• The Wave

  • In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean
  • By: Susan Casey
  • Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
  • Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (699 ratings)

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The Wave  By  cover art

The Wave

By: Susan Casey
Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
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Editorial reviews

The Wave, Susan Casey’s fascinating account of rogue waves, the scientists who study them, and the fearless surfers who travel the world to ride these elusive, powerful freaks of nature, will forever change how you look at the ocean. It’s also one of the best books I’ve ever heard.

Kirsten Potter narrates The Wave with a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact tone that perfectly suits Casey’s carefully researched book. Then, at just the right moments, she delivers descriptions of these colossal walls of water with the same amount of awe and wonder that Casey clearly feels for these almost mythical creatures. Potter’s comfort with the text makes you feel like you’re right there with Casey, hanging out in Oahu with the world’s greatest surfers or discussing complex scientific theories with the world’s foremost wave scientists.

But make no mistake The Wave is not a dry, scientific tome geared for climatologists and oceanographers. While Casey does a fantastic job of translating scientific theories into easy-to-understand language about why such massive waves have become m ore common, The Wave really soars when Casey tags along with big wave riders like Laird Hamilton and their quest to ride the largest waves on earth, waves approaching heights of 80 to 100 feet or even higher.

Casey doesn’t just sit on the sidelines though. She thrusts herself onto boats and jet skis into some of the most fearsome waves in Hawaii, California, Mexico, and Bali. She earns the right to call these waves by their first names: Jaws, Mavericks, Killers, Ghost Tree, and Egypt. Her keen eye for detail also enables her to describe in vivid language why each of these waves deserves a place in “the all-star cast in nature’s great drama”.

The Wave is a gripping sea adventure that can hold its own against other nautical nonfiction masterpieces like Sebastian Junger’s A Perfect Storm, Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon Tiki, and Ernest Shackleton’s South. The Wave will change your perspective on our oceans. They’re not static bodies of water that systematically rise and fall according to precise tidal schedules. They are unpredictable, powerful pools of energy that can be unleashed when we least expect them. It’s what makes these waves so terrifying and so magically mesmerizing. Ken Ross

Publisher's summary

From Susan Casey, bestselling author of The Devil’s Teeth, an astonishing book about 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 dis​missed these stories - waves that high would seem to violate the laws of physics. But in the past few decades, as a startling number of ships vanished and new evidence has emerged, oceanographers realized something scary 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 that approached 100 feet.

As scientists scramble to understand this phenomenon, others view the giant waves as the ultimate challenge. These are extreme surfers who fly around the world trying to ride the ocean’s most destructive monsters. The pioneer of extreme surfing is the legendary Laird Hamilton, who, with a group of friends in Hawaii, figured out how to board suicidally large waves of 70 and 80 feet. Casey follows this unique tribe of peo​ple as they seek to conquer the holy grail of their sport, a 100-​foot wave.

In this mesmerizing account, 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.

Like Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, The Wave brilliantly portrays human beings confronting nature at its most ferocious.

©2010 Susan Casey (P)2010 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Something is stewing in our seas, and Susan Casey - traveling, and in some cases swimming, all around the world - is eager to find out what it is. Both a rollicking look at the ocean’s growing freakishness and a troubling examination of our ailing planet, The Wave gives new meaning to the term ‘immersion reporting.’” (Hampton Sides, author of Hellhound on His Trail, Blood and Thunder, and Ghost Soldiers)
“At once scary and fun, The Wave surprises at every turn.” (Elizabeth Kolbert, author of Field Notes from a Catastrophe)
“Like the surfers and scientists she profiles, Casey lived and breathed giant waves for years. Casey combines an insane passion for craft with an uncanny ability to describe the indescribable. In The Wave she whisks the reader off to unimaginably surreal settings and puts them in the middle of mind-blowing scenarios. This book sucked me in like the undertow at Pipeline.” (Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Packing for Mars)

Featured Article: The Best Audiobooks About Surfing

Massive waves, breathtaking beauty, precious wildlife, extreme athleticism, spiritual allure— these are just a few of the things that draw people from all over the world to the ocean. For some, surfing is about adrenaline and adventure; for others, it can be a way to heal and connect with nature. Surfing audiobooks, both fiction and nonfiction, reflect this variety of perspectives, experiences, and philosophies. Find a list of the best surfing audiobooks, perfect for surfers, diehard surfing fans, ocean lovers, and even avid audiobook listeners looking for an exciting beach listen or an engaging nonfiction title.

