Book Review: Monsters of the Sea

Monsters of the Sea by Richard Ellis

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
The research that goes into this book is incredible. Myths and rumors about sea monsters that go back centuries are explored in great detail and shown how over time, they were debunked. The author even includes drawings showing very believable reasoning for why a certain known animal was mistaken for some kind of sea monster. Up until the chapter on sharks, the book is a great resource on aquatic legend.



It's during the shark chapter, though, that it goes downhill. For one, there are no great myths about sharks except that they are man-eaters. Nobody ever thought they were a serpent or weird creature at the time uncatalogued in the annals of science. It's the one myth about their human dietary leanings that the author focuses on, and spends far too much time discussing conservation efforts. The rest of the book is very objective when discussing even animals such as whales, but for some reason the shark section is a sore spot for the author and he goes to great pains to convince the reader of their majesty. Oh, and he throws in a little bit about Megalodon, the ancient shark behemoth of which we only have teeth to measure its possible size. The conclusion, as well, is too out of sync with the rest of the book, and so while I would say it's wonderful to read, just stop before the last two sections and you will have a better appreciation for it.


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