3.5/5. Here, author Bill Francois takes us on an underwater journey through the ocean with a special emphasis on the sounds and characters that make the water what it is. From whale song and eels to lobster conversations and jellyfish, it’s a fresh perspective on the mysteries that make up the ocean.

This is the perfect book for ocean lovers and those that enjoy nature writing. Through a mix of personal anecdotes, scientific facts and ancient myths, I enjoyed this nuanced look into the ocean. A bit dense at times, but overall filled with very interesting stories and intel.

Eloquence of the Sardine mixes history, science, and language to express the wonder of sea creatures. You can't help but feel more awe for ocean species in general after reading this book as it talks about various fish, corals, dolphins, and whales.

You had just heard the voice of the sea, and its very first story — a story that is a blend of all its other stories at once.

Marine scientist Bill Francois shares stories of fish and other aquatic species shot through with a bit of memoir. This was a fantastic selection for translation, because it shows how differently other cultures and languages approach these topics. Even in comparison to the last ocean nonfiction I read, this was worlds apart – strange, surreal, dreamy but still informative and scientific.

Francois writes lyrical narrative nonfiction that includes accessible science, the kind peppered with lots of fascinating factoids. The memoir element is rather scarce and I would’ve liked more of it, because the stories he tells of why he felt drawn to the ocean are compelling and often lovely — like his recollections of being painfully bored in school and finding his place in the water instead.

Each chapter explores a different species, weaving marine biology into a very telling story of the animal in connection to humans. As you might have guessed, it’s often not good. Not that we need any reminders of how badly we’ve treated the ocean and everything in it, but Francois has a way of singling out individual species and emphasizing their place in the world that makes it hit so hard. And makes you care so much about a little sardine (although the story of their extreme flatulence that caused a provocation between Sweden and the Soviet Union is utterly delightful). But humans can be living nightmares in how we treat other creatures, and unfortunately it resonates more from the up-close, detailed angles Francois uses.

What I loved so much was how he took one creature – an eel in a Swedish well, an orca named Old Tom, a giant clam off the shore of the Philippines, the idea of the “cry” of the tuna — and showed how much of the world each one of these things is. It reminded me strongly of Rachel Carson’s Under the Sea Wind, where each animal becomes a character, with its thoughts and feelings and drives explored, although I found this more scientific than fanciful.

Most delightfully, there are octopuses, and Francois’ interpretation of how close we may have come to these super-intelligent, skilled cephalopods running things is witty but also, not really a joke:

This inability to educate their young may have cost the octopuses their potential conquest of dry land, and with it the creation of cities, cathedrals, 4G satellites, subways at rush hour, social media arguments, tax paperwork, and all the other delights of modern civilization.” Perhaps they’re better off, but it’s regrettable all the same.

It manages to be funny, poetic, and highly informative — Francois is an excellent translator of marine science for the lay reader. He also has that lovely skill of being beautifully descriptive without going overboard — “The sea swelled in and ebbed out like a slow respiration, and when it breathed in, the water was so smooth you could see, through its crystal-clear depths, all that hid beneath the surface.”

I can’t stress enough how much impact he makes with these fairly brief stories, and these are important things to be aware of: I’ve thought a lot about one chapter detailing the business of flying codfish from the North Atlantic to China where factory workers inject them with chemicals to improve their color to appeal to European and North American buyers, then they’re flown back across the world, and the cheap labor coupled with the higher selling price of more cosmetically appealing fish is cost-effective enough to justify the flight, never mind the carbon footprint. Why are we like this.

Not to end on a bad, sad note: this is book is kind of weird, kind of surprising, and all-around delightful, plus it’s illustrated with pen-and-ink sketches of the fish described. It’s an immersive, insightful gem.

The underwater soundscape. How fish navigate by smell and taste as well as sound. What life might be like in the regions beyond light. The mystery of sardines. Reading this book will awaken you to the wonders and mysteries of the world beneath the waves.

