The Caves Beyond: The Story of Floyd Collins' Crystal Cave Exploration - Softcover

Joe Lawrence, Jr.; Roger W. Brucker

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0914264184 ISBN 13: 9780914264187

Publisher: Zephyrus Press, Inc., 1975

Synopsis

In February, 1954, under the direction of Joe Lawrence, Jr., the National Speleological Society sent the largest, most highly organized, and best-equipped expedition in the history of American cave exploration into Floyd Collins' Crystal Cave, Kentucky. The Caves Beyond is the official account of that expedition and a classic American caving story. There is no other caving book like it.

First published in 1955 in an edition of 10,000 copies, the book was out of print soon afterwards. Good copies of the rare first edition are a sought after prize to book collectors. This quality reprint reproduces every word and picture of the original edition. Brucker's new introduction to the long-awaited reprint edition reveals a number of "untold stories" about the expedition, including stories of the politics behind the C-3 expedition and of how the book came to be written in an attic in Brooklyn in two weeks' time. There is also a detailed index, which the first edition lacked.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

"And so we leave the cave in darkness, as we found it. We have unlocked many of nature's secrets, and still others are yet unsolved. Men will be back, probably to the end of time, but history will record the monumental effort of The National Speleological Society in the Year of Our Lord 1954."--Final words written in the log book by Roger Brucker

Review

"It is impossible to read these pages without recognizing the insatiable drive that spurs man onward, or realizing how frustrating it is to turn back when you can see with the explorers' eyes that there are caves beyond. But never completely solved logistics problems, the growing fatigue that becomes overwhelming--that invisible but insurmountable endurance barrier--and the paralyzing uncertainty as to where you are in the uncharted maze, combine to make the caves beyond unconquerable." --Charles E. Mohr, Past-President, The National Speleological Society

This excellent book is by far the best written on the adventures of exploring a single cave . . . . This is really a terrific book, and if I had to single out the most enjoyable caving book in my library, this would be it." --Chuck Pease, Explorers Ltd. Source Book

About this edition

• Publisher: Zephyrus Press, Inc.
• Publication date: 1975
• ISBN 10: 0914264184
• ISBN 13: 9780914264187
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 290