Black Man Under the Deep Blue Sea: Memoirs of a Black Commercial Diver in Southeast Asia [Paperback]

Tony Wells (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 24, 2007

After moving from small-town USA to Hawaii at the tender age of 14, SCUBA diving introduced Tony to a fascinating new world of thrills and adventure that would shape the course of his life forever. He never let the fact that he was the only black kid involved deter him in his quest to explore the underwater world. This autobiography describes the exciting, true, and oftentimes humorous story of how he overcame being the product of a broken family, stereotyping, numerous challenges, several close calls, and countless other eye-opening events to become the only black American commercial deep sea diver to work in the demanding offshore oilfields in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa in the ’80s and ’90s, where, at the slightest mistake, the rich oil companies were ready to send a diver packing his bags and heading back to shore, never to be hired again.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: PublishAmerica (September 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1424174228
• ISBN-13: 978-1424174225
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,472,768 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Diary of a Deep Sea Diver, March 9, 2008

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Man Under the Deep Blue Sea: Memoirs of a Black Commercial Diver in Southeast Asia (Paperback)

..and yes, as you can guess from the title of the book, this is a first person autobiographical journey through the life of a brother who chose to live the life of a commercial deep sea diver, against his friend's rather "colorful" advice.

Written in informal language, with lots of photographs and explanations of technical jargon, this is an interesting read about the dangers and rewards of an unusual occupation that can only be chosen by those brave souls who don't mind physical exertion, long and lonely decompression routines, perilous situations and the total absence of a family life.

Although the diving information is the main part of the book, the author adds his own philosophies, opinions and thoughts, some of which are more suitable to a blog than a book, and parts of which need some editing for continuity.

I liked most of the book, but sometimes the author comes off, perhaps unintentionally, as a know-it-all, and I found this off-putting, particularly in the final pages. Overall however, the author has a positive message for young people to pursue their dreams regardless of skin color, religion or nationality, and I'll give him points for that.

If you like watching National Geographic on television or have an interest in this tough-guy occupation, this would be a good choice.


Amanda Richards, March 9, 2008

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Living life in an alien environment..., February 16, 2008

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Man Under the Deep Blue Sea: Memoirs of a Black Commercial Diver in Southeast Asia (Paperback)

Black Man Under The Deep Blue Sea by Tony Wells is probably best classified as a journal of Wells' experiences as a commercial diver. What makes the story unusual is that there are very, very few blacks in this particular line of work. In here, you read about his childhood and adolescence, along with the move to Hawaii that first brought him face-to-face with the possibility of learning to dive. After becoming SCUBA-certified (despite not initially being able to pass the swimming test), he enrolled in a commercial diving school to learn how to work underwater. This certification eventually led him all over the world as an independent diver, hooking on with companies when they had diving jobs available. As a black diver, he shares how his color rarely came into play when it came to getting jobs. Basically, success talks and reputations are quickly gained (or lost) in the industry. Because he knew his job well and performed at a high standard, he had little trouble in finding work when there were open jobs. At the end of the book, he talks about how color and race should never be a barrier to going after your dreams. Of course, he can hold himself out as a prime example of that.

As a self-published title, you shouldn't expect that Black Man will be a slick, highly polished story. Tony tells his story as if he was sitting across from you, complete with humor, danger, pain, and anger. But actually, that's what makes the book most compelling. Unless you're a diver interested in the technical details of the job (and he provides those in great measure), you probably wouldn't be inclined to pick up the book and give it a read. But shortly after starting to read, you'll feel as if you're sitting across the table from a new friend, sharing a beer and being regaled with stories and experiences that are fascinating.

If you have the chance to read Black Man Under The Deep Blue Sea, it'd be worth your time. At the very least, it'll give you a greater appreciation for those who work underwater to keep the oil flowing through the pipelines and into your lives.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very compelling book, February 14, 2008

By 

A customer "mistermaxxx" (usa) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Black Man Under the Deep Blue Sea: Memoirs of a Black Commercial Diver in Southeast Asia (Paperback)

i recently finished reading this book and it is so moving from start to finish. a Black Commerical Fisher dealing with life's challenges past and Present but still determine to do what he set out to do. Tony wells does a Great job of breaking things down and also breaking down events and the timing. the journey through the water takes the Man through various shores. this is very historical and very in depth. very well written. a very compelling Book it shows what a dream can lead you.