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Tony Groom

Autor(a) de Diver

5 Works 40 Membros 2 Reviews

Obras de Tony Groom

Diver (2008) 28 cópias
In2deep (2010) 1 exemplar(es)
Lamington National Park (1973) 1 exemplar(es)

Etiquetado

Conhecimento Comum

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Membros

Resenhas

Two work mates of mine were having a conversation about this book and I thought it sounded interesting so I asked if I could borrow it. Fortunately the owner had it with him so there was no delay in me getting my hands on it. I don't know anything about diving except for what I have seen in movies so I knew I was in for some education along the way.

The layout of the book is a little unconventional in that the time line jumps about a bit. There are also quite a few photographs, drawings and diary entries throughout. All of the technical aspects are well explained and well written with the exception of the introduction to saturation diving. I think Groom got a bit too tied up in trying to make it simple and inadvertently made if sound far more complicated than needed.

There is little in the way of repetition throughout the book and there are plenty of anecdotes and funny tales along the way. There were a few occasions where I actually fell about laughing after reading some of the tales, the humour is very military if you get what I mean.

The Falkland's conflict features quite heavily and covers aspects of the conflict that most people know little if anything about. The divers were tasked with clearing mines and removing unexploded bombs that hit ships. They had had no training in how to deal with removing an unexploded bomb from a boat so worked it out as they went along. They saw a lot of death and destruction up close and Groom tells how this had a lasting effect on him and others.

My favourite section was about the saturation diving that Groom did once he had left the navy and was working as a civilian. Having to stay locked into a tiny pressurised living area with other divers for 28 days at a time doesn't sound like fun but that is what they have to do. I also had a chuckle at the amount of courses they have to do to keep current and the ridiculous amount they cost. This is very similar to aviation industry and there are a lot of cross overs with regards to the regulation that people must go through.

This was an interesting read with a lot of good humour along the way.
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Marcado
Brian. | 1 outra resenha | Jun 20, 2021 |
I tend to really like books like these - non-writers with interesting lives giving us an insight into their experiences. It results in a unique read. The through line for books like this is that the writers are not accomplished authors, this is usually their first (and often only) book, and there is a limit to improvement an editor can make without loosing the voice. Major credit should be given for stating outright in the beginning that the book was based on his diary and his memory, and was not cooked after the fact with a lot of research into "what really happened." Strong move to make that clear - really sets a particular conception of the author that is borne through the rest of the book.

I really enjoyed reading about Groom's experiences in training, the Falkland War, and his commercial diving career. Tony did a good job of contrasting his written diary with his recollections, but it did result in many events being written about twice (once as a direct diary reprint, and then hashed out in a longer section where he weaves in his memories and those of his friends). This book is a quick read and a view into an uncommon world - even though I criticize the writing in this review I recommend checking it out. Just feel the liberty to skim ahead at times.
… (mais)
 
Marcado
sarcher | 1 outra resenha | May 2, 2019 |

Estatísticas

Obras
5
Membros
40
Popularidade
#370,100
Avaliação
3.2
Resenhas
2
ISBNs
9