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The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean (2010)

by Susan Casey

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
9137823,033 (3.83)73
Investigates colossal ship-swallowing rogue waves and the surfers who seek them out. For centuries, mariners have spun tales of gargantuan waves, 100 feet high or taller. Until recently scientists dismissed these stories; waves that high would seem to violate the laws of physics. But in the past few decades, as a number of ships have vanished and new evidence has emerged, oceanographers realized something was brewing in the planet's waters. They found their proof in February 2000, when a British research vessel was trapped in a vortex of impossibly mammoth waves in the North Sea, including several approaching 100 feet. Scientists scramble to understand this phenomenon. Yet extreme surfers fly around the world trying to ride the ocean's ultimate challenges. The sport's pioneer, Laird Hamilton, with a group of friends in Hawaii, figured out how to board waves of 70 and 80 feet. The exploits of Hamilton and his fellow surfers are juxtaposed against scientists' urgent efforts to understand the destructive powers of waves, from the tsunami that wiped out 250,000 people in the Pacific in 2004 to the 1,740 foot wave that recently leveled part of the Alaskan coast. The book portrays human beings confronting nature at its most ferocious. -- Publisher info.… (more)
  1. 30
    The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks by Susan Casey (RidgewayGirl, John_Vaughan)
    RidgewayGirl: An in-depth look at a group of islands near San Francisco, the history of the islands, the birds who breed here and the great white sharks who patrol the surrounding waters.
  2. 00
    Step into Liquid [2003 documentary] by John-Paul Beeghly (noneofthis)
    noneofthis: For the same topic in a visual medium.
  3. 00
    Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach (MyriadBooks)
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» See also 73 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 79 (next | show all)
NF
  vorefamily | Feb 22, 2024 |
This book was a fast read and felt more like a thriller than a scientific book. I found it fascinating reading about the power of the ocean and giant waves. Imagining is fine for me because I would never want to see one in person unless assured I could view it from a safe distance! It still amazes me that there is so much unknown about the whole phenomena of waves and the ocean itself. Much of the book focuses on surfers and their experiences searching for and riding "terrifyingly large waves of seventy and eight feet." Utter craziness! ( )
  ellink | Jan 22, 2024 |
Primarily a book about big wave surfing, with some non-surfers thrown in. Not quite what I was expecting, but enjoyable enough. ( )
  Greenfrog342 | Jan 22, 2024 |
second time (first was paperback) ( )
  ravco | Nov 15, 2023 |
Casey starts the book on familiar ground, with a focus on the still developing sport of big wave surfing. If you have never experienced or seen the sport before, this will get your interest. She then covers all the bases about rogue waves, ship disasters and others that involve the freak waves that have been plaguing the world for years. While at times she does get very scientific, which was the only part of the book that bored me, but however she immendentally gets back to the topic at hand. Over all this is a great book and anyone who is a fan of surfing or the sea should read it. ( )
  jarrettbrown | Jul 4, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 79 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (1 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Susan Caseyprimary authorall editionscalculated
Potter, KirstenNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
When you look into the abyss,
the abyss also looks into you.

Friedrich Nietzsche
Dedication
In memory of my father,
Ron Casey
First words
The clock read midnight when the hundred-foot wave hit the ship, rising from the North Sea out of the darkness.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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Wikipedia in English (3)

Investigates colossal ship-swallowing rogue waves and the surfers who seek them out. For centuries, mariners have spun tales of gargantuan waves, 100 feet high or taller. Until recently scientists dismissed these stories; waves that high would seem to violate the laws of physics. But in the past few decades, as a number of ships have vanished and new evidence has emerged, oceanographers realized something was brewing in the planet's waters. They found their proof in February 2000, when a British research vessel was trapped in a vortex of impossibly mammoth waves in the North Sea, including several approaching 100 feet. Scientists scramble to understand this phenomenon. Yet extreme surfers fly around the world trying to ride the ocean's ultimate challenges. The sport's pioneer, Laird Hamilton, with a group of friends in Hawaii, figured out how to board waves of 70 and 80 feet. The exploits of Hamilton and his fellow surfers are juxtaposed against scientists' urgent efforts to understand the destructive powers of waves, from the tsunami that wiped out 250,000 people in the Pacific in 2004 to the 1,740 foot wave that recently leveled part of the Alaskan coast. The book portrays human beings confronting nature at its most ferocious. -- Publisher info.

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