The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World

Author:   Patrik Svensson ,  Alex Wyndham ,  Agnes Broomé
Publisher:   HarperCollins
ISBN:  

9781094156293


Publication Date:   05 May 2020
Format:   Audio  Audio Format
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
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The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World


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Overview

"Part H Is for Hawk, part The Soul of an Octopus, The Book of Eels is both a meditation on the world's most elusive fish--the eel--and a reflection on the human condition. Remarkably little is known about the European eel, Anguilla anguilla. So little, in fact, that scientists and philosophers have, for centuries, been obsessed with what has become known as the ""eel question"" Where do eels come from? What are they? Are they fish or some other kind of creature altogether? Even today, in an age of advanced science, no one has ever seen eels mating or giving birth, and we still don't understand what drives them, after living for decades in freshwater, to swim great distances back to the ocean at the end of their lives. They remain a mystery. Drawing on a breadth of research about eels in literature, history, and modern marine biology, as well as his own experience fishing for eels with his father, Patrik Svensson crafts a mesmerizing portrait of an unusual, utterly misunderstood, and completely captivating animal. In The Book of Eels, we meet renowned historical thinkers, from Aristotle to Sigmund Freud to Rachel Carson, for whom the eel was a singular obsession. And we meet the scientists who spearheaded the search for the eel's point of origin, including Danish marine biologist Johannes Schmidt, who led research efforts in the early twentieth century, catching thousands upon thousands of eels, in the hopes of proving their birthing grounds in the Sargasso Sea. Blending memoir and nature writing at its best, Svensson's journey to understand the eel becomes an exploration of the human condition that delves into overarching issues about our roots and destiny, both as humans and as animals, and, ultimately, how to handle the biggest question of all: death. The result is a gripping and slippery narrative that will surprise and enchant."

Full Product Details

Author:   Patrik Svensson ,  Alex Wyndham ,  Agnes Broomé
Publisher:   HarperCollins
Imprint:   HarperCollins
Dimensions:   Width: 14.50cm , Height: 1.50cm , Length: 14.70cm
Weight:   0.159kg
ISBN:  

9781094156293


ISBN 10:   1094156299
Publication Date:   05 May 2020
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Audio
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock   Availability explained
We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately.

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Patrik Svensson is an arts and culture journalist at Sydsvenskan newspaper. He lives with his family in Malmö, Sweden. The Gospel of Eels is his first book. Alex Wyndham, an Oxford University and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art graduate, is a narrator and voice talent who can be heard on Apple TV campaigns and Discovery Channel documentaries. He also has a successful screen career and has starred in several BBC and HBO shows, including the Emmy-winning Little Dorrit and Rome, and in films including Kenneth Branagh's As You Like It.

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