Even in translation, this book itself is eloquent and beautiful. I took my time to savor reading it, immersing myself in its underwater stories.

The title is a bit misleading in that this book is not primarily about the sardine. Rather, the sardine is used as a launching point for the author's stories, from both personal experience and second hand accounts, about the magnificence of the life below the surface of the oceans and seas. The author references many sources for his stories about marine life including ancient authors, modern scientific studies, historical accounts of sailor's observations, tall tales of the sea, and his own extensive personal experiences.

The book purportedly aims to share the author's fascination with the ocean and concern for its future. In the second point it succeeds very well. I think that the author (or perhaps the translator?) could have done a better job of painting a picture of his experiences using words. There were quite a few points at which I was left confused by the narrative.

I also think that this book could have benefited from drawings or photographs of the unusual creatures that were discussed.

All in all, this was an enjoyable book but fell short of my expectations.

From the title and nicely illustrated cover of this book you may think it is all about the life of sardines. The book does tell some stories about them, however, it is really a comprehensive overview of the ocean and creatures that live in the ocean. The author shares his first hand observations, historical and current information, and interesting tales from around the world about the creatures of the sea. It is an engaging story told with the hopes of inspiring the reader to want to protect it and the ocean biota. Filled with interesting anecdotes and lots of facts that paint a vivid picture of the wonders of the ocean while making the reader ponder the unknowns of the deep. The author spends a chapter on the topic of the negative impact of trawling and overfishing providing important information for readers to consider, especially when choosing what seafood to eat or not eat. This book would make a great read for students, policymakers, and anyone else interested in the wonders of our oceans.

A beautifully written ode to the sea,So many creatures fascinating to read about their world the author brings emotions and awe to his writing.This was s really wonderful book to sit down & read & learn so many interesting facts.#netgalley #st.Martins books

Eloquence of the Sardine is a beautifully written and evocative ode to the sea and the life and drama to be found there, written by Bill François. Due out 17th Aug 2021 from Macmillan on their St. Martin's Press imprint, it's 192 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately; it makes it so easy to find information with the search function.

This is that rarest of beasts - carefully, scientifically correct, popular writing which is layman accessible, accurate, and lyrically pleasantly written. I was drawn in from the first, as the author describes his somewhat inauspicious start as a child who had a healthy fear of the ocean until an encounter with a sardine and early snorkeling experiences unlocked a lifelong fascination with the underwater world.

The author relays his fascination through vignettes and stories of different species and their environments. The chapters aren't annotated and there's no bibliography for further reading, but it was nice to be able to read about tuna, eels, dolphins, shellfish, and other creatures without any interruption or distractions chasing down references and sources.

This was a very relaxing and engaging read, with the perfect amount of science and information without the slightest difficulty understanding what's being said. The book was originally written in French, and for me the translation work in the English edition was seamless; it didn't read as though it had been translated.

Five stars. This would be a good selection for public or school library acquisition, for the home library, or for readers who enjoy popular science.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Incredibly fascinating stories about marine lives, some familiar to us, and some completely new. It made me realize how important it is to protect and preserve our waters.

Thanks to Net Galley and St. Martin's. I've been reading and watching oodles this year about the ocean and the skies, and the abundance of beautiful creatures that live there. A recent favorite is The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson, a minor masterpiece of a complicated ray-finned fish and the many lives it leads between its beginning and its end.

The Eloquence of the Sardine is a nuanced portrait of not only this fish but so much more. It is written in gorgeous prose, almost like poetry in some places. It's about life under and over the sea, peppered with science and humor. Bill Francois has collected many stories of his global adventures in this telling, about his frailties and triumphs, sometimes funny, sometimes not but always fascinating.

This starts off as a love letter to the sea but quickly turns into the author attempting to justify why it's ok that he continues to eat fish/shellfish despite knowing the damage the fishing industry has caused the world's oceans. At that point, he pretty much lost me. I struggle to believe that people who consume fish/shellfish can actually have as much respect for the ocean as they claim to. But that's just my two cents. Overall I enjoyed the science and fun facts but could have done without his ordering habit in restaurants or his personal experiences cooking and eating fish.

