Who: Brad Matsen

What: A reading from his book, “Jacques Cousteau: The Sea King.”

When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at Books by the Way

About the book: Brad Matsen, the prolific Island author who only recently authored “Titanic’s Last Secrets: The Heroic Discovery of the Abyss,” has penned another book centered on his fascination with the sea.

This time, though, Matsen’s subject is a man who spent his life in the ocean’s mysterious, watery realm.

The book, “Jacques Cousteau: The Sea King” is a portrait of the life and times of one of the most famous underwater explorers of all time.

Throughout his long career, Cousteau changed the way people thought about the sea by making more than 100 documentaries, 50 books and several television series — most famously, “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau.”

But behind the scenes, Cousteau was touched by tragedy — his son Philippe was killed in an accident at sea in 1979. His life was also filled with intrigue and personal problems almost reminiscent of a soap opera — a longtime mistress and second family revealed after the death of his wife, and a bitter family feud that continues to this day.

Matsen’s portrait of Cousteau ­— culled from exhaustive research and interviews—brings together both the professional and personal sides of a passionate and revered advocate for the sea.