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

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)

Great Listen. And Relisten.

I've been subscribing for years now to recapture my commute. I've listened to over 80 books. This is the first book that as soon as it ended, I just restarted it. If you have any love of the ocean, surfing, science and legend - you will love this book. Great for repeat listenings too. Not a one and done book.

Rippin!

spellbinding!
I made it through.
well presented and easy to follow recommend to all

Candy for sea-lovers

Other than hearing “knots per hour” used as a measure of speed (knots measure speed, knots per hour measure acceleration), and the canoe from which Eddie Aikau swam to his death called an outrigger (it was Hokulea, the replica voyaging canoe that inspired the Polynesian renaissance), I thoroughly enjoyed The Wave.

Lyrical descriptions. Wide ranging research. Personal connections with interesting people. Firsthand experiences poetically and heartfully shared.

I am a paddler, surfer, and blue water sailor and appreciated the knowledge and perspectives The Wave offers. I found myself searching for a storyline before accepting that, much like a wave, this book is simply an experience to be lived and savored.

Do the Wave

I try to read books that might inform my ignorance and this book fit the bill just fine. Here Susan Casey mixes science, maritime history and engineering, and surfing to the benefit of all who come to this book. The emphasis is on waves and surfing, but the portions on 津波 (tsunami) and maritime experience with waves is really informative. I can't say that this book has a broad appeal, but I would encourage anyone to give it a try. You will learn a lot, be excited and thrilled, and come to apreciate the ocean in a different way. The writing is very good and the reading of Kirsten Potter is excellent.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Great tale, dismal narration

Great description of the science and recreation of big waves. However, never have I heard so many Hawaiian words pronounced so badly by the narrator. Kirsten Potter could have saved herself considerable embarrassment if only she had spent five minutes running the names of local venues past even the most minimally informed Hawaiian tourist.