Shark Books

Although this book came out in the 1970s it is still one of the most important and influential research documents of it's type. Indeed, it is now considered mandatory reading and it's easy to see why. American naval scientist H.David Baldridge became a key figure in the area of shark research when he established the International Shark Attack File back in the late 50s and early 60s. This fascinating, easy to read book succeeds on all levels. It is filled with interesting facts and figures , theories and stories. Entertaining and very educational. Give sharks a Chance !

This is one of the best books out on shark fishing. Most of the material is original and not found elsewhere. He lays out exactly how to do it. What separates this book from others is the detail. Fred Archer is the real deal and his books are great.

The seventh collection of a truly original comic strip. Imagine a Great White shark and his mate paling around with an erudite sea turtle, a cranky hermit crab, various fish and even a tropical polar bear. All this takes place in a small lagoon on a tropical island. An unusual cast and setting, but it works (I am convinced that it helped to inspire Disney's Finding Nemo).

In this new volume we encounter such story arcs as:

Sherman becomes a cartoonist
The Lagoon Tribune
An underwater Renaissance fair
Hawthorne's Coffee Shop
Fillmore Reads every book in existence
A NYC sewer alligator visits the lagoon
Megan's cable cooking show

Lots of laughs from this wonderful cast of characters. Check out the earlier volumes as well.

This is a short book of surf stories--non ficition. Quotes, quips,observations--they all come out of a male gonzo mindset. Screamingly funny stuff. Sex drugs and waves. You can't read this thing without laughing. If you are a male it will remind you of what it was to be 15, 16, 17, in summer time--half crazy, every cell in your body on fire, a really neat time of life--even if you never surfed and live somewhere in idaho and have never seen a seagull. It's a perfect little book!

When I first looked at this book, I was captivated by the large, colorful photos. I've been a fishing enthusiast since childhood, and have often wondered about big game fishing. I came to the book knowing little to nothing about shark fishing, and walked away feeling like I have a thorough education and could really do this thing. Even if you don't ever plan to hunt sea monsters, if you love fishing there's plenty to learn from this book. It is colorful, attractive, and offers step-by-step guidelines that will be helpful to both novice and experienced anglers. Also makes a great gift or coffee table book; that's where mine is, and is always admired by my guests.

In 1838 Wiki Coffin enjoys his work as the linguist with the U.S. Exploring Expedition though he knows that long stretches along the Atlantic are boring and seemingly endless. Besides being the official translator to the seven vessel research project, he also does anything else his friend former Vincennes Captain George Rochester needs doing to keep the exploration running smooth. However, since Commander Wilkes demoted George to the rank of midshipman, Wiki is considering returning home.

Wilkes dispatches the Swallow headed by Lieutenant Forsythe with Wiki aboard to take a look at allegedly uninhabited Ilha Tubarao which is Portuguese for Shark Island. The crew finds the distressed sealer Annawan taking in water after hitting the reef near the island. Wilkes wonders if these sailors claiming to be out of Connecticut are pirates as there are no seals in the equatorial zone. Not long after the naval crew of the Swallow and Wiki board the damaged ship, the murdered corpse of Annawan's Captain Reed is found with the evidence clearly pointing towards Lieutenant Forsythe as the culprit. Though he detests Forsythe and knows first hand how violent and abusive the lieutenant is, Wiki believes he did not commit the homicide and sets out to prove who did.

SHARK ISLAND, the sequel to fabulous WATERY GRAVE, is an excellent historical mystery that uses as the setting of the real U.S. Exploring Expedition of 1838. The who-done-it is cleverly devised so that the audience like most of the sailors leans heavily towards Forsythe as the killer. The hero courageously investigates in spite of loathing the prime culprit. However, although the homiceide case is fun to follow, the seafaring scientific expedition makes this must reading for historical fans.

Harriet Klausner

This book is very engaging yet easy to read. It has lots of good science content.

For more information about the story, check out the reviews of "Find Me"

This particular edition is large format, with nicely imbossed art work on the cover. I have no idea wht the marketing idea is for changing the title for the European edition, except perhaps to attract suckers like me who must have everything from this author.

But this title, as a summary of the story, is just as good as "Find Me"

In this short book, Robinson does a fantastic job of telling the story of the CSS Alabama: the globetrotting privateer of the Confederacy that attacked U.S. shipping interests from Canada to France to Brazil to China. In a very readable style, he gives an overview of how the South chartered privateers and how the North reacted before delving into the construction and history of the Alabama. He also does a good analysis of the actual impact the ship and its comrades had on U.S. shipping interests around the world. All in all, a top-rate look at one of the most infamous ships of the Civil War.

This is a tightly-written account of a boatful of amateur sailors who, through their own lack of vigilance, find themselves caught in a storm at sea. The threat of death can put love into perspective, but sometimes the result isn't what we might've wanted. The story hooked me immediately, and held me to the end. Excellent read.

Susan O'Neill, author,
Don't Mean Nothing: Short Stories of Viet Nam
(and various Amazon Shorts)