Writer, surfer, and househusband Richard Taylor is mad about beaches and islands, and was inspired by a house exchange that whisked him and his family from a freezing Ottawa winter to a year of some of the world’s best surf on the east coast of Australia. In an era of packaged paradises and cyber surfers, the forty-something writer’s first case of the mid-life blues seduced him into recapturing his youthful romance with surfing.

Instagram sensation Clark Little shares his most remarkable photographs from inside the breaking wave, with a foreword by world surfing champion Kelly Slater. “One of the world’s most amazing water photographers . . . Now we get to experience up-close these moments of bliss.”—Jack Johnson, musician and environmentalist Surfer and photographer Clark Little creates deceptively peaceful pictures of waves by placing himself under the deadly lip as it is about to hit the sand. "Clark's view" is a rare and dangerous perspective of waves from the inside out. Thanks to his uncanny ability to get the perfect shot--and live to share it--Little has garnered a devout audience, been the subject of award-winning documentaries, and become one of the world's most recognizable wave photographers. Clark Little: The Art of Waves compiles over 150 of his images, including crystalline breaking waves, the diverse marine life of Hawaii, and mind-blowing aerial photography. This collection features his most beloved pictures, as well as work that has never been published in book form, with Little's stories and insights throughout. Journalist Jamie Brisick contributes essays on how Clark gets the shot, how waves are created, swimming with sharks, and more. With a foreword by eleven-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater and an afterword by the author on his photographic practice and technique, Clark Little: The Art of Waves offers a rare view of the wave for us to enjoy from the safety of land.

One of "The Most Fascinating Books WIRED Read in 2020" "One part science book, one part historical narrative, one part memoir . . . harrowing and inspiring.”—The Wall Street Journal How a determined scientist cracked the case of the first successful—and disastrous—submarine attack On the night of February 17, 1864, the tiny Confederate submarine HL Hunley made its way toward the USS Housatonic just outside Charleston harbor. Within a matter of hours, the Union ship’s stern was blown open in a spray of wood planks. The explosion sank the ship, killing many of its crew. And the submarine, the first ever to be successful in combat, disappeared without a trace. For 131 years the eight-man crew of the HL Hunley lay in their watery graves, undiscovered. When finally raised, the narrow metal vessel revealed a puzzling sight. There was no indication the blast had breached the hull, and all eight men were still seated at their stations—frozen in time after more than a century. Why did it sink? Why did the men die? Archaeologists and conservationists have been studying the boat and the remains for years, and now one woman has the answers. In the Waves is much more than just a military perspective or a technical account. It’s also the story of Rachel Lance’s single-minded obsession spanning three years, the story of the extreme highs and lows in her quest to find all the puzzle pieces of the Hunley. Balancing a gripping historical tale and original research with a personal story of professional and private obstacles, In the Waves is an enthralling look at a unique part of the Civil War and the lengths one scientist will go to uncover its secrets.

When Winslow Homer watches the sea, he studies it patiently, making sure to notice every detail before bringing it to life again in his paintings. The fabled painter Winslow Homer always had a deep respect for the elemental power and beauty of the ever-changing ocean. Whenever he set up his easel, he was drawn back to its frothing waves smashing against rocks, gleaming like mirrors in the sunlight. He knew it took patience to get his painting just right to capture the life of the ocean. Breaking Waves: Winslow Homer Paints the Sea describes the artist's process from season to season, readers are shown the many blues, greys, browns, and golds that Winslow Homer used to depict the changing sea. Additional content in the back of the book further explains his work and passion for the ocean. A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Take a journey through the oceans of the world in this beautiful book, made entirely from hand-pressed plants. Artist Helen Ahpornsiri transforms silky seaweeds, feathery algae and bright coastal blooms into playful penguins, scuttling crabs and schools of silvery sharks. Turn the page to explore each corner of the oceans, from hidden rock pools to the darkest depths. Marvel as plants transform into marvellous creatures, and discover the magic and beauty that lies beneath the waves . . .

A visually stunning journey across the world’s oceans, featuring soulful surfers living with purpose “The women in this book are my sea sisters and I believe that by sharing these remarkable stories, we inspire other women to make wiser and more empowered choices in their own lives.”—Kassia Meador, former pro-longboarder and founder of Kassia+Surf Women Making Waves is a celebration of the sisterhood of surfing, featuring extraordinary women from the United States, Philippines, Mexico, Australia, Senegal, Japan, France, and beyond. Author Lara Einzig profiles more than two dozen inspiring female surfers from around the globe—from activists to artists—who are breaking new ground on land and finding healing, joy, and community in the water. There is Maya Gabeira, a Brazilian woman who surfed the biggest wave of anyone in 2020; Bonnie Wright, the British actress, activist, and author; Risa Mara Machuca, who runs a free surfing camp in Mexico for local children; and Zara Noruzi, an Iranian exile who found peace on the water in Australia. Through candid interviews on the transformational power of surfing, and with immersive photography of beautiful beaches, surf shacks, and favorite breaks, Einzig captures the life-altering strength and resilience that these women discover in their connection to the waves. Women Making Waves captures the innate, spiritual essence of our connection to the ocean, inviting us all to paddle out.

A brave, intimate, beautifully crafted memoir by a survivor of the tsunami that struck the Sri Lankan coast in 2004 and took her entire family. On December 26, Boxing Day, Sonali Deraniyagala, her English husband, her parents, her two young sons, and a close friend were ending Christmas vacation at the seaside resort of Yala on the south coast of Sri Lanka when a wave suddenly overtook them. She was only to learn later that this was a tsunami that devastated coastlines through Southeast Asia. When the water began to encroach closer to their hotel, they began to run, but in an instant, water engulfed them, Sonali was separated from her family, and all was lost. Sonali Deraniyagala has written an extraordinarily honest, utterly engrossing account of the surreal tragedy of a devastating event that all at once ended her life as she knew it and her journey since in search of understanding and redemption. It is also a remarkable portrait of a young family's life and what came before, with all the small moments and larger dreams that suddenly and irrevocably ended.