What listeners say about The Wave

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

too much surfing, not enough science

For a book about waves, it covered a lot about surfing, not the rogue waves, their causes, effects, and accounts. Also I did not appreciate the "surfing vocabulary" that made the book "R" rated.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Diverting, Informatve & Compelling; The Wave Sings

Would you consider the audio edition of The Wave to be better than the print version?

I haven't read the print version, but Kirsten Potter's reading was wonderful.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The writer! Her enthusiasm and admiration for her subjects: the people, the science, the cultures and the ocean itself, made the book completely engaging. I could practically feel the hissing of the foam on my skin. She put me there.

What does Kirsten Potter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Non-fiction can be on the dry side. The combination of Potter's narration with Casey's prose made this book lively. Potter's performance is terrific and she's got one of the best voices that I've ever heard performing an audiobook.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Moving Mountains of the Sea

Any additional comments?

This is a subject matter that interests me and I've read a lot of books on oceanographical topics. This is one of the really good ones. The pacing is great. The descriptions of the locations are sumptuous, adventure-travel porn of the highest order. And Casey really connects with the people she covers. I'll be looking for more books from her. And I will be looking to hear more from Potter as well.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The Power of Those Waves!

The Wave is an informative read and a lesson in ecology. The mix of science and first hand stories from surfers captured my attention from the very first chapter. The statistics in this book amazed me. The unbelievable size and power of the "rogue" waves and the huge numbers of ships lost at sea every year quite simply astounded me. On the down side, Casey seems rather obsessed with Laird Hamilton's rippling abs. At times, she moved into the realm of a Mills & Boon romance. But that aside, I did find the book a worthwhile read. The narration was good except for a few mispronunciations that grated on the nerves a little. I recommend The Wave as an easy read and a mostly pleasant listen.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and Interesting

Entertainingly written and good narration, and if you're interested in the subject it's definitely engrossing, but overall it comes across as a year in the life of a Big Wave Surfer groupie, a lot of it could be straight out of a surfing fan magazine. Which is not necessarily a bad thing but probably good to know up front.
Don't expect any fascinating scientific revelations or insights because at the end of the day there aren't really any - again not a bad thing, just the way it is.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Fun and Nearly Inter-Generational

My 15 year old son and I read this together. There was enough big-wave surfing for him and nearly enough pop-science for me.

The surf part is a gentle story about middle aged men (literally in their 40???s) who ride the biggest waves in the world. This is a skill that probably takes 20 years to develop, as a result there are only a very few very young men (and one women) who do this. The author seems to have some kind of love (not explicitly sexual) for some of these men, which seems to artfully enhance the story. The central surfer is a man who literally lives on the stretch of beach that is has the most famous big break in Hawaii (a 60 foot face known as Jaws). One day in a big storm he rides a 110 foot face, at another cite, which is well beyond the official record, but no one is around to film it, and his friend nearly dies in the resulting accident.

The science part is not quite detailed enough to make since unless you already know a little bit about it. It helped that I did know a little about it. The probability distribution of waves has a much heavier tail than was ever imagined. And the world is full of really big waves that destroy modern ships and sea structures (but not so much the older designs), because in the 20th century we thought we???d come to understand waves and we optimized our designs to that understanding. In the last 10 (maybe 15 years) we???ve learned that our modern understanding was less right than the older empirical understanding.

It is true that climate change is making big waves bigger (my opinion), but this is incidental compared to the core science story. It???s a bit tedious that the book keeps returning to climate change. It???s like scientist discovered that Sasquatch is real, and oh yea by the way Sasquatch breading rates are down 10%.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Spare me the hero worship. Great narrator though.

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I don't understand why certain authors decide to go the hero-worship direction with this type of book. The intro was amazing, talking about rogue waves, Shackleton's observation of a monstrous wave and oil drill rigs getting taken down by giant waves thought to be impossible (I'm sorry, the only 2 times I've ever experienced this before, both times the author were women authors talking about technical material - constantly lobbing these platitudes about how attractive almost every single person she writes about is). I just about barfed when I was on the second straight hour about hunky this surfer or that was and I met my limit with the words "his eyes were *beyond* brown". It was E.L.James-level stuff in a few parts. Then it went back to wave science... really engaging again. Then back to a surfing tournament, or surfing settings worldwide. I bought this book because I study the deep oceans. I'm trying to understand the subject of rogue waves. Once I completed the book I had learned nothing new. Some good stories are here, but I was really disappointed at the amount of surfer deets in the book. I wish that entire section had been cut because 1) those locations like Teahupo'o are geoligic flukes and are obviously going to be attractive for surfing 2) once you talk about why the fetch & reach of the wave is as big as it is, you can infer the rest. It was just dumb to get into the specifics of surfing culture etc. I wouldn't make such a big deal about it but she just goes on and on for entire chapters and I really didn't think I'd complete the book.
Let me be clear, when it was about the science or 'myth vs legend' aspects of freak/rogue waves it was awesome. I wish there had been way WAY more of that.

