Chased by Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Predators of the Deep

by Nigel Marven and Jasper James

Book Overview

Following the hugely successful "Walking with Dinosaurs" and Walking with "Prehistoric Beasts," DK dives into the past to swim with prehistoric reptiles and mammals in "Chased by Sea Monsters."... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0756603757
• ISBN13: 9780756603755
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: DK Publishing (Dorling Kindersley)
• Length: 167 Pages
• Weight: 2.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 10.0" x 11.2"

Customer Reviews

"Chased By Sea Monsters - Prehistoric Predators of the Deep"!

Chased By Sea Monsters - Prehistoric Predators of the Deep is the companion book to the BBC series of the same name. As in the programs, Nigel Marven is the presenter, taking us on a journey through the 7 deadliest seas of all time. There are many photos from the series, and also plenty of new ones. Wonderful recreations of all the prehistoric creatures, they look completely real (even in the ones where Nigel is interacting with them, even holding them). The book is written by both Nigel Marven and Jasper James. They split up the book about 50/50, although I must say it is hard to tell one from the other, so the book still flows smoothly. The book follows the series very closely, but there are a few differences. In the series, Nigel goes through the seven deadliest seas, starting from the least and working his way up. In the book it's not the opposite, but still very different. The first chapter starts with the oldest ocean and works up to the most recent, instead of the most dangerous. I would have preferred they follow the series order, but it's only a minor complaint. Here is the books' content order; (also included are the authors of each chapter) Foreword - Nigel Marven Introduction - Jasper James 1. THE ORDOVICIAN - Jasper James 2. THE DEVONIAN - Nigel Marven 3. THE TRIASSIC - Nigel Marven 4. THE JURASSIC - Jasper James 5. THE CRETACEOUS - Jasper James 6. THE EOCENE - Nigel Marven 7. THE PLIOCENE - Nigel Marven This is a very good book, and is a perfect companion to "Chased By Sea Monsters", highly recommended!

So Realistic, It's Scary!

I bought this book for my teenage son who has autism. He asked for this book. It's great! It coinsides with a program with the same name that has been shown on Discovery Channel. The book is a perfect companion to the program. It has awesome descriptions and "photos" of the prehistoric animals. It clarifies when each animal lived, and what the world looked like at that time. The fact that Nigel Marvin "went back in time" to study these monsters was awesome! Anyone who loves prehistoric animals has to have this book in their collection!

Chased by Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Predators of the Deep

"Chased by Sea Monsters: PRehistoric Predators of the Deep written by Nigel Marven and Jasper James is a wonderfully illustrated book with an engaging narrative that will keep you interested in the book till the end. The book is divided into different time frames and groups the prehistoric reptiles, dinosaurs and mammals according to when they lived. Starting the adventure with the oldest to the more recent times. The books contents is as follows: The Ordvivian The Devonian The Triassic The Jurassic The Cretaceous The Eocene The Pilocene In each of these segments or chapters you are taken on a tour of how the Earth "encounters" was in those times making for an engaging adventure tale. Wearing breathing assistance for the earlier times Nigel Maren and Jasper James takes us to the depths of some very starnge worlds, indeed. I liked the book for it's straight forward apporach of the material at hand and puts it all in a logical manner for the reader, giving the reader little clues to the relationship of the different animals written about to their respective surroundings. Thus, making for some very interesting reading. This book would be excellent for a child's reading assignment for those 10 or older, although this is not a childrens book it would be a good start to an education into what lived in the Earth's seas so long ago. There are some interesting creatures that existed in prehistoric times, bigger, and often fiercer than dinosaurs whose exploits have inspired more terrifying legends than any other group of animals. They were all but hidden and, now, they are being revealed from their watery home that has kept them hidden from view. "Chased by Sea Monsters" is a sequel to "Walking with Dinosaurs' and follows the same lines and the latter book, taking the reader on varoius and sundry "encounters" for and adventure of a lifetime. As I've mentioned earlier, there are illustrated boxes that describe the latest scientific evidence that led to the reconstruction of these creatures, with details of the modern sites, from New York to Egypt where water once covered the land. What I found interesting was that whales are closely related to the hippopotamus, from DNA samples and the ear bone structures, and that whales walked on land first and later evolved to marine lives. I rated this book as a solid five stars for the excellent way that the book was written and the excellent illustrations to back up the writing making this one of the better books for the masses... it gives some techincal data but it's in a form that is easily understood.

Providing a fine focus on evolutionary proceedings

This gorgeous presentation explores the prehistoric world in search of sea-based monsters and is published to coincide with the BBC program of the same name; but familiarity with the TV show is not required for a separate appreciation of this book. More than just another dinosaur guide, Chased By Sea Monsters focuses on life in ancient oceans during each prehistoric period, providing a fine focus on evolutionary proceedings.

Bigger, meaner and deadlier

Nothing, not the carnivorous dinosaurs of the past, nor the imagined sea serpents and monsters of maritime history, nor the great white shark, salt water crocodile, killer whale and leopard seal of today can compare to the horrifying hunters of the prehistoric oceans. You will feel a lot more comfortable about going out for a swim or an afternoon boat ride knowing that such behemoths are extinct today!The Dunkleosteus is school bus-sized armored fish with razor sharp bladed jaws for cutting through anything in its path. The mighty Liopleurodon is a true monster, largest and most powerful of the Pliosaurs. The deadly Mosasaurs where the real sea serpents of their day, and some where large enough to dispatch an adult tyrannosaur easily. The Basilosaurus, the first of the large whale species, is not a harmless plankton eater but a fearsome high speed hunter. And most frightening of all is the Megalodon, a gargantuan ancestor of the great white that makes its modern day relative look like a tuna.If you're a paleontology buff like me or a fan of BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs series, this book is for you. The digital designs of the monsters are excellent and very well realized. And the fun-loving Nigel Marvin provides a great narrative. My only question is when does the DVD of the series come out?Another excellent book is Sea Dragons by Richard Ellis.