Monsters of the Sea

Richard Ellis has written a fantastic book! It is thorougly researched and accurate, yet does not read like a textbook. The chapters are the perfect length - long enough to cover the subject in detail, but not so long that the reader loses interest. Reading this makes you realize how little we landbound humans know about what really goes on in the depths of the sea. Can we really say conclusively that there is no such thing as a sea serpent? Ellis presents every viewpoint - could have been a whale, could have been a squid...but maybe...who knows?

I've been interested in marine-biology and cryptozoology for years but plan never to take that road in life... my interest is still fed though, by masterpieces like this... an amazing, fun, and non-stodgy piece of non-fiction.

One of the best works I've ever read about the ocean's most mysterious monsters and the real animals behind the myths. In an eloquent, well structured and entertaining compilation, Ellis introduces us to larger-than-life creatures that frightened both mariners of centuries past and audiences of theater and movies. Then he takes us on a voyage of discovery as he reviews the available facts and natural history to explain the equally amazing animals responsible for these fantastic accounts. Informative and thought provoking, this book grasps the interest of both the believer and the skeptic, and encourages us to instill in ourselves not only prudence and responsibility in scientific exploration, but also a sense of childlike wonder in the mysteries of the unknown.

"A delightful and learned adventure in cryptozoology (the study of hidden life forms) including the Leviathan, the Sea Serpent, the Kraken, the Blob, and the Globster)." NEW YORK TIMES "ELLIS'S REVIEW OF THE SUBJECT IS MASTERFUL, CLEVERLY ILLUSTRATED, AND UP-TO-DATE." Scientific American