Francisco Ferreras Books

Francisco Ferrer navigated a tempestuous world of anarchist assassins, radical republican conspirators, anticlerical rioters, and freethinking educators to establish the legendary Escuela Moderna and the Modern School movement that his martyrdom propelled around the globe. This is the first historical reader to gather together his writings on rationalist education, revolutionary violence, and the general strike (most translated into English for the first time) and put them into conversation with the letters, speeches, and articles of his comrades, collaborators, and critics.

The sea was our common home, and I felt our connection went back a very long way -- to a time that predated man's emergence from the water. In 1996, Francisco "Pipín" Ferreras, a Cuban free diving champion, met Audrey Mestre, a French marine biology student, in Cabo San Lucas. Their immediate romance was fueled by a shared passion for the ocean. After moving to Miami, Audrey joined the sport and quickly broke the female world record at 115 meters. Together, they became a powerful duo in free diving, pushing their limits through training and competition. However, on October 12, 2002, tragedy struck during Audrey's attempt to break the world record with a dive of 170 meters off the Dominican Republic coast, resulting in her death. Pipín was left haunted by questions and grief, struggling to find solace in the sea that had once been his refuge. For the first time, he shares his story, detailing the thrilling adventures and fierce rivalries of free diving, along with the controversies that followed him, particularly after Audrey's passing. He also recounts the complex and intense love story between them, exploring the depths of their relationship marked by passion and obsession.

In 1996, Francisco "Pipín" Ferreras, a native Cuban and a world champion in the dangerous and controversial sport of free diving, met Audrey Mestre, a beautiful French marine biology student. A passionate romance immediately bloomed between the two, and their love was bonded by a shared fascination with and devotion to the ocean. They soon became free diving's power couple, testing the limits of their wills and bodies by descending to unthinkable depths. Then, on October 12, 2002, in a dive off the coast of the Dominican Republic, tragedy struck: Audrey's attempt to break the world record of 170 meters ended in her death. Now, for the first time, Pipín tells his story. He shares the heart-pounding adventure and fierce competition that fuel the sport of free diving and his own addiction to it. He addresses the controversy that has followed him throughout his career and that spun out of control after Audrey's death. And he relates the haunting story of his relationship with Audrey -- a unique and complicated tale of love and obsession taken to extreme depths.