Customer Reviews

The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My daughter had several books from this series but was missing the shark edition. This is a great book and even though it is outdated, it still contains excellent information. Jacques Cousteau broke ground with his sea exploration and this is a good read.

One of my proudest possessions is a personal letter from Jacques Cousteau which is framed and hangs on the wall of my study. Cousteau was more than just a great man and his books are a testament to his pioneering work involving so many different aspect of the sea and everything about the sea.

For many years the Shark was perceived as everything that was evil and frightening as far as the sea was concerned. No book about this splendid creature was complete without that section on Shark Attack. Not even the Lions from Africa plains or the North American Grizzly Bear got such a fearful press. Today, of course, the Shark is endangered and - suddenly!, we are all worried about the Great White and it's other equally magnificent cousins.

But take another look at this book's title. This book was fist published in 1970 and even then Jacques Cousteau referred to this creature as a "Splendid Savage." He uses those words in pretty much the same way as, say, a Victorian explorer might have described the people from a newly discovered tribe found deep in the Amazon jungle or wherever. That title is just another indication of how Cousteau's thinking was so far ahead of it's time.

The content is, therefore, relevant to the modern diver from the 21st Century. As with all the books in this series, it is a good read and I can only suggest all serious divers add a copy to their bookshelf before it finally becomes unavailable.

NM

In this book scientific discovery underlines an exotic adventure that takes the reader into a world of beauty and danger. Many of the frequently asked questions regarding sharks are answered, such as how it feels to encounter large sharks with only a camera, or if there is any defense against a shark attack, or why do sharks die if taken from the sea.

Writes Phillipe Cousteau, "His (the shark's) entire form is fluid, weaving from side to side; his head moves slowly from left to right, right to left, timed to the rhythm of his speed through the water. Only the eye is fixed, focused on me, cricling withinn the orbit of the head, in order not to lose sight for a fraction of a second of his prey or, perhaps, his enemy... His silent circling is a ballet governed by untraceable mchansisms. The blue tranquility of his form surrounds me with the sensation of a web of muderous yet beautiful force."

This 1970 book tells about the Cousteau expedition to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and other waters. They uncovered marine fossils in the mountains of Malagasy. Their adventures were filmed to be shown on the television screens of the world. There were many financial obstacles, problems of research and documentation, the efforts of thousands of dives, and the weather problems at sea. Chapter 1 tells why the great blue shark is the most beautiful of all sharks. It is one of the most dangerous, and never runs in packs. Sharks fascinate people. This chapter tells about the 130-foot `Calypso' and the crew. There are many creatures in the sea that can kill a man (Chapter 2).

Chapter 3 tells of "the perfect killer", the long-armed open sea sharks. Sharks can detect pressure changes in water and have a keen sense of smell. Sharks often prey on mammals (Chapter 4). Dolphins can attack and kill sharks. Sharks attack dolphins for food. The killer whale is the most dangerous. Beating the water with your hands or crying out in the water will cause an attack by a shark (p.66). The odor of dead sharks repels other sharks (p.75). Chapter 6 explains how sharks are tagged. These Red Sea sharks are mostly territorial, staying in one place. Sharks can attack suddenly without warning. Chapter 7 tells how a shark attacked a dummy diver. A rubber diving suit offers no protection. Sharks do not usually eat carrion unless they are hungry (p.105). Sharks can preserve food in their stomachs for long periods (p.108). They did not find any device that would repel sharks.

Chapters 8, 9, and 10 tell of their experiences in the Red Sea (Derraka). A pack of small sharks present a danger to divers (p.141). The Shab Arab Reef protects small fish and attracts sharks. A feeding frenzy occurs. Divers were attacked by tiny isopods that bit off minute particles of flesh (p.192). Chapter 11 describes their meeting with a whale shark, the largest fish in the world. It eats plankton. There are various legends about sharks. Primitive peoples respected sharks because they feared them (p.212). Chapter 12 tells how sharks are studied by ringing a bell for feeding. The conclusions on shark behavior are in Chapter 13. All sharks are dangerous, large or small (p.236). Fear of a shark can provoke an attack (p.237). They offer practical advice about avoiding a shark attack (pp.239-240). Appendix B has drawings of ships, sharks, and their equipment.

part of a three volume set, ISBN 0884860175, this book brings information in the form of superb color and b&w photos, crisp text, and the same illluminating presentations that marked cousteau's National Geographic films. This book uncovers some of our near total ignorance of sharks while maintaing a curious and non judgemental point of vantage

Although Cousteaus arn't marine biologists, the book does a fine job of describing their adventures underwater with sharks. Some of the stories depict courageous acts and an enthusiasm for underwater adventure that make the book engaging. There has been better and more scientific studies more recently on sharks of course, but this book is worth having in you library if you are interested in the subject. The illustrations by Jean-charles Roux are excellent. The photographs are good. This book is also certainly a history too: a history of the popularization of our excursion into the underwater world by the Custeaus. Not a five star because it is dated, but five star in most other respects.
If you were to collect the whole collection I would think it would be quite a good set at that.

and here i was thinking that i had a hard-to-find book. it didn't take me long to finish this book written by jacques and his son phillipe cousteau.it is a journal of their journey studying sharks.a very detailed account of their studies with their crew and worthwhile to learn more about sharks.eventhough this was written some time ago,it should still be used as a good reference.i learned alot about sharks that i hadn't already known,as well about other aspects of the ocean.it was nice to hear more about the whale shark,and i hadn't heard about sea mosquitoes until now.so,especially at those prices,buy this book if you are interested in oceanography,sharks,diving and just the ocean in general.good and knowledgable book.

In this book scientific discovery underlines an exotic adventure that takes the reader into a world of beauty and danger. Many of the frequently asked questions regarding sharks are answered, such as how it feels to encounter large sharks with only a camera, or if there is any defense against a shark attack, or why do sharks die if taken from the sea.

Writes Phillipe Cousteau, "His (the shark's) entire form is fluid, weaving from side to side; his head moves slowly from left to right, right to left, timed to the rhythm of his speed through the water. Only the eye is fixed, focused on me, cricling withinn the orbit of the head, in order not to lose sight for a fraction of a second of his prey or, perhaps, his enemy... His silent circling is a ballet governed by untraceable mchansisms. The blue tranquility of his form surrounds me with the sensation of a web of muderous yet beautiful force."