as Lake Vostok and Jovian moon of Europa might have dark life and hope that both can be analyzed in the not too distant future.

Geology & Biology Intwined
For starters I will never look at my mineral collection quite the same again. Dark Life has shown that nanobacteria (only recently confirmed)is the absolute frontier of a new world. Minerals and "life" coexist and the nanobacteria "feed" upon the chemical compositions of minerals. The scientific world will be turned on its' head in the near future as a whole new science emerges. This book is easy to understand for those of us who aren't scientits but who are interested. As one who also has Multiple Sclerosis the possible connection with nanobacteria and mineral plaques in the brain was astounding as I read it.

Damn interesting, heavy on the human drama
I read this book after buying on a discout shelf in some clearance book seller.It was a pleasant surprise.It, as I wrote in the title, a little heavy on human drama and soap operatic themes.The science behind it is absolutely interesting and has spurred me to read further on the topic of nanobacteria.This is a great starting out book, but not a great book for those reading for the science of it.

Nanobacteria, A New Form of Life and Its Pathology in Humans
Nanobacteria have been researched by many prominent scientists worldwide. This book looks at the findings of scientists with respect to Nanobacteria and the science of Geology. Nanobacteria, specifically Nanobacterium Sanguineum, have been studied by scientists and medical researchers as they pertain to causing human disease or Pathology as well. Nanobacterium Sanguineum is a Nanobacteria that is approximately 10,000 times smaller than regular bacteria. It replicates from 1000 to 10,000 times slower than regular bacteria as well. It grows in the human system in blood, and has been found by various medical researchers and scientists to cause many human problems. Some of the various diseases that it has either been implicated to be involved with or to cause are: Calcification in atherosclerotic plaque, kidney stones, calcification in the lenses of eyes that ultimately causes "cataracts", soft tissue calcification in scleroderma, calcification in tumors, calcification in arthritis or osteoarthritis and other pathological disease states in humans. These Nanobacteria colonize and secrete a "biofilm" over themselves that causes them to be covered by a calcium "shell". These Nanobacteria are implicated to be the cause of all calcification in the human system that you were not born with, that you subsequently develop as you age. These Nanobacteria are also implicated in causing some forms of cancer and "apoptosis" or cell death. Scientists are now working on ways to eradicate Nanobacterium Sanguineum with prescription medications. Please keep your eyes open for further research regarding Nanobacteria. Try surfing on the web for "nanobacteria". Sincerely, Gary S. Mezo, President of the Academy of Medical NanoScience, Tel:813-264-2241. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An Amazing Volume of Cave Beauty
I live and cave in the Ozarks and when I saw this book I just had to have a copy. It's not well known even in its hometown. It does an excellent job of portraying the wonderful beauty of the Ozarks' underground. I have seen man y of these places and unlike my descriptions this book does do them justice. If you have ever visited an Ozark cave or may I would highly recommend this exquisite book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent expedition caving book
This book gives a very good account of expedition caving by OxfordUniversity cavers in the picos region of Spain over a number of years. Itis very well written, humerous in parts and manages to capture theexitement of initial underground exploration. ... Read more

Product Description
With a new epilogue revealing additional informationabout the Floyd Collins story that has come to light since the bookwas first published!

The sensationalism and hysteria of the rescue attempt in early 1925generated America's first true media spectacle, making Floyd Collins'sstory one of the seminal events of the century.

The crowds that gathered outside Sand Cave turned the rescue site intoa carnival. Collins's situation was front-page news throughout thecountry, hourly bulletins interrupted radio programs, and Congressrecessed to hear the latest word.

TRAPPED! is both a tense adventure and a brilliant historicalrecreation of the past. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Trapped
It is interesting what a chance combination of events led to the national interest in Floyd Collins.As luck would have it, the first coast-to-coast radio network came into existence just as Floyd Collins became trapped in Sand Cave.A local reporter from Louisville, Kentucky would crawl back to where Floyd was trapped, taking him food and water.Upon exiting the cave, he would report live on the radio about what Floyd had said and what his condition was.

People all over the United States sat by their radios, waiting for the latest report on Floyd Collins.Churches opened their doors and people prayed for his safe rescue.He was on the Front Page of every newspaper.This drama lasted for perhaps three weeks, and the entire coutry was gripped by Floyd's helplessness.Unfortunately, Floyd died before the rescue shaft that was being drilled reached him.

This book is an exciting read and is full of valuable historical information.Roger Brucker's books are always entertaining.

