The Eloquence of the Sardine

The Eloquence of the Sardine The Secret Life of Fish & Other Underwater Mysteries

Paperback (17 Aug 2023)

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Publisher's Synopsis

Humans have identified just a fraction of the 2.2 million species living in the sea. Roughly 91% of all marine species remain unknown: myths still to be written, discoveries still to be made, blank pages with room to dream . . .

As a small boy, Bill François was frightened of deep water. Until a chance encounter with the elusive sardine set him on course for a life in marine science: a mission to better understand, and preserve, the underwater world, to find his place in that ecosystem and learn how to converse harmoniously with the ocean.

In a series of exquisitely rendered vignettes of marine life, François invites us on a whistle-stop global tour to reveal the mysteries of the sea, beginning with the simple eloquence of the sardine. He unpicks the sound of the sea - an underwater symphony orchestra voiced by a choir of fish - and deciphers the latest scientific discoveries on the immunity of coral and the changing gender of wrasses. We visit the depths of underwater Paris as François delves into the mysterious world of the eel and explore an extraordinary three-generational friendship between humans and killer whales, and the role a shoal of herrings played in Cold War tensions.

Throughout, François effortlessly brings the inner workings of fish to life - their language, their emotions, their societal rituals. He also makes a case for why we should look to the sea for inspiration for improving society and investigates the shocking journey from sea to plate.

Drawing on history, myth and legend, but always grounded in science, The Eloquence of the Sardine will change the way you think about the sea in the most poetic of ways.

About the Publisher

Constable

Constable

Recently acquired by Little, Brown Book Group, Constable publishes a diverse range of bestselling fiction and non-fiction titles. Notable is Constable's superb crime list, with MC Beaton at the forefront of the beloved 'cosy crime' genre with her bestselling Hamish McBeth and Agatha Raisin series. Constable also boasts a strong non-fiction section, publishing the likes of HRH Princess Michael of Kent and bestselling parody We're Going on a Bar Hunt.

Book information

ISBN: 9781472134059
Publisher: Little, Brown
Imprint: Constable
Pub date:
DEWEY: 578.77
DEWEY edition: 23
Language: English
Number of pages: 208
Weight: 188g
Height: 127mm
Width: 198mm
Spine width: 17mm