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  • Experts

Nature » Oceans

Most Recommended Books

The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts

“This book goes through the sequence of events that led us to today’s depleted ocean. It takes you back to a time when people believed the oceans were essentially inexhaustible…I should point out that he does take an optimistic outlook. He isn’t all doom and gloom. He lays out hundreds and hundreds of years of over-exploitation but he also lays out his manifesto for restoring some of that former glory. He doesn’t think it’s too late.”

Helen Scales, Biologist

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Blueback by Tim Winton

“Reading it for the first time, it perfectly captured how I feel when I’m in the ocean, when I’m exploring and diving and seeing things for myself. It’s about a boy called Abel Jackson who lives with his mother in an idyllic, wild part of Western Australia. Abel is always in the sea, and one day he meets and makes friends with a huge fish which he names Blueback. I found myself deeply wishing when I was a kid that I had made friends with a giant fish.”

Helen Scales, Biologist

Read more

Browse book recommendations:

Nature

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Our interviews on this subject focus largely on the problems faced by the world's oceans as an effect of man’s depredations. Recommended books include ones that look at overfishing and polluting to the detriment of many forms of marine life. The books chosen illustrate the complicated relationship between humans and the sea.

Geologist Jan Zalasiewicz chooses his best books on Anthropocene oceans and talks about what we can learn from studying the ocean floor. Meanwhile marine biologist Helen Scales talks about the joys of diving and how ocean life is threatened by humankind.

Travel writer and historian Philip Marsden and philosopher Denise Russell both chose their best books on the sea, focusing on humankind’s place on it. Marsden discusses the origins of the British Navy and Herman Melville, but argues that with the advance of technology, struggles with the ocean have fundamentally changed. The fish are in retreat because we’ve gotten too good at fishing. Denise Russell chooses books that discuss how this phenomenon is leading to the destruction of some human sea-based communities, such as the sea gypsies of south-east Asia.

She also discusses modern piracy. Historian Adrian Tinniswood chooses his best books about the old-fashioned kind of pirates of the Caribbean and the Barbary coast.

    The best books on Ocean Life, recommended by Helen Scales

  • Read
    The best books on Ocean Life - Lady With a Spear by Eugenie Clark

    1

    Lady With a Spear
    by Eugenie Clark

  • Read
    The best books on Ocean Life - Blueback by Tim Winton

    2

    Blueback
    by Tim Winton

  • Read
    The best books on Ocean Life - The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts

    3

    The Unnatural History of the Sea
    by Callum Roberts

  • Read
    The best books on Ocean Life - Four Fish by Paul Greenberg

    4

    Four Fish
    by Paul Greenberg

  • Read
    The best books on Ocean Life - The Rime of the Modern Mariner by Nick Hayes

    5

    The Rime of the Modern Mariner
    by Nick Hayes

  • The best books on Ocean Life - Lady With a Spear by Eugenie Clark
  • The best books on Ocean Life - Blueback by Tim Winton
  • The best books on Ocean Life - The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts
  • The best books on Ocean Life - Four Fish by Paul Greenberg
  • The best books on Ocean Life - The Rime of the Modern Mariner by Nick Hayes

The best books on Ocean Life, recommended by Helen Scales

We plunder the ocean for food, dump our waste in it, respect its wildlife less than land-based creatures. Why? Is it a case of “out of sight, out of mind”? Marine biologist Helen Scales tells us what’s down there and what we’re doing to it.

The best books on Ocean Life, recommended by Helen Scales

    The best books on Anthropocene Oceans, recommended by Jan Zalasiewicz

  • Read
    The best books on Anthropocene Oceans - Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

    1

    Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
    by Jules Verne

  • Read
    The best books on Anthropocene Oceans - The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson

    2

    The Sea Around Us
    by Rachel Carson

  • Read
    The best books on Anthropocene Oceans - Mapping the Deep by Robert Kunzig

    3

    Mapping the Deep
    by Robert Kunzig

  • Read
    The best books on Anthropocene Oceans - The Ocean of Life: The Fate of Man and the Sea by Callum Roberts

    4

    The Ocean of Life: The Fate of Man and the Sea
    by Callum Roberts

  • Read
    The best books on Anthropocene Oceans - Ponyo by Hayao Miyazaki

    5

    Ponyo
    by Hayao Miyazaki

  • The best books on Anthropocene Oceans - Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
  • The best books on Anthropocene Oceans - The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson
  • The best books on Anthropocene Oceans - Mapping the Deep by Robert Kunzig
  • The best books on Anthropocene Oceans - The Ocean of Life: The Fate of Man and the Sea by Callum Roberts
  • The best books on Anthropocene Oceans - Ponyo by Hayao Miyazaki

