Customer Reviews

In the wake of the sea-serpents;

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

 

 

Very detailed, fascinating review through about 1965 of "sea serpent" sightings. Heuvelmans finally did computer analysis of the sightings and arrived at seven different types, all unrecognized by science, including three archaeocetaceans, two pinnipeds, a giant eel and a large crocodile-like reptile. This book is strictly about marine animals and doesn't include fresh water animals like the Loch Ness monster. The english version is a combined translation of two books in French, one about the giant squid and the other about sea serpents. I have been hoping that Heuvelmans will update this book but so far he hasn't.

Heuvelmans book has been heavily used and abused since it first came out in English condensation in 1968. It remains the comprehensive historical treatment of two sea monster phenomena: giant squids and sea serpents.

This book is well worth 5 stars but it has its limitations. This is not a negative criticism merely a statement of fact. It doesn't cover all types of reported sea monster (there are many) and naturally it stops in 1968. Some of Heuvelmans interpretations and conclusions should be open for debate (notably his historical framework for the origin of the Kraken and sea serpent and his classifying of sea serpent types).

Unfortunately many books (but not all) published on this topic since then have been abstracts of this work offering little more by way of material, methods or conclusions. Time to move on, marine cryptozoologists...

This, and its companion volume, "On the Track of Unknown Animals" are the foundation works of cryptozoology, and even today perhaps the best "reads" in the whole field. Very few have prepared so long or so carefully in writing on this subject. The book is richly illustrated with many black and white photos as well as reproductions of dozens of original witness sketches.

The best on the subject I've come across. Dozen of other books are just quotes from this book. A must read for all interested in the subject. I just wish that it would be update, but so far it wasn't.

One of the great books on Fortean phenomena, incredibly researched, documented, and well-written - Mr. Heuvelman's shares the original source material (i.e. letters, news articles, ship logs, interviews, etc.) and these first-hand accounts are what convince me of the honesty of most of the observers of the Great Sea Serpent. And the book is voluminous (like, 600+ pages, dude) - Heuvelman's scoured the libraries and naval records of most of the European imperial powers to find here-to-fore unprinted or unknown accounts. Gives a comprehensive telling of the New England Sea Serpent stories of the early 1800s. No stone unturned. Highly recommended, even if you don't agree with his conclusions - a "super-otter?" And if one possible identity of the reports is a giant pleisiasaur-like long necked seal, then I'm thinking they should be surfacing to breathe more often - but hey, the oceans a big place!
Yep - this one is one of my treasures.

But if I love it, why only 3 stars? Because Mr. Heuvelmans falls into the intellectual trap of becoming an advocate of a certain position, rather than making an unbiased analysis of the subject. He tries to be objective, but in the end he fails. This is something I often do, as does 99% of the population. Now, the positive. As someone else mention, the vast majority of stuff written since this book has basically just been direct cuts and pastes from his book. Some facts change, (I think he vastly overestimates weights of the giant squid, I need to double check that) but his theories remain the best anyone else has come up with yet.

Simply the best book on marine cryptozoology.