biography

Mountaineer, diver, photographer, lecturer and author, JACK
JACKSON has travelled the remoter areas of the world since 1967,
both on his own account and as leader of scientific, cultural and
tourist expeditions.

Originally an Industrial Chemist working in the oil and photographic
film industries, Jack found the call of adventure and his love for
mountains too strong. So he gave it all up for expeditions in the
Himalayas, making a living from lecturing and photography. This in
turn led to wider fields of adventure.

Driving various four-wheel drive vehicles, he has made 23
expeditions in the Sahara Desert, and more than 170 expeditions
and journeys in the deserts, mountains, rainforests and seas of
Afghanistan, Algeria, America, Aruba, Bonaire, Borneo, Burkina
Faso, China, Cuba, Curaçao, Egypt, Ethiopia, Greece, Greenland,
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Ladakh, Lebanon,
Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Norway, Oman, Pakistan,
Philippines, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE,
Uzbekistan and The Yemen. He has also travelled widely on foot,
camel, mule and in Greenland by dog sledge. From 1975 to 1986
he spent seven months each year running a sport diving operation
and diving boat in the Sudanese Red Sea and has regularly toured
the world's best diving destinations ever since.

An award winning writer, Jack has won two book awards. He is the
author of "The Asian Highway", (Angus & Robertson 1979). "The
Four-Wheel Drive Book", the authoritative book on four-wheel drive
vehicles, their off-road and expedition use. First published in 1982
this book is now fully rewritten in its 8th printing and 4th edition
entitled "The Off-Road 4-Wheel Drive Book", (Haynes 1999,
reprinted 2000 (twice), 2003 & 2005). "The Dive Sites of Malaysia
& Singapore" and "The Dive Sites of the Philippines", (New Holland
1995, 2000, 2002 and 2006), both now in later editions as Globetrotter
Dive Guides. "The Dive Sites of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao", (New
Holland 2000, updated in 2001, 2002 and 2007), "Scuba Diving - The
essential guide to equipment and techniques", (New Holland 2000),
"COMPLETE DIVING MANUAL", (New Holland 2005) and
"International Diving Locations", a CD-ROM, (UGA Media 1996).
Jack is consultant and main contributor for "Top Dive Sites of The
World", (New Holland 1997, updated 2003 and 2007), consultant for "The
Underwater Photography Handbook", (New Holland 1998) and
consultant and main contributor for "Top Dive Sites of the Indian
Ocean", (New Holland 1999), "Diving with Sharks and other
Adventure Dives", (New Holland 2000) and "DIVING THE WORLD'S
CORAL REEFS" (New Holland 2005). Jack is consultant for "The
Photography Handbook", (New Holland 2003) and general editor of
"The World's Great ADVENTURE TREKS", (New Holland 2003) and
general editor and main contributor for the massive "DIVE ATLAS
OF THE WORLD", (New Holland 2003). Jack is contributor and
consultant editor of Diving With GIANTS”, (New Holland 2006) and
consultant editor of “TREKKING ATLAS OF THE WORLD - AN
ILLUSTRATED REFERENCE TO THE BEST TREKS”, (New Holland
2006). Jack is the editor and main contributor of “TOP WRECK DIVES
OF THE WORLD”, (New Holland 2007). Most of these books are now in
several languages and he is currently writing more titles.

Jack produces articles and photography for a wide variety of
magazines and Internet sites; specializing in travel, Third World
peoples, expedition terrain, four-wheel drive vehicles, the
underwater world, expedition and travel photography and
underwater photography.

An award winning photographer, Jack's work appears in Public
Museum and Aquarium exhibitions, is published regularly in major
books, magazines, newspapers and their weekend magazine
supplements worldwide and as Advertisements, Advertising
Hoardings, CD-ROMs, Calendars, Postcards, Cereal Packets and
inserts, Posters and Postage Stamps. He produces advertising
photography and articles for government tourist boards, advertising
agencies, equipment manufacturers and charter operators. Nikon
Cameras (UK) staged an exhibition of his underwater photography
in 1989. Similar exhibitions were on display at the NEC in
Birmingham at "DIVE 91" and "DIVE 96", British Airways, various
large bookshops and commercial venues, "Destinations 96" at
Olympia and the "London International Dive Shows 96, 97 and 99"
at Olympia.

In demand as a lecturer, Jack speaks on his adventures at venues
around the world, presents seminars on photography, underwater
photography and overland and desert travel, chairs overland, desert
and savannah workshops at expedition seminars and speaks at
travel seminars and international travel and dive shows.

A Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society, Jack is also a Fellow
of the Royal Geographical Society and a consultant to their
Expedition Advisory Centre, and a member of the Alpine Club the
Climbers' Club and the Scientific Exploration Society.