Jacques Cousteau | Brad Matsen | Talks at Google
19Brad Matsen's JACQUES COUSTEAU: The Sea King presents a full and extraordinary portrait of the man who illuminated the oceans to millions of people across the world.
Cousteau trained as a pilot in the French Navy, until an accident forced him to recover by swimming to build back his strength. His developing obsession with the sea led him to help invent the famous Aqua-Lung that made diving possible, though he almost died testing it. During World War II, Cousteau won Frances highest military honor, the Lègion of dhonneur, for infiltrating an Italian camp and photographing intelligence material. He spent most of the war engaged in filming for the Navy and undersea exploration, continuing to develop the equipment that made such exploration possible.
Cousteaus growing reputation led Loel Guinness, heir to the Irish brewery, to buy him a boat—the soon-to-be world-famous Calypso. Cousteau commissioned a book about his work, The Silent World, which became an international bestseller, and a film of the same name. This led to a career that included the making of over a hundred documentaries, 50 books, and several brilliant series—the most famous of which, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, was created by Hollywood producer David Wolper and ran for a decade with astonishing succes, garnering Emmys every season and millions of entranced viewers.
In 1979, Cousteaus son, Philippe, was killed in an accident at sea and Cousteaus wife, Simone, retreated to the Calypso. Cousteau, stoic about emotional matters, returned immediately to work. When Simone died a decade later, Cousteau revealed to his remaining son, Jean-Michel, that he had a mistress, Francine Triplet, a former Air France stewardess 40 years his junior, and two other children. Cousteau and Triplet married and a bitter family feud began that continues to this day.
Cousteaus legacy includes the formation of the Cousteau Society, dedicated to the growth of knowledge and the belief that the environment deserves preservation and protection. Brad Matsens passionate and clear portrait of JACQUES COUSTEAU illuminates the personal and the professional life of one of the worlds greatest explorers, a man who changed the way we think about and treat the world undersea.
Brad Matsen visits Google's Mountain View, CA headquarters as part of the Authors@Google series.