Reading this book was a beautifully poetic multisensory experience! The Mediterranean reminds me of music which in times of calm is soothing and in times of storm is powerful and loud, but always majestic. When swimming and snorkeling in the Mediterranean going forward I will view things differently with my newly-acquired knowledge of the behaviours of underwater creatures. The author details his passion with childhood anecdotes and flashbacks. No wonder he became a scientist!

Filled to the gills with layers of science, history, legend, myth and personal experience, this book is lovely and refreshing. Oh, how I enjoyed it! How wondrous these creatures are and amazing that only about 10% have been identified. I learned more about mantis shrimp signals, "cold currents", an unobserved whale species, cleaning fish (so THAT is what they are doing!), devotion of octopus mothers, tunas which just never stop, dolphin "accents", sacred Tehhelet from the Old Testament, weird urination of the prawns, acquired versus innate knowledge and listening to the stories they all tell. Because they all DO have stories to tell. We just need to be curious, in tune with them and observe with all our senses.

As a sea fanatic, this book is my wheelhouse, gorgeously descriptive and full of information. It was akin to gulping fresh air as though I couldn't get enough.

Those who love the water and creatures within ought to read this. It is part story telling, part science and wholly fantastic. The author answered so many of my questions and caused me to contemplate more. The more one knows the more one yearns to know.

My sincere thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this brilliant book!

Bill François has penned a hauntingly beautiful love letter to the sea, paying homage to all of her curious creatures. The book is swimming with nostalgia, big fish stories, science, and little known facts. As a fellow Thalassophile, this book evoked many personal memories where I felt both enchanted and overwhelmed by the magnitude and the mystery of the underwater world. A must-read for any ocean lover in your life!

Bill Francois starts his book with a childhood anecdote, letting the reader know why and how he became interested in diving deeper (ha!) into the world of fish. The personal touches throughout the book are fluid and poetic and contain more emotion and impression than science. Every detail Francois gives the reader about underwater life is told with such excitement and passion. He doesn't go in depth about any one creature. He focuses more on some than others (like the sardine, the tuna, and the remora, for example), but the book mostly contains snapshots that show us how interesting, exciting, and spectacular marine life is.
There's a somewhat choppy narrative since Francois goes back and forth, sometimes smoothly, often not, between stories in his own life and experiences and parallels with sea creatures and their stories. I don't mind the switches back and forth even when they are a little choppy because Francois' passion and gentleness towards sea life is so palpable.
I also like that Francois involves commentary on humans and their society in his book, such as a passage that really spoke to me towards the end about communication, another one about the "metro, boulot, dodo" (subway, work, sleep) daily grind that humans get trapped in, and a very moving passage at the end about the stories we tell and share and the stories of the sea and its creatures. The greatest message for me is that we should respect the sea and its living creatures because we're all part of the same picture. We used to have deeper relationships and understandings, but we've lost those connections because of industrialization, mostly, and we become disconnected from the world around us. But if we regain our respect for all life, even and especially life we don't understand, we'll have a much richer experience all around.
Overall, Francois tells some really interesting stories about sea creatures. He makes great connections and parallels to humans and their above-sea world, and he conveys scientific knowledge in such a way that it feels more personal than clinical. One of his accounts brought tears to my eyes, and others made me talk out loud, responding as I read with frustration at the way marine life is treated or with fascination at how awesome God's creation is.
I strongly recommend this book if you're already a marine life lover or if you'd like to learn more about the weird and interesting things that go on under the sea.

I so enjoyed this view into what lives in the oceans, lakes and streams around us. The passion for the authors love of the ocean was clearly evident.
Very interesting information on various fish, plus explorations into the folklore and tales of the sea.
This is truly a love story to the oceans and a pleasure to read.