As an aside, I remember my grandmother warning me when I was in high school (1960 - 1964):"If you keep going in those caves, you will end up like Floyd Collins !"The first record to ever sell one million copies was:"The Death of Floy Collins".Use that in a trivia contest, and see if anybody can guess.

Larry E. Matthews
NSS #6792-F

A STORY THAT WILL CONSUME YOU AND A MAN THAT WILL LEAVE A DEEP IMPRESSION ON YOU
After my first trip through one of the sections of Mammoth Cave, I was addicted to this world.My husband turned me on to this man, Floyd Collins, who I have never heard of.We both bought a book from the park store and I couldn't pull myself away from this one. As we drove for hours on our vacation, I would read multiple parts to my husband while he was driving.I couldn't fight the tears as I read so many parts of this book to him.I don't normally get consumed by movies or books, but this book and the story of Floyd Collins has left such an impact on me.It is inevitable the you will find yourself feeling trapped along with Floyd and find a warm level of love and respect for him as his days and conversations are described.I can't even begin to describe feeling as though I was right there beside Homer, Skeets and Johnnie with their dedication to saving this man.I wish there was a movie about this - not a documentary, but a movie.The drama, suspense, characters and events of this story are so realistic and R.K. Murray did a great job on this book.

Definitely a winner.

Trapped: The Story of Floyd Collins
When asked about his earliest childhood memory, my late father would tell of his dad carrying him to his uncle's house to listen to radio news reports of the attempted rescue of Floyd Collins from a cave in nearby Kentucky.This book brings to life those events that captured the nation's attention in Jan.-Feb. 1925. Trapped is a well-written, well-documented account of the tragedy that occured in the central Kentucky hills and before watchful eyes of the nation.Its a gripping account that manages to capture the facts of the event, including great details of America's first modern media circus, while still attending to the many colorful characters who played a role in Collin's life, the rescue attempt, and the aftermath.

Trapped: The Story of Floyd Collins
The best book I've ever read, period.Within the context of a rescue attempt of a Kentucky caver, the authors paint a revealing picture of America in the 1920's.From the glory seeking Louisville fireman to a journalist who won the nobel prize, this story is not to be missed.Just read the 1st five pages, up to the 1st line break, & you'll be hooked.I've never handed this book to anyone who wasn't totally enthralled w/ it.

Cave Country Tragedy
Trapped! the story of Floyd Collins, is a very well written account of one of the first mass media coverages of an American Tragedy.The book itself flows very well and engrosses the reader in the details of the often heroic effort to save Collins who was trapped in a cave near Mammouth Cave in Kentucky.Murray and Brucker do an excellent job in discussing the noted personalities associated with the media frenzy that closely followed the efforts to save Collins.Also dealt with is the exploitation of the entire event by a number of self serving individuals.A great book for those interested in Kentucky History and a noteworthy work for those who prefer casual reading. ... Read more

Product Description
As a boy, Hal Colebatch began a love affair with caves through Naturalist Club excursions to limestone and sea-caves in Western Australia. In maturity he continued with speleological journeys in the south-west. His passion is eruditely expressed in this book as he explains part of the relationship of humans and caves in fiction and literature. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. From the Foreword by naturalist Harry ButlerThe fascination of caves says something about the human appetite for wonder, for mystery and majesty. From grunting cavemen to menancing goblins, caves have played a role in human culture and story-telling. They provide a glittering backdrop to the tales of King Arthur and a depository for legendary treasure hoards from the Norse sagas through H.Rider Haggard to J.R.R. Tolkein.The modern-day speleologist is a romantic, seeking out darkness, discomfort and some danger to find a strange beauty and wonderment. Generally without applause, acclaim or publicity, they seek to touch certain ancient wellsprings of myth, beauty and mystery. Speleology tends to bridge the gap between the so-called two cultures of science and art. To be a speleologist, one needs to be at least a slightly special type of person.Author blurbHal G.P. Colebatch is a well-known Australian poet and writer. His book Blair's Britain was selected as a Book of the Year by the London Spectator in 1999, and in 2003 he received an Australian Centenary Medal for services to Writing, Poetry, Law, and Political Commentary. While working as a reporter for The West Australian newspaper he was involved in the discovery of several kilometres of extensions to Easter Cave in the south-west of Western Australia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Enjoyed it!
I greatly enjoyed this book which taught me a lot about both caves and mythology. It is written in a delightful, humorous and literate style and gradually casts a spell on one. I will never think of caves the same way again - the author shows how they are full of wonders and magic.

