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Ocean by Sir David Attenborough and Colin Butfield

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Ocean

Publisher
John Murray Press
Publish Date
8 May 2025
Run Time
8 hours 53 minutes
Format
Audiobook

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What to expect

** THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER **

'Gripping... the wildlife is so fantastical that the images on the page feel like works of the imagination.' Evening Standard

'THIS IS THE STORY OF OUR OCEAN AND WE MUST WRITE ITS NEXT CHAPTER TOGETHER. FOR IF WE SAVE THE SEA, WE SAVE OUR WORLD. AFTER A LIFETIME OF FILMING OUR PLANET, I'M SURE THAT NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT.'

From the icy seas of our poles to remote coral islands, David Attenborough has filmed in every ocean habitat on planet earth. Now, with long-term collaborator Colin Butfield, he shares the story of our last great wilderness - the one which shapes the land we live on, regulates our climate and creates the air we breathe.

Dive into eight unique saltwater habitats, swim through kelp forests, mangroves and coral reefs and down almost 11,000 feet to the deepest corners of the most unexplored ecosystem on our planet.

Experience a journey of wonder and discovery, populated by green turtles and blue whales; clownfish and bioluminescent jellyfish; the vampire squid and the 'head-less chicken monster' - a strange form of sea cucumber that lives at the very bottom of the ocean.

With the warmth, intelligence and awe that characterises all of David Attenborough's landmark series, Ocean shows us a world which is both desperately fragile yet astonishingly resilient, with an extraordinary capacity to repair itself. It's not too late to restore our most vital habitat. If we treat it with respect, our marine world will be even richer and more spectacular than we can imagine.

A book almost a century in the making, but one that has never been more urgently needed.

Critics Review

  • Determinedly positive . . . There seem to be real grounds for hope. You can just hear [Attenborough's] voice. The lilt and rasp of it . . . Passionate. The great naturalist's latest book, written with Colin Butfield, explores the Earth's last wilderness, from octopus gardens to booming fur seal numbers.

    The Times

  • [Sir David Attenborough] is a one-off . . . a genius.

    Daily Mirror

  • Educating and inspiring the next generation on the importance of the oceans is a key message. It reveals that the ocean is the part of our world that can, and in some cases has, recovered the fastest, and in our lifetimes we could see a fully restored marine world, even richer and more spectacular than we could possibly hope, if we act now to protect it.

    Daily Express

  • Gripping... the wildlife is so fantastical that the images on the page feel like works of the imagination.

    Evening Standard

See more reviews
  • The great naturalist's latest book explores Earth's last wilderness, from octopus gardens to booming fur seal numbers. [It] is determinedly positive. There seem to be real grounds for hope. Given a chance, the authors insist, sea life is astonishingly resilient.

    The Times

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Details

Author
Sir David Attenborough and Colin Butfield
Narrator
Colin Butfield, David Attenborough
Duration
8 hours 53 minutes
Release Date
8 May 2025
ISBN
9781399818544
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
John Murray Press
Genre
Oceanography (seas and oceans), The environment, Conservation of wildlife and habitats

Synopsis

** THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER **'Gripping... the wildlife is so fantastical that the images on the page feel like works of the imagination.' Evening Standard'THIS IS THE STORY OF OUR OCEAN AND WE MUST WRITE ITS NEXT CHAPTER TOGETHER. FOR IF WE SAVE THE SEA, WE SAVE OUR WORLD. AFTER A LIFETIME OF FILMING OUR PLANET, I'M SURE THAT NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT.'From the icy seas of our poles to remote coral islands, David Attenborough has filmed in every ocean habitat on planet earth. Now, with long-term collaborator Colin Butfield, he shares the story of our last great wilderness - the one which shapes the land we live on, regulates our climate and creates the air we breathe.Dive into eight unique saltwater habitats, swim through kelp forests, mangroves and coral reefs and down almost 11,000 feet to the deepest corners of the most unexplored ecosystem on our planet.Experience a journey of wonder and discovery, populated by green turtles and blue whales; clownfish and bioluminescent jellyfish; the vampire squid and the 'head-less chicken monster' - a strange form of sea cucumber that lives at the very bottom of the ocean.With the warmth, intelligence and awe that characterises all of David Attenborough's landmark series, Ocean shows us a world which is both desperately fragile yet astonishingly resilient, with an extraordinary capacity to repair itself. It's not too late to restore our most vital habitat. If we treat it with respect, our marine world will be even richer and more spectacular than we can imagine.A book almost a century in the making, but one that has never been more urgently needed.

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