Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound [Hardcover]

David Rothenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2008

Whale song is an astonishing world of sound whose existence no one suspected before the 1960s. Its discovery has forced us to confront the possibility of alien intelligence-not in outer space but right here on earth. Thoughtful, richly detailed, and deeply entertaining, Thousand Mile Song uses the enigma of whale sounds to open up whales’ underwater world of sonic mystery. In observing and talking with leading researchers from around the globe as they attempt to decipher undersea music, Rothenberg tells the story of scientists and musicians confronting an unknown as vast as the ocean. His search culminates in a grand attempt to make interspecies music the likes of which no one has ever heard (until, that is, they listen to the accompanying CD), by playing his clarinet with whales in their native habitats, from Russia to Canada to Hawaii.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Biologists know that whale songs, which may carry for hundreds of miles, change over time and are passed on from one generation to the next, but they don't fully understand what these complex sounds are for. Philosopher and musician Rothenberg (Why Birds Sing) proposes that music played by humans can help us find answers. He tested this theory by playing his clarinet into an underwater speaker and recording the whales' responses on an underwater hydrophone. His intriguing book includes sonograms and a CD demonstrating that the orcas, belugas and humpbacks he played for seemed to interact with his music. He also includes much information about whales and accounts of attempts to discover rhythm, shape and form in their songs; colorful descriptions of the whale scientists he has worked with; and a chapter on composers who have incorporated whale songs in their pieces. As Rothenberg points out, it was a recording of whale songs in the 1970s that led to the whale conservation movement. His paean to the beautiful music these great mammals make should lend further support to attempts to save the whales at a time when they are increasingly threatened. Illus. and CD. (May)
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* “Maybe music is part of nature itself”—a hypothesis philosopher and musician Rothenberg has put to the test in his quest to create interspecies music. He recapped his avian adventures in Why Birds Sing (2005) and now recounts his far more complicated meetings with whales. A warmly inquisitive writer who makes technical information as entertaining as tales about nude whale watchers, Rothenberg tells remarkably dramatic and funny stories of his musical encounters with whales in Chicago, British Columbia, Hawaii, and Karelia, Russia (a breathtaking CD accompanies the book). He also revisits a neglected chapter of the environmental movement: the electrifying impact of the first recordings of the haunting songs of humpback whales released in 1970. Rothenberg meticulously analyzes the “long, epic rhymes” of the humpbacks, “sperm whale click trains,” and the “cacophonous free jazz of belugas and the kinship whistles of orcas,” explaining how whale songs change, travel great distances, and embody emotion. Rothenberg’s unique study is particularly sharp in its analysis of the mysticism whales evoke and the findings and blind spots of scientific inquiries. As he rekindles whale awe, Rothenberg calls for a revitalized commitment to protecting these “great singers of the sea.” --Donna Seaman

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465071287
• ISBN-13: 978-0465071289
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,235,602 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am a writer, musician, and philosopher, most interested in how humanity is connected with the natural world. I have explored this connection in music and words, in recordings, books, lectures and performances.

You can look at my four websites for more information:

www.davidrothenberg.net
www.survivalofthebeautiful.com
www.whybirdssing.com
www.thousandmilesong.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars many thousands of miles for a song, May 7, 2008

By 

Andy Ridinger (Hurst, Texas /Maui, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound (Hardcover)

David has written a unique narrative of someone who is deeply and spiritually connected to nature and the animal world. His previous book on the songs of birds and why they sing as they do is one of the best in the literature on avian song, and this latest book goes beyond the scope of that book with a musical and mystical adventure into the obscure and mysterious world of the great whales. As one who has been fascinated with interspecies communication since reading John Lilly's books back in the 60's and 70's, I was impressed with David's approach to learning what it is to try and breach the void between the two most intelligent species on the planet.
He combines the best discoveries of science and technology with a musician's understanding of the primeval common ground that exists in rhythm and sound, across all cultures and extending into the animal kingdom as well. He was willing to take some risks and tick off some activist and naturalist allies to get where he wanted to go with his search, and I think it paid off handsomely in the results and insight we can all gain from his book. The individuals he sought out in his extensive researching are among the foremost authorities in the field of cetacean studies, and he was able to harvest a wealth of both fact and opinion from them. The audio CD included with the book is an outstanding compilation of his attempts to participate in the making of oceanic music and on its own worth the price of his book. I highly recommend The Thousand Mile Song to anyone who wants to further their own insights into the essential nature of music, sound, and whale culture.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful perspective, July 24, 2008

By 

P. Rumball-petre (Simi,CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound (Hardcover)

The Thousand MIle Song is a wonderful perspective of Whales from their songs. The CD included in the book creates a great multimedia experience. The author writes with a loose style that is engaging throughout the book. I never got bored. For parts of the book I listened to the CD while reading. That was fun!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying Read, July 7, 2008

By 

GM (KY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound (Hardcover)

I bought this book after hearing it described on a radio program. I'm very satisfied. Lately, I have trouble finding anything to hold my interest, but that was not a problem with this book.

Overall, I found it a good blend of science, whimsy, and environmentalism.