Eloquence of the Sardine
Extraordinary Encounters Beneath the Sea
by Bill François
St. Martin's Press

I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this phenomenal book! The author has a way of not just writing about sea life but making me feel one with the sea and its life as I read his words. It's such a good feeling that I had to read this book twice!

This book is a feel good book but also very informative along the way. As he takes the reader on his many undersea adventures, we learn about his love of the animals and that comes across so strongly that it is infused into his writing and transferred to the reader. As he goes, he embarks some interesting and astonishing facts about each animal. He does it in such a way that suddenly this new friend we were introduced to is a superstar! They are even more fascinating than before. Somehow, we seems even closer to the animal like we know a family secret.

For each animal, even the giant mussel, or an eel, so much attention and care is given to these creatures that I couldn't help but want to be there myself! Of course, the lover of the smallest of them has to give us the hard facts about what mankind is doing to the sea life. To these splendid new friends. To others like them we haven't met.

I recommend this book for anyone who needs a feel good book, wants to feel close to nature for a while, or as a gift for the animal or sea lover.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.
A book about fishes and other creatures and legends of the sea. Very interesting especially if you like a deep dive into a subject. Who knew fish could be so interesting. There are a couple of preachy bits about how we are abusing the seas and their resources, which unfortunately we are. Good read.

Part memoir, part travelogue, part anthropology text, and part natural history, this book is a collection of stories mostly about fish. As the title suggests there is the Sardine, but the Sardine is not alone; we are introduced to a full range of fish and some shellfish and crustaceans. Many of the fish described are Europe-centric but more than a few of these fish travel widely. Many fun facts, including human fish interactions throughout history. A fun read!

This is a beautiful love sonnet for the sea. I was expecting it to be just information about sardines, but the sardines are more of a metaphor for the mystery and beauty of the ocean. There were a lot of different sea creatures and ocean experiences that were mentioned in different anecdotes and trivia facts, but they were all tied together with really poetic language about the wonder of the sea. This book gave me a really calming feeling while I was reading it, and if you love the ocean, this is a really great book that I would recommend.

The publisher reached out to me after reading my review of Spying on Whales and offered me an advance digital galley through NetGalley. Originally published in France in 2019 (as Éloquence de la sardine), this reads at times like a children’s book. And yet, any adult who has an affinity or connection to the ocean, though really... anyone ... should enjoy it. François is a physicist who was working on his PhD at the time he wrote/published. His thesis? “fluid mechanics applied to the swimming of schools of fish.” I have a couple of degrees in mechanical engineering and have had multiple fluid mechanics courses, including at the graduate level, and I can't imagine the models he had to create. The good thing for the reader of this is that you won't have to imagine any of that either. You’ll find this to be lyrical... poetic prose...

"With a plastic tube in my mouth and a Plexiglas screen over my eyes, this world, so blurry beneath its reflective surface, was suddenly unveiled, crisp and crystal clear. Once I was over its thin border, this inhospitable element suddenly became transparent and buoyed me gently. I could fly, look, and breathe through it. But I couldn't speak. The snorkel had transformed my voice into bursts of crude, primordial breathing sounds."

...with facts of course (though they are uncited..."When they gathered for the night, these herring engaged in a rather unique form of chitchat. They communicated among themselves by means of flatulence!") Antony Sugaat is responsible for the English translation and I am sure François’s native French is just as lyrical. He certainly is passionate about the subject - it comes through in the short stories he crafts about the different creatures under the sea.

The author is a curiosity. His writing reflects a deep love of the ocean and the inhabitants he's encountered since childhood (plus more than the titular sardine he's learned about and shares here), and he talks also about seafood. I thought this humorous:

"In fish soup, or bouillabaisse, there is a blend of stories, if you're willing to listen closely. Every port on the Mediterranean will tell you that it alone uses the authentic recipe: extra saffron, less white wine, more aniseed, longer cooking time, leeks... I won't reveal my own recipe here for fear of starting a long and tiresome debate, and because a secret recipe should remain secret."

But, he says, the recipe contains the rules "our ancestors imposed to protect the sea" - