Robert Forrest Burgess
Encyclopedia
Robert Forrest Burgess is an American author of non-fiction adventure books, as well as sport fishing and scuba diving magazine articles. His photographs illustrate his material.
, on November 30, 1927. He built his first diving gear out of a World War II
gas mask, 50 feet of air hose, and an air compressor to explore a Michigan shipwreck in 1944. At the end of World War II, he served as a ski trooper with the 88th Infantry Division named the Blue Devils by the Germans, and took his GI Bill abroad, studying French first at the Berlitz Language School in Trieste, Italy, and later at the University of Neuchâtel
,
Neuchâtel, Switzerland
.
During this time he skied the Alps as part of the University's athletic program. Returning to Trieste to sell his German Amphibious Jeep, he and a companion purchased an Italian Lambretta motor scooter and rode it back to Switzerland, crossing the Great St. Gothard Pass and two other major mountain ranges at night. For their summer vacation he and a companion moved to Italy's Island of Capri for three months where they learned to skin dive.
After studying abroad he returned to the U.S. to complete his education, majoring in Journalism at Michigan State University
. Then, moving to Florida he wrote and photographed features for every major U.S. outdoor magazine including several abroad.
With his new bride, Burgess returned to Switzerland in 1956. In Milan
they purchased an Italian Lambretta
motor scooter that winter, riding it 700 miles, across the Rivieras to Spain
, where they took a ferry to the Balearic Islands. They wintered on the island of Majorca, where he fished with Majorcan trawler fishermen, gathering material for a novel. That spring they ferried to Valencia and motor scootered across Spain to Madrid
, where he and his wife lived for the next 3 years. While there Burgess wrote his first novel and numerous travel articles for periodicals in England, Spain and America.
During that time, on assignment for "Argosy" Magazine, he and a companion crossed the Mediterranean aboard a freighter with the French Foreign Legion, then back-packed through Tunisia
to find and climb Hill 609, a fortified German mountain fortress during World War II.
Returning later to the U.S., he served as editor for the "Florida Outdoors Magazine" wrote free-lance features for sport diving and sport fishing magazines throughout the country, and for the last 20 years has contributed articles on these subjects as Editor-At-Large for the "Florida Sportsman Magazine".
Over the years Burgess has written and published over twenty books on such subjects as sharks, shipwrecks, underwater archaeology, treasure diving, cave diving, travel, and Ernest Hemingway
(whom he met in Pamplona
during that author's last Pamplona fiesta).
In January 1994, Scuba Schools International
awarded Robert Burgess their most prestigious award, given only to divers with verified log books who have met or exceeded all their requirements, including at least 5,000 dives, to achieve the elite SSI rating of Platinum Pro 5000 Diver.
Robert F. Burgess lives in north Florida
, where he continues to write magazine articles and books.
Life
Robert F. Burgess was born in Grand Rapids, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, on November 30, 1927. He built his first diving gear out of a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
gas mask, 50 feet of air hose, and an air compressor to explore a Michigan shipwreck in 1944. At the end of World War II, he served as a ski trooper with the 88th Infantry Division named the Blue Devils by the Germans, and took his GI Bill abroad, studying French first at the Berlitz Language School in Trieste, Italy, and later at the University of Neuchâtel
University of Neuchâtel
The University of Neuchâtel is a French-speaking university in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The University has five faculties and more than a dozen institutes, including arts and human sciences, natural sciences, law, economics and theology. The Faculty of Arts and Human Sciences is the largest...
,
Neuchâtel, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
During this time he skied the Alps as part of the University's athletic program. Returning to Trieste to sell his German Amphibious Jeep, he and a companion purchased an Italian Lambretta motor scooter and rode it back to Switzerland, crossing the Great St. Gothard Pass and two other major mountain ranges at night. For their summer vacation he and a companion moved to Italy's Island of Capri for three months where they learned to skin dive.
After studying abroad he returned to the U.S. to complete his education, majoring in Journalism at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. Then, moving to Florida he wrote and photographed features for every major U.S. outdoor magazine including several abroad.
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
they purchased an Italian Lambretta
Lambretta
Lambretta can refer to:* Lambretta, a petrol-powered scooter made by Innocenti* Lambretta , a clothing brand* Lambretta , a Swedish rock band* The Lambrettas, a British mod revival band...
motor scooter that winter, riding it 700 miles, across the Rivieras to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where they took a ferry to the Balearic Islands. They wintered on the island of Majorca, where he fished with Majorcan trawler fishermen, gathering material for a novel. That spring they ferried to Valencia and motor scootered across Spain to Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, where he and his wife lived for the next 3 years. While there Burgess wrote his first novel and numerous travel articles for periodicals in England, Spain and America.
During that time, on assignment for "Argosy" Magazine, he and a companion crossed the Mediterranean aboard a freighter with the French Foreign Legion, then back-packed through Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
to find and climb Hill 609, a fortified German mountain fortress during World War II.
Returning later to the U.S., he served as editor for the "Florida Outdoors Magazine" wrote free-lance features for sport diving and sport fishing magazines throughout the country, and for the last 20 years has contributed articles on these subjects as Editor-At-Large for the "Florida Sportsman Magazine".
Over the years Burgess has written and published over twenty books on such subjects as sharks, shipwrecks, underwater archaeology, treasure diving, cave diving, travel, and Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
(whom he met in Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
during that author's last Pamplona fiesta).
In January 1994, Scuba Schools International
Scuba Schools International
Scuba Schools International or SSI is an organization that teaches the skills involved in scuba diving and supports Dive Businesses and Dive Resorts.SSI has well over 2,500 authorized dealers and 35 Regional Centers and Area Offices all over the World....
awarded Robert Burgess their most prestigious award, given only to divers with verified log books who have met or exceeded all their requirements, including at least 5,000 dives, to achieve the elite SSI rating of Platinum Pro 5000 Diver.
Robert F. Burgess lives in north Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where he continues to write magazine articles and books.
Fiction
- The Mystery of Mound Key - 1966
- A Time For Tigers - 1968
- Where Condors Fly - 1968
Non-fiction
- The International Diners Phrase Book - 1965
- Sinkings, Salvages And Shipwrecks - 1970
- The Sharks - 1970
- Exploring A Coral Reef - 1972
- Ships Beneath The Sea - 1975
- The Cave Divers - 1976
- Gold, Galleons And Archaeology: The History Of The 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet And The True Story Of The Great Florida Treasure Find (with Carl Clausen) - 1976
- They Found Treasure - 1977
- The Man Who Rode Sharks (coauthored with Bill Royal) - 1978
- Man: 12,000 Years Under The Sea, A Story Of Underwater Archaeology - 1980
- Secret Languages Of The Sea - 1981
- Florida's Golden Galleons : The Search For The 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet - 1982
- Handbook Of Trailer Sailing - 1984
- Sunken Treasure: Six Who Found Fortunes - 1988
- Diving Off The Beaten Track - 1995
- Hemingway's Paris And Pamplona, Then And Now (A Memoir) - 2001
- Moving To Majorca - 2001