Gospel of the Eels

I can't recall us ever talking about anything other than eels and how to best catch them, down there by the stream. Actually, I can't remember us speaking at all. Maybe because we never did.'

The European eel, Anguilla anguilla, is one of the strangest creatures nature ever created. Remarkably little is known about the eel, even today. What we do know is that it's born as a tiny willow-leaf shaped larva in the Sargasso Sea, travels on the ocean currents toward the coasts of Europe - a journey of about four thousand miles that takes at least two years. Upon arrival, it transforms itself into a glass eel and then into a yellow eel before it wanders up into fresh water.

It lives a solitary life, hiding from both light and science, for ten, twenty, fifty years, before migrating back to the sea in the autumn, morphing into a silver eel and swimming all the way back to the Sargasso Sea, where it breeds and dies.

And yet . ..

There is still so much we don't know about eels. No human has ever seen eels reproduce; no one can give a complete account of the eel's metamorphoses or say why they are born and die in the Sargasso Sea; no human has even seen a mature eel in the Sargasso Sea.Ever.

And now the eel is disappearing, and we don't know exactly why. What we do know is that eels and their mysterious lives captivate us.

This is the basis for The Gospel of the Eels, Patrik Svensson's quite unique natural science memoir; his ongoing fascination with this secretive fish, but also the equally perplexing and often murky relationship he shared with his father, whose only passion in life was fishing for this obscure creature.

Through the exploration of eels in literature (Gunter Grass and Graham Swift feature, amongst others) and the history of science (we learn about Aristotle's and Sigmund Freud's complicated relationships with eels) as well as modern marine biology (Rachel Carson and others) we get to know this peculiar animal. In this exploration, we also learn about the human condition, life and death, through natural science and nature writing at its very best.

Shortlisted for the Richard Jefferies Prize for Nature Writing

'This is one of those special books . . .Even if it were only a book about eels, it would be wonderful.' Sunday Times'

A gorgeously evocative blend of science, nature writing and family memoir' Guardian

Shipping

You can choose between Royal Mail's 24 or 48 hour tracked service in order to receive your items by post.

• 48 hr tracked (2-3 days) on orders bteween 0kg - 2kg is £2.80
• 48 hr tracked (2-3 days) on orders bteween 2kg - 20kg is £3.15
• 24 hr tracked (next working day) on orders bteween 0kg - 2kg is £4.15
• FREE standard delivery for orders over £30

Local delivery

If you live within 10 miles of our bookshop, then we offer free local delivery on all orders, just choose this option at the checkout.

Store pickup

You can also choose to pick up your order for FREE from our shop at:

1 Chaldicott Barns
Semley
SP7 9AW

Opening Hours:

Tuesday: 10am-4pm
Wednesday: 10am-4pm
Thursday: 10am-4pm 
Friday: 10am-4pm 
Saturday : 10am-2pm

We would be delighted to hear from you so please do drop us a line using the form below or alternatively, give us a call on 01747 898247