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The Secret History of Sharks: The Rise of the Ocean's Most Fearsome Predators

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Description

From ancient megalodons to fearsome Great Whites, this book tells the complete, untold story of how sharks emerged as Earth’s ultimate survivors, by world-leading paleontologist John Long. “Will keep you on the edge of your seat from its first page to its last page.”—Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel Sharks have been fighting for their lives for 500 million years and today are under dire threat. They are the longest-surviving vertebrate on Earth, outlasting multiple mass extinction events that decimated life on the planet. But how did they thrive for so long? By developing superpower-like abilities that allowed them to ascend to the top of the oceanic food chain. John Long, who for decades has been on the cutting edge of shark research, weaves a thrilling story of sharks’ unparalleled reign. The Secret History of Sharks showcases the global search to discover sharks’ largely unknown evolution, led by Long and dozens of other extraordinary scientists. They embark on digs to all seven continents, investigating layers of rock and using cutting-edge technology to reveal never-before-found fossils and the clues to sharks’ singular story. As the tale unfolds, Longintroduces an enormous range of astonishing organisms: a thirty-foot-long shark with a deadly saw blade of jagged teeth protruding from its lower jaws, a monster giant clams crusher, and bizarre sharks fossilized while in their mating ritual. The book also includes startling new facts about the mighty megalodon, with its sixty-six-foot-long body, massive jaws, and six-inch serrated teeth. With insights into the threats to sharks today, how they contribute to medical advances, and the lessons they can teach us about our own survival, The Secret History of Sharks is a riveting look at scientific discovery with ramifications far beyond the ocean. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books


Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more


Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 2, 2024


Language ‏ : ‎ English


File size ‏ : ‎ 95.3 MB


Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported


Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled


X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled


Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled


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Top Amazon Reviews


  • The best book ever written on the rise of the sharks
Like 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. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2025 by Matthew A. Bille

  • Secret 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.
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2025 by G. R. Wilson

  • Great, for the proper audience
The 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. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2024 by Daniel C Kinicki

  • Beautiful Book
Perfect gift for the person in your life that loves sharks. Lots of pertinent information about sharks.
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2025 by MTB

  • Very detailed
Detailed information, maybe so detailed it can be confusing. But still very interesting
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2025 by Jeffrey A. Weier

  • Outstanding!!!
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. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on August 24, 2025 by jeff b

  • Wonky with Controversy
Who doesn’t love to read about sharks? As a former rescue pilot, ocean fisherman and frequent beach goer sharks have always been fascinating to me. I admire their swimming elegance, single-mindedness and strength. I probably have not hooked anything over 200 pounds, which is a small shark in the realm of things, but it still took me well over an hour to bring it to the boat and release it. I don’t intentionally fish for sharks but unintentionally catch one every once in a while. This read is close to College level textbook. It’s full of Latin names, descriptions, teeth pictures and somewhat boring info. It is an occasionally fascinating review of the history of shark evolution and its study. But there are chapters filled with names and discoveries of some pretty uninteresting ancient sharks. It also includes discussions about past extinction events, of which there were many, all for different reasons. Asteroids and other large objects have hit the Earth and certainly will again. In our time nuclear war is possible, and even a super volcano eruption. Both could be extinction events. Given the elaborate discussions of previous events, I’m a little struck by the authors mention of man-made global warming almost as an afterthought at the end of a middle chapter. I happen to believe that the subject has not been studied well enough to determine man’s effect versus let’s say a celestial phenomenon, or other possible causes. There is no such thing as settled science, any new aspect of a theory can arise at any time to change the previous conclusions. And therefore I do not understand why the author chooses to bring it up especially in light of the inevitability of another natural extinction event which we will have no solution for. There will be another ice age starting one day. We won’t be able to stop it. I prefer this shark scientist stay in his lane. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024 by Twndggys

  • A uniquely great book about fossil (and also modern) sharks
There is something in this book for everyone. It is written with the layman in mind, but with enough detail to satisfy those with with a professional interest in some aspect of shark paleontology or biology. It is as up to date as is humanly possible and includes discoveries made in the last few years. I have some knowledge of middle to late Paleozoic `sharks' but learned a lot about earlier and later ones. Many will find the personal stories of leading shark researchers, both historical and those still active, of interest. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2024 by Wayne_Colorado

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