SCH-ORCAS OF THE GULF

Rating:
Summary: Reviewed by William Rossiter, Cetacean Society Int'l
Review: "ORCAS OF THE GULF will be a pleasure to anyone who wants to explore the realities of nature. Mr. Gormley's awe and respect for these magnificent whales is shared with us as a small pod of orca pass through the familiar waters off New England. We find ourselves enveloped in the interlocked, interwoven spectrum of the sea; everyday life to the orca, white water drama and magical beauty to Man. Much seems incredible, impossible, even mythical, yet the author has included every available bit of science in his exciting and educational narrative. He takes us a few steps farther than science has yet gone, with common sense and realism, challenging the scientists to discover the full world of the orca. His narrative theories on perception, communication, pod society and chillingly realistic assessment of human impact are most interesting. The values and perceptions expressed in this work are not human, but they may just be the orca's, and we can all learn from that." William W. Rossiter, Vice President, Cetacean Society International.

Rating:
Summary: Reviewed by Professor John A. Murray
Review: ORCAS OF THE GULF is a natural history of killer whales in the Gulf of Maine, where orcas visit each summer to hunt bluefin tuna and other prey, including the occasional great whale. The book's narrative focuses on a pod of twelve orcas over a period of ten weeks, from mid-August through October. Everything in the book is based on fact. In its first printing, ORCAS OF THE GULF was voted one of the best popular science books of 1990 by Library Journal. Professor John A. Murray, editor of many anthologies on nature writing, later opined, "Mr. Gormley is the equal of any nature writer publishing today ... epic sweep and grandeur ... beauty and power of ... descriptions." Professor Murray compares the quality of Gormley's writing to that of Melville in MOBY DICK.

"ORCAS OF THE GULF will be a pleasure to anyone who wants to explore the realities of nature. Mr. Gormley's awe and respect for these magnificent whales is shared with us as a small pod of orca pass through the familiar waters off New England. We find ourselves enveloped in the interlocked, interwoven spectrum of the sea; everyday life to the orca, white water drama and magical beauty to Man. Much seems incredible, impossible, even mythical, yet the author has included every available bit of science in his exciting and educational narrative. He takes us a few steps farther than science has yet gone, with common sense and realism, challenging the scientists to discover the full world of the orca. His narrative theories on perception, communication, pod society and chillingly realistic assessment of human impact are most interesting. The values and perceptions expressed in this work are not human, but they may just be the orca's, and we can all learn from that." William W. Rossiter Vice President Cetacean Society International

Rating:
Summary: Review material supplied by author.
Review: ORCAS OF THE GULF is a natural history of killer whales in the Gulf of Maine, where orcas visit each summer to hunt bluefin tuna and other prey, including the occasional great whale. The book's narrative focuses on a pod of twelve orcas over a period of ten weeks, from mid-August through October. Everything in the book is based on fact. In its first printing, ORCAS OF THE GULF was voted one of the best popular science books of 1990 by Library Journal. Professor John A. Murray, editor of many anthologies on nature writing, later opined, "Mr. Gormley is the equal of any nature writer publishing today ... epic sweep and grandeur ... beauty and power of ... descriptions." Professor Murray compares the quality of Gormley's writing to that of Melville in MOBY DICK.

"ORCAS OF THE GULF will be a pleasure to anyone who wants to explore the realities of nature. Mr. Gormley's awe and respect for these magnificent whales is shared with us as a small pod of orca pass through the familiar waters off New England. We find ourselves enveloped in the interlocked, interwoven spectrum of the sea; everyday life to the orca, white water drama and magical beauty to Man. Much seems incredible, impossible, even mythical, yet the author has included every available bit of science in his exciting and educational narrative. He takes us a few steps farther than science has yet gone, with common sense and realism, challenging the scientists to discover the full world of the orca. His narrative theories on perception, communication, pod society and chillingly realistic assessment of human impact are most interesting. The values and perceptions expressed in this work are not human, but they may just be the orca's, and we can all learn from that." William W. Rossiter Vice President Cetacean Society International

Rating:
Summary: Reviewed by Professor John A. Murray
Review: Professor John A. Murray, editor of many anthologies on nature writing. "Mr. Gormley is the equal of any nature writer publishing today ... epic sweep and grandeur ... beauty and power of ... descriptions." Professor Murray compares the quality of Gormley's writing to that of Melville in MOBY DICK.