Fascinating, educational and evocative!
Well-known author Dr Hal G. P. Colebatch gives us a fascinating literary tour through the great stories of caves, covering the ancient myths and legends of dwarves, kolbolds and trolls in the Underworld as well great caves scenes in adventure novels and some scientific anthropoloyy and speleology, all written in a clear style and with many touches of humor. As well as scientific and literary information, Colebatch can evoke the magic of the underground, of faerie and the Celtic, Norse, Teutonic and classical myths.

The distinguished Australian naturalist and television star Harry Butler provides a foreword.

I would recommend this book for many reasons. It is fun, educational and a delight to read. Parents will also find it an excellent way to introduce their children to some of the great classics of adventure writing, such as "King Solomon's Mines,", "She," "The Coral Island", "The Swiss Family Robinson," and more modern works like "The Inheriors" and "The Clan of the Cave Bear," and the lovers of the great works of J. R. R. Tolkien, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" the works of c. S. Lewis and Count Tolstoy's modern masterrpiece about Merlin, "The Coming of the King" may find their appreciation of these mighty tales enhanced (Many of Colebatch's own stories in the science-fiction series "The Man-Kzin Wars) also take place in caves).

For the tourist, it also gives a guide to many of the great and spectacular caves of the world.

There is also some information on cave conservation, and a strange true story about some great caves north of Perth, Western Australia - said to be among the greatest and most spectacular in the world -which were found and explored early in the last century, but whose entrances have now apparently disappeared under shifting sands.

For anyone who has an interest in the underground, this book will prove a delight and a treasure. Dr Colebatch was awarded an Australian Centenary Medal in 2003 for writing and this book must add to his reputation. ... Read more

Product Description
Encyclopedia of Caves is a self-contained, beautifully illustrated work dedicated to caves and their unique environments.It includes more than 100 comprehensive articles from leading scholars and explorers in 15 different countries. Each entry is detailed and scientifically sound, yet accessible for students and non-scientists. This large-format reference is enchanced with hundreds of full-color photographs, maps, and drawings from the authors' own work, which provide unique images of the underground environment.

The Encyclopedia of Caves is an essential interdisciplinary resource for scientists, students, and caving enthusiasts.

* Presents a cross-section of contemporary knowledge of caves ranging from biology, geology, and human uses to exploration techniques
* Brings together 107 in-depth articles from respected international authors
* Showcases hundreds of color and black & white photographs, maps, charts, and illustrations
* Highlights many of the great caves of the world
* Makes information easy to find with alphabetical listings, cross references, suggestions for further reading, plus a full glossary and index ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Definitive Reference on Caves
This is a fascinating compilation of serious research articles covering the geology and biology of caves. It is well written and accessible to the non-specialist, and is an invaluable reference for all scientists with an interest in caves. This volume has fewer entries than the excellent Encyclopedia of Caves and Karst edited by Gunn, however, the subjects in this work are discussed in considerable depth. Buy both and you will have the most complete and up-to-date references available on caves and karst. ... Read more

Product Description
A history of the discovery of Carlsbad Cavern, taken from the writings of its modern day discoverer, along with a discussion of the geologic processes which caused its formation and an introduction to the Caves as a visitor would find them today. ... Read more

Product Description
Missouri boasts more than six thousand caves in an unbelievable variety of sizes, lengths, and shapes. This grand tour sheds light on the historical significance of caves, corrects misinformation about them, and describes how people have used and abused them. Weaver tells how caves have enriched our knowledge of extinct animals and early Native Americans. Caves were used for burial sites and moonshine stills, as hideouts for Civil War soldiers and outlaws, and even as venues for underground dance parties in the late nineteenth century. Weaver also relates the history of Missouri's show caves and the resulting expansion in tourism. The book covers all counties with recorded caves and includes photos from the author's collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Spelunker history
The book was in really good condition and delivery was as promised . . . prompt.Thank you

Very informative
I have not finished the book yet, but I have found it to be very informative about the history surrounding Missouri caves.

