Surfer and photographer Don James, who has been called "the premier photographer of surfing," captures the beach culture of Southern California before the Second World War. This photographic collection of the author and his friends lounging on the beach and surfing the waves evokes nostalgia for a simpler time.This beautiful--and educational--book taps into the endless fascination that ocean waves hold for people worldwide, even those who don't live near a coastline. With page after page of stunning photos, it is a one-of-a-kind collection of wave phenomena, together with scientific background on the interaction between land and sea. 143 color photos.