Memoirs of a Speleologist : The Adventurous Life of a Famous French Cave Explorer

Memoirs of a Speleologist consists of 66 reminiscences by one of the heroes of modern cave exploration that run the gamut from comedy to tragedy. The reader encounters cowards and heroes, experiences the deep thrill of rediscovering a cave where humans dwelt thousands of years before, and feels the pathos and joy of de Joly's last cave visit at the age of eighty. Above all, the book displays the strong and eccentric personality for which de Joly was known, and conveys a vivid impression of the landscape, people, and caves of the causses, the cave-riddled limestone plateaus of southern France. In 1926--at the age of forty--de Joly chose to devote himself to systematic cave exploration. During his career he explored over 800 caves and trained several generations of the best French cavers. With Casteret, he revitalized French speleology between the world wars. De Joly also revolution-ized caving worldwide with his invention and perfection of the flexible, lightweight, cable ladder.