The Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean's Most Fearsome Predators
4.6 | 108 ratings
Price: 19.69
Last update: 01-27-2026
Top reviews from the United States
- Matthew A. BilleThe best book ever written on the rise of the sharksLike nothing else. I've been a reader of marine paleontology for 50 years. Up to date, superbly written, with the latest science mixed in with fieldwork stories showing how we've learned what we know. A bonus for Dunkleosteus lovers like me is an excellent study of that genus and how its members competed with early sharks.
- Daniel C KinickiGreat, for the proper audienceThe Secret History of Sharks contains roughly four hundred pages of primary content and fifty pages of sources, names, and references, which is a typical ratio for a serious work of this kind. Said kind is a book that lies somewhere between popular science product and full-fledged textbook. Texts of this kind are common in paleontology, the primary subject of this work, such as the many books of the Indiana University Press 'Life of the Past' series and related works. Why is this headlining this review? Simple, because this work assumes familiarity with the subject matter in terms of both shark biology and the basic principles of vertebrate paleontology. There's a quote by Jared Diamond on the cover, but this is not something anyone can just pick up and read in the manner of Guns, Germs, and Steel.
That said, this isn't a textbook. It is a detailed explanation set out largely in plain language aimed at the amateur fossil enthusiast, undergrad, or big time shark fan. The roughly 350 page core of the book is an absolutely comprehensive, excellent, and satisfying of the evolution of sharks (really the entirety of Class Chondrichthyes) that incorporates even the most recent research. This book significantly expands and updates the outline of shark evolution presented in John Long's 2011 book The Rise of Fishes, which was previously the most accessible summary of this topic. Big questions, the history of the discoveries, discussions of key specimens and the people involved, it's all here, presented by one of the top researchers in the field with a history of highly effective communication on the subject.
If there's anything to nitpick about this book is that there's sixty pages in 'Part V' devoted to the biology of the White Shark and Shark Conservation. While these are important topics and the chapters in question are fine, they feel forced into place here (and there are much more comprehensive treatments of those topics elsewhere) to the point that I suspect Ballatine Books insisted on their inclusion rather than more material on fossils - which the author admits he had to truncate severely - in order to give the book a more 'popular' focus. However, it's doesn't really matter, since the rest of the text is more than worth the price of entry. - G. R. WilsonSecret History of Sharks--well, that news is out now...excellent shipping and great read...sharks older than the rings of Saturn...how can anyone resist such a tag line.
- Kyle DinicOne of the best books you can find on prehistoric sharks.Excellent coverage of oddballs like helicoprion,rainerichthys,giant freshwater xenacanth sharks,and more with several excellent illustrations by Julius Csotonyi made especially for the book.
- Jeffrey A. WeierVery detailedDetailed information, maybe so detailed it can be confusing. But still very interesting
- ARGreat for shark lovers!great book! Excellent book w/ history of sharks!
- jeff bOutstanding!!!I have been interested in sharks for most of my life. This is the first book that I have come across that tells the evolutionary success story of these remarkable animals. Dr. Long does a fantastic job of telling the story without a lot of technical jargon, using his own field experiences to help tell the story. Treaders also meet many of Dr. Long's colleagues along the way, each making major contributions to our understanding of shark evolution. This wonderful book deserves more than 5 stars.
- MTBBeautiful BookPerfect gift for the person in your life that loves sharks. Lots of pertinent information about sharks.