The Deep Atlantic: Life, Death, and Exploration in the Abyss

I've enjoyed everything I've read by Ellis, and this is no exception. Like his other books, this one too seems to suffer from some mediocre editing, but the content more than makes up for it. The book is basically split into two sections, one describing the oceonography of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as a history of human exploration of the murky depths. The second section, which i found to be the more interesting of the two, is a broad survey of the animal life found in the deep areas of the Atlantic Ocean (and hence the title). I wish he was able to go into more detail about some of the bizarre and amazing animals that he discusses, and I wish that he could have included even more of his wonderful drawings, but despite those reservations, I still thought the book was great.

I've been fascinated by deep sea life ever since I was in Kindergarten, when my teacher showed me a picture of a Gulper Eel. This is also great book for sparking a similar interest in deep sea creatures, no matter what your age. The detailed illustrations draw you into the pitch-black world where these remarkable creatures reside. The text is precise and informative, however I found the author relied heavily on too many footnotes. This made reading seem "choppy," and took away from the overall flow. I found myself frequently getting lost referencing footnotes, and having to back up to re-read portions. But overall it's very informative, and the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous! Definately a conversation starter if left on the coffee table!

I have read this book twice and it is alwayse fascinating. The drawings are wonderfull.

Richard Ellis does the world a favor by showing us all the mystery and magic our Earth still has to offer. The seemingly oblivious hordes scurrying across the wind-swept heights should stop and pause for a moment, and consider the strange reality of the cold ocean depths.

This title has sparked intense curiosity in everyone I've shown it to. Its accessible text and elegant illustrations make it an ideal book for the general science reader. I've shown it to the most unlikely people - my four-year-olds, my teenaged nephew, my grandmother - and had them sit and read for an hour. (In the case of our twins, the illustrations sparked a whole set of heroes and villains this year at the beach.)