The best books on Anthropocene Oceans, recommended by Jan Zalasiewicz

Geologist Jan Zalasiewicz tells us about the danger posed to oceans by the Anthropocene – and how we can work together to protect them

The best books on Anthropocene Oceans, recommended by Jan Zalasiewicz

    The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds, recommended by Helen Scales

  • Read
    The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds - Between Sea and Sky by Nicola Penfold

    1

    Between Sea and Sky
    by Nicola Penfold

  • Read
    The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds - The Song That Sings Us by Nicola Davies

    2

    The Song That Sings Us
    by Nicola Davies

  • Read
    The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds - Blueback by Tim Winton

    3

    Blueback
    by Tim Winton

  • Read
    The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds - Nation by Terry Pratchett

    4

    Nation
    by Terry Pratchett

  • Read
    The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds - Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

    5

    Skin of the Sea
    by Natasha Bowen

  • The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds - Between Sea and Sky by Nicola Penfold
  • The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds - The Song That Sings Us by Nicola Davies
  • The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds - Blueback by Tim Winton
  • The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds - Nation by Terry Pratchett
  • The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds - Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen

The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds, recommended by Helen Scales

Marine biologist Helen Scales reflects on the power of stories to bring all kinds of readers into the ocean realm. She recommends books for children and young adults, and explains why her selection focuses on novels for readers age 10-14.

The Best Ocean Novels for 10-14 Year Olds, recommended by Helen Scales

    The best books on Tides and Shorelines, recommended by Adam Nicolson

  • Read
    The best books on Tides and Shorelines - The Tempest by William Shakespeare

    1

    The Tempest
    by William Shakespeare

  • Read
    The best books on Tides and Shorelines - Photographic Guide to the Sea & Shore Life of Britain & North-west Europe by Alex Rogers, Benedict Hextall & Ray Gibson

    2

    Photographic Guide to the Sea & Shore Life of Britain & North-west Europe
    by Alex Rogers, Benedict Hextall & Ray Gibson

  • Read
    The best books on Tides and Shorelines - The Presocratic Philosophers by G. S. Kirk, J. E. Raven & M. Schofield

    3

    The Presocratic Philosophers
    by G. S. Kirk, J. E. Raven & M. Schofield

  • Read
    The best books on Tides and Shorelines - Omphalos: An Attempt to Untie the Geological Knot by P. H. Gosse

    4

    Omphalos: An Attempt to Untie the Geological Knot
    by P. H. Gosse

  • Read
    The best books on Tides and Shorelines - Setting Foot on the Shores of Connemara and other writings by Tim Robinson

    5

    Setting Foot on the Shores of Connemara and other writings
    by Tim Robinson

  • The best books on Tides and Shorelines - The Tempest by William Shakespeare
  • The best books on Tides and Shorelines - Photographic Guide to the Sea & Shore Life of Britain & North-west Europe by Alex Rogers, Benedict Hextall & Ray Gibson
  • The best books on Tides and Shorelines - The Presocratic Philosophers by G. S. Kirk, J. E. Raven & M. Schofield
  • The best books on Tides and Shorelines - Omphalos: An Attempt to Untie the Geological Knot by P. H. Gosse
  • The best books on Tides and Shorelines - Setting Foot on the Shores of Connemara and other writings by Tim Robinson

The best books on Tides and Shorelines, recommended by Adam Nicolson

The tidal zone is among the most vital and dynamic environments on Earth, but also one of the least well known. Here, the author Adam Nicolson explores formative works on the subject that have informed his book, The Sea Is Not Made of Water.

The best books on Tides and Shorelines, recommended by Adam Nicolson

    The best books on The Sea, recommended by Philip Marsden

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

    1

    Moby-Dick
    by Herman Melville

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad

    2

    The Mirror of the Sea
    by Joseph Conrad

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - Seven Tenths by James Hamilton-Paterson

    3

    Seven Tenths
    by James Hamilton-Paterson

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - The Safeguard of the Sea by Nicholas Rodger

    4

    The Safeguard of the Sea
    by Nicholas Rodger

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - The Longshoreman by Richard Shelton

    5

    The Longshoreman
    by Richard Shelton

  • The best books on The Sea - Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
  • The best books on The Sea - The Mirror of the Sea by Joseph Conrad
  • The best books on The Sea - Seven Tenths by James Hamilton-Paterson
  • The best books on The Sea - The Safeguard of the Sea by Nicholas Rodger
  • The best books on The Sea - The Longshoreman by Richard Shelton

The best books on The Sea, recommended by Philip Marsden

The travel writer casts his net over books about the sea and comes up with a haul including Moby Dick and a naval history of Britain.

