In Search of Monster Fish - by Mark Spitzer (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In Search of Monster Fish is an action-packed, knee-slapping ride into and out of the belly of the beast. Join extreme angler Mark Spitzer as he encounters man-eating catfish, ruthless barracuda, lacerating conger eels, berserk tarpon, and blood-curdling sharks in locales as exotic as the Amazon, Catalonia, the Dominican Republic, Senegal, and even in our own backyards.

But this eco-odyssey isn't just about meeting and releasing some of the most grotesque lunkers in the world. It's about implementing solutions for problems as behemoth as global warming and issues as common as choosing what to eat for dinner. And as the ice caps melt at the rate of 1 percent annually, Spitzer battles his most epic goliath: a leviathan that dwells in the depths of us all, making us ask who the real monsters are, what our responsibilities truly are, and what we can possibly do to sustain our planet and ourselves when faced with such demonic disenlightenment. Spitzer then beats this whopper into submission by reframing his call to action and finding his own way. A new portal to the underworld has been opened in the cutting-edge literature of monster fish, and this is your entry ticket.

Review Quotes

"[Spitzer] takes a rollicking, madcap, sometimes surreal approach to fishing and conservation--pursuing fishy monsters with zeal, and finding life lessons along the way."--Matthew L. Miller, Cool Green Science-- (6/11/2019 12:00:00 AM)

"From heaving seas off the coast of Gambia to the sublime shorelines of Italy's Lake Como, In Search of Monster Fish is an angler's odyssey in pursuit of strange and wonderful fish--and a quest to find a higher truth about conservation and the future of wild nature on our planet."--Stephen Sautner, author of Fish On, Fish Off-- (9/14/2018 12:00:00 AM)

"I recommend that you join Mark Spitzer on his expeditions in this fun- and monster-filled book and plan your next fishing quest."--Donald Orth, vtichthyology.blogspot.com-- (11/5/2019 12:00:00 AM)

"It's the juxtaposition of Spitzer's thoughtful and adventurous sides that sets his book apart, making for a powerful mixture of entertaining wildlife jaunt and moving environmental advocacy."--Publishers Weekly

"The writing often soars to extraordinary, lyrical heights. . . . Like the barracuda, Spitzer has the huevos to take on anything and anyone."--Henry Hughes, author of Back Seat with Fish-- (9/14/2018 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Mark Spitzer is an associate professor of writing at the University of Central Arkansas. He is the author of more than twenty-five books, including Season of the Gar: Adventures in Pursuit of America's Most Misunderstood Fish and Beautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West (Nebraska, 2017). Spitzer has consulted for Nat Geo's Monster Fish and appeared on Animal Planet's River Monsters.