Has The Wave turned you off from other books in this genre?

It's going to make me be a lot more careful, sorry to say.

Have you listened to any of Kirsten Potter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

The reader - the narrator, was basically perfect. She did an excellent job and has the perfect steady voice for this kind of work. Her pace, tone, everything was basically perfect. I'd purchase any book she narrates. Up there with some of my favorite narrators in recent memory.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

When she stuck to the science, which she clearly knows a lot about, the book was good. When it was about surfers I was bored to tears and had to skip entire chapters on an audiobook I paid for, which I NEVER do.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Move as far inland as possible

What made the experience of listening to The Wave the most enjoyable?

The story was gripping. It clearly painted the picture of being in the ocean with gigantic monsters crashing down around you

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Wave?

There were many, many memorable moments, but towards the end talking to Laird Hamilton while sitting on a jetski at Egypt was very compelling.

Have you listened to any of Kirsten Potter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made my jaw drop in amazement.

Any additional comments?

Everything about this book was good, EXCEPT... Kirsten Porter really, really needs to learn how to pronounce gunwale! She repeatedly pronounced it like gun whale. The word is pronounced guhn-l. It made me question if Porter had ever been on a boat.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Surfs Up....

I was prepared for an epic tale of the high seas; stories of the strength of sailors and their ships against the power of the mighty oceans. I was ready for a scientific study told in an interesting, easy listening, yet adventurous way. The book actually started very well, a scientific crew on a large sea worthy, modern vessel gone missing, a few long ago tales of giant waves overpowering men's vessels, bodies and minds. I could picture the powerful, monster wall of water overshadowing and then overtaking any ship in its path. But, then, just on the other side of the behemoth, salty monster were the surfers with their boards and tales of their quest to catch The Big One. The book is well written and it can be enjoyed, to a degree, even if you are not a surfer boy or girl interested in the death defying feats of the Evel Kenievel daredevils of the water world. But, if you want real seafaring tales and facts of sailors against the giant waves of the sea or the power of the surf on our land, you will not find them here.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Caught me by surprise

Any additional comments?

This book, like the waves in its pages, was stronger than I would've believed. It seemed clear that Casey had done her homework, and the result was a very enjoyable listen. The only waves I don't recall her addressing happen in a baseball stadium.I went into the book believing myself to be much more interested in the wave science part than the surfing component, thinking I would just skip chapters that didn't grip me right away. It didn't take Casey more than a few paragraphs to guarantee that I would be listening to every single word. The dichotomy created by comparing the destructive power of waves upon coastlines, shipping, and other human interests with the people who would like nothing more than to be towed on a surfboard in front of such a wave is very, very compelling.For those of you who favor their imaginations, Potter's narration is excellent at summoning a vivid image of riders sitting out in the big swells, waiting with eager trepidation for what might the best ride of their life—or their last.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Waterman's Wet Dream

If you could sum up The Wave in three words, what would they be?

Wet, wild, wonderful! A tremendous story of the ocean's grandeur, and mystery, along with a breath grabbing look at the rare breed of humans who challenge its moods.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Wave?

As much as I enjoy the adventures of big wave surfers, I was engrossed by the historical references, and scientific and shipping details.

What three words best describe Kirsten Potter’s performance?

Enthusiastic,clear,butchered. Kirsten is a very good narrator, however, the pronunciation, of Hawaiian words, and town names along with nautical terms was really poor. I'm surprised Kirsten, the producer, the publisher and author allowed the audio version to be released w/o better editing.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I suppose, but I enjoy, snippets of every audio story on my commute and errands. Long roads trips with a good audio book are wonderful, but I like shorter sessions too.

Any additional comments?

The one poor element sadly subtracts from the overall excellent story and performance.

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