A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this fascinating tour
Former show cave operator H. Dwight Weaver presents Missouri Caves in History and Legend, the concentrated essence of a lifetime of history and research into Missouri's caves created by limestone bedrock slowly dissolved by groundwater. Bringing the reader on a tour underground, Missouri Caves in History and Legend reveals what caves have to tell us about extinct species and early Native Americans; how caves were used to mine saltpeter, onyx, and guano; how caves became hideouts for Civil War soldiers and notorious outlaws such as Jesse James; and much more. A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate this fascinating tour accessible to readers of all backgrounds - the next best thing to visiting Missouri's caves in person!
... Read more

Product Description
The deepest cave on earth was a prize that had remained unclaimed for centuries, long after every other ultimate discovery had been made: both poles by 1912, Everest in 1958, the Challenger Deep in 1961. In 1969 we even walked on the moon. And yet as late as 2000, the earth’s deepest cave—the supercave—remained undiscovered. This is the story of the men and women who risked everything to find it, earning their place in history beside the likes of Peary, Amundsen, Hillary, and Armstrong.
 
In 2004, two great scientist-explorers are attempting to find the bottom of the world. Bold, heroic American Bill Stone is committed to the vast Cheve Cave, located in southern Mexico and deadly even by supercave standards. On the other side of the globe, legendary Ukrainian explorer Alexander Klimchouk—Stone’s polar opposite in temperament and style, but every bit his equal in scientific expertise, physical bravery, and sheer determination—has targeted Krubera, a freezing nightmare of a supercave in the Republic of Georgia, where underground dangers are compounded by the horrors of separatist war in this former Soviet republic.

Blind Descent explores both the brightest and darkest aspects of the timeless human urge to discover—to be first. It is also a thrilling epic about a pursuit that makes even extreme mountaineering and ocean exploration pale by comparison. These supercavers spent months in multiple camps almost two vertical miles deep and many more miles from their caves’ exits. They had to contend with thousand-foot drops, deadly flooded tunnels, raging whitewater rivers, monstrous waterfalls, mile-long belly crawls, and much more. Perhaps even worse were the psychological horrors produced by weeks plunged into absolute, perpetual darkness, beyond all hope of rescue, including a particularly insidious derangement called The Rapture.

James M. Tabor was granted unprecedented access to logs, journals, photographs, and video footage of these expeditions, as well as many hours of personal interviews with surviving participants. Blind Descent is an unforgettable addition to the classic literature of discovery and adventure. It is also a testament to human survival and endurance—and to two extraordinary men whose relentless pursuit of greatness led them to heights of triumph and depths of tragedy neither could have imagined.

Includes a 16-pg full-color insertAmazon.com Review
Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2010: Set in impenetrable darkness, James M. Tabor's Blind Descent is as awe-inspiring as any adventure story above ground. Tabor's claustrophobic and pulse-pounding narrative follows two of the world's premier cavers--American Bill Stone and Ukrainian Alexander Klimchouk--as they race to explore Earth's deepest caves, swimming through steering wheel-sized tunnels and scaling rock walls slick with spring runoff. Caving is dirty and dangerous work, and Tabor pulls no punches in describing the many terrifying hazards that cavers face underground, including falling rocks, hypothermia, starvation, nitrogen narcosis, hallucinations, hypoxia, and deadly anxiety attacks. He captures the eerie mixture of excitement and horror that accompanies life in extreme environments, while shedding light on the ineffable and complex moral code that governs men and women in places where survival is hoped for, but never guaranteed. Blind Descent is a captivating summer read for adventure seekers and armchair adrenaline junkies alike. --Lynette Mong

Customer Reviews (72)

Gave up after 60% of the book
Actually bought this book by accident, was browsing kindle store and clicked the 1-click purchase by accident. I had just read a good review, so I decided not to try and get a refund, and just kept it.

The book started out promising, and I was drawn into the world of caving, which I had absolutely no idea about before I started reading. The subject matter made the book exciting.

However, I didn't really enjoy the writing style, which feels impersonal somehow, and sometimes it feels like the author is trying too hard to make caving sound super dangerous. I got bored of it about 60% in and did not finish the book.

blind descent the quest to discover the deepest place on earth
this is well written but the author is a little consumed with hyprbole. comparing these cavers who are strictly in it for their own adventure to the apollo astronauts is ridiculous and insulting to the latter. these guys are daredevils and nothing more. tell the tale for the adventure yarn it is rather than presenting it as the scientific exploration it is not.

Like reading a high school history book
I loved such adventure books as Into Thin Air and the Perfect Storm, so I was really excited about Into the Deep. Unfortunately, this book lost sight of the human story as it exhaustively regurgitated facts. Although the book focuses primarily on two cavers, so many other cavers are mentioned that it is difficult to remember (or care) who is who. I wish the author had spent more time on the emotional aftermath--and how it was overcome--of the cave accidents, several of which were fatal, and less time on the fact that Bill Stone had multiple relationships with younger female cavers. There are brief glimpses into the "real world" of cavers--Ukranians forgoing sexual relations in caves out of respect for one another while Americans rattled the plastic liners under their own sleeping bags in sync to the rattling liner under a couple egaged in intimacies, or the Ukranian caver feeling betrayed by a son who goes to cave with the Russians--but these moments are far and few between. If you're looking for an extended Wikipedia article, this book is a good bet. If you're looking for a book that leaves you feeling like you've had a real taste of the main characters' adventures, give this one a pass.

Like "Into Thin Air", only down
Like Jon Krakauer's breathtaking description of a fatal trip to the summit of Mt. Everest in his book Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, James Tabor's "Blind Descent" will by turns inform and amaze you with its description of extreme cave exploration.

As a person who has enjoyed the occasional stroll through a tourist cave, I was under the mistaken impression that I had some idea of what this exploration would be like.Tabor's book vividly brings to life the deprivations endured, the risks taken, the complicated logistics required, and the egos involved in the search for the world's deepest caves.A reader gets a sense of the all-pervading cold and damp, the physical demands in an environment where a single mistake can be fatal.The mental demands of living without sunlight or decent food for weeks were painted as such a vivid picture that I almost felt tired and cold myself.

Bottom line, if you enjoy descriptions of humanity testing its limits, I think you will like this very readable description of extreme caving.

4.5 stars

Enjoyable!
The age of great explorers seems to be past.Discovers have reached every continent, the North and South Poles, the highest mountain peaks, even the moon.Other than continued expansion into outer space, what's left?

James Tabor's book Blind Descent answers that question with a look at cave exploration.Specifically, the quest to find the deepest place on the earth.The book focuses on two explorers, Alexander Klimchouk of the Ukraine and Bill Stone of the USA, and their pursuit to find the deepest cave in the world.It's a story of daring, science, pride and incredible risk.But then that's the story of most great explorers.

This was a fun book to read.The descriptions of life in the caves is chilling at times, and Tabor can go over the top explaining the risks (to the point that he seems to be overcompensating, as if to make the point that this is REALLY REALLY DANGEROUS SO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY!).But once you get past some of the gory details and long lists of things that can kill you underground, you realize ... these guys and gals are over a mile deep under the surface of the earth and hey, this is really really dangerous stuff and I should take it seriously!

A fun book, a well written book, and a topic that is overlooked in the stories of discovery.

[...] ... Read more

Product Description
Barbara Hurd begins her foray into the increasingly popular pursuit of caving as we all would -- with a panic attack. Nevertheless, as her hunger to understand caves and caving increases, she lures the reader in deeper as well, to the extraordinary fascination of these dark spaces.
Hurd illuminates the natural history and spiritual territory of caves as powerfully as Kathleen Norris portrayed the Dakotas and Barry Lopez the Arctic. She ranges from sacred caves in India to secret caves in Arizona and, with passionately informed prose, makes these places -- with their stalactites and blind cavefish and ancient galleries of white flowstone and soda straws -- come alive. Characters weave in and out of her story as well: a childhood friend dying of cancer, a wildlife biologist who specializes in bat guano, an elderly Indian guide, and the disembodied voice of a fellow caver, never seen, with whom she spends a profoundly illuminating half-hour.
Entering the Stone is both a rich and a compelling natural history of some of the most extraordinary places on earth, as well as a stunning investigation of dark interiors, both terrestrial and human. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

"The stone's alive with what's invisible" Seamus Heaney
Very seldom do I read a book twice.ENTERING THE STONE is one of those books. Barbara Hurd's reflections seep under your skin and take you places you've never been. It is frightening and revealing and profound.Hurd has discovered that in our deepest journeys a secret space may emerge, a white dog, the shape of emptiness, a spacious room.

An emotional meditation on life when light is gone
It is a strange blessing that I ran across an excerpt of this book online and sought it out. The local library had a copy. I wondered about the experience of a novice spelunking. What I found was one woman's meditation on sorrow and loss and fear and awareness, and how reason and passion, how space and solid, how dark and light criss-cross and make the liminal experiences telling.

Please don't fault her beforehand if I sound too intellectual about it, too. It's a beautifully written exploration of the meaning of life, but it's sometimes very down-to-earth, too. ... Read more