The best books on The Sea, recommended by Philip Marsden

    The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth, recommended by Tullis Onstott

  • Read
    The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth - Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

    1

    Journey to the Centre of the Earth
    by Jules Verne

  • Read
    The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth - Intelligent Life in the Universe by Carl Sagan & Iosif Shklovsky

    2

    Intelligent Life in the Universe
    by Carl Sagan & Iosif Shklovsky

  • Read
    The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth - The Universe Below by William Broad

    3

    The Universe Below
    by William Broad

  • Read
    The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth - A Traveler's Guide to Mars by William Hartmann

    4

    A Traveler's Guide to Mars
    by William Hartmann

  • Read
    The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth - The Living Cosmos by Chris Impey

    5

    The Living Cosmos
    by Chris Impey

  • The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth - Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
  • The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth - Intelligent Life in the Universe by Carl Sagan & Iosif Shklovsky
  • The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth - The Universe Below by William Broad
  • The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth - A Traveler's Guide to Mars by William Hartmann
  • The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth - The Living Cosmos by Chris Impey

The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth, recommended by Tullis Onstott

The ‘subterranaut’ describes how the discovery of ancient bacteria miles beneath the Earth’s surface opens the possibility of finding life on Mars. He picks five books that show how our knowledge of life deep in this planet could lead us to discover it elsewhere.

The best books on Life Below the Surface of the Earth, recommended by Tullis Onstott

    The best books on The Sea, recommended by Denise Russell

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - Cod by Mark Kurlansky

    1

    Cod
    by Mark Kurlansky

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - Dangerous Waters by John S Burnett

    2

    Dangerous Waters
    by John S Burnett

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - The Whale Warriors by Peter Heller

    3

    The Whale Warriors
    by Peter Heller

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - Outcasts of the Islands by Sebastian Hope

    4

    Outcasts of the Islands
    by Sebastian Hope

  • Read
    The best books on The Sea - The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts

    5

    The Unnatural History of the Sea
    by Callum Roberts

  • The best books on The Sea - Cod by Mark Kurlansky
  • The best books on The Sea - Dangerous Waters by John S Burnett
  • The best books on The Sea - The Whale Warriors by Peter Heller
  • The best books on The Sea - Outcasts of the Islands by Sebastian Hope
  • The best books on The Sea - The Unnatural History of the Sea by Callum Roberts

The best books on The Sea, recommended by Denise Russell

The Australian environmental philosopher discusses man’s interaction with the oceans – from whaling voyages and dynamite fishing to sea gypsies and the flourishing business of piracy

The best books on The Sea, recommended by Denise Russell

    The best books on Pirates, recommended by Adrian Tinniswood

  • Read
    The best books on Pirates - The Invisible Hook by Peter Leeson

    1

    The Invisible Hook
    by Peter Leeson

  • Read
    The best books on Pirates - Buccaneers of the Caribbean by Jon Latimer

    2

    Buccaneers of the Caribbean
    by Jon Latimer

  • Read
    The best books on Pirates - Barbary Legend: War, Trade, and Piracy in North Africa, 1415-1830 by Godfrey Fisher

    3

    Barbary Legend: War, Trade, and Piracy in North Africa, 1415-1830
    by Godfrey Fisher

  • Read
    The best books on Pirates - Britain and Barbary, 1589-1689 by Nabil Matar

    4

    Britain and Barbary, 1589-1689
    by Nabil Matar

  • Read
    The best books on Pirates - The Stolen Village by Des Ekin

    5

    The Stolen Village
    by Des Ekin

  • The best books on Pirates - The Invisible Hook by Peter Leeson
  • The best books on Pirates - Buccaneers of the Caribbean by Jon Latimer
  • The best books on Pirates - Barbary Legend: War, Trade, and Piracy in North Africa, 1415-1830 by Godfrey Fisher
  • The best books on Pirates - Britain and Barbary, 1589-1689 by Nabil Matar
  • The best books on Pirates - The Stolen Village by Des Ekin

The best books on Pirates, recommended by Adrian Tinniswood

People see in pirates what they want to see, says historian and author Adrian Tinniswood. He recommends five fascinating books about pirates.

The best books on Pirates, recommended by Adrian Tinniswood

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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