The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery & Adventure, by the 1st Men to Swim at Record Depths w/the Freedom of Fish is a '53 book coauthored by Capt Jacques-Yves Cousteau & Frédéric Dumas, edited by James Dugan. Tho French, Cousteau wrote it in English. It's the basis of the '56 Academy Award winning The Silent World. As of its 50th anniversary it has been translated into 22 languages, sold over 5 million copies & remains in print.
The book has 48 pages of black & white photos & 16 pages of color made available by Nat'l Geographic Magazine. The handheld work in Ektachrome "is the 1st ever made in significant depths, using artificial light & scientific color correction."
Cousteau & Émile Gagnan designed, built & tested the aqualung in the summer of '43 off southern France. Opening chapters recount the early days of scuba diving with Frédéric Dumas & Philippe Tailliez. The aqualung allowed for the 1st time untethered free-floating extended deep water diving & ushered in the scuba era. Later chapters include shipwreck excursions