Book Review: The Man Who Filmed Nessie by Angus Dinsdale

Truly excellent book on a largely forgotten Loch Ness Monster researcher

This is not so much a book about the Loch Ness Monster (although it does form part of the story) as it is about the man who got a film of Nessie in 1960, Tim Dinsdale, a former aeronautic engineer who gave up that career to chase monsters. It is a loving biography written by his youngest son which details Tim's early life in China and emigration to England as a young boy. Tim read an article in True Magazine in 1959 about the mysterious creatures of Loch Ness which prompted him to take journeys from his home in England north to Scotland (within driving distance) taking all kinds of equipment with him, including specialized cameras and lights and all kinds of supplies. He eventually began using a boat, using the boat to drift in the Loch with his camera set up. In April of 1960, before he got a boat, he filmed a possible Nessie creature from the shore. He also took a second film of a boat in the same location about an hour later for comparison and the object he filmed was different and larger than the boat. He took part in several Nessie hunts and expeditions and even lectured at different schools and colleges and other functions in England and Edinburgh. He did have other sightings of Nessie, but never again got it on film. He worked with several organizations including the Academy of Applied Sciences (headed by Robert Rines) and one individual used an autogyro to fly over the Loch searching for the creature. The author and his family would accompany Tim on some of his expeditions and even help out on occasion with technical aspects. Tim lived a rich full life, and when he passed away in 1987, he had gained more fame than he expected because of his film. All in all, this book is really a wonderful read and a tremendously entertaining biography. I give this one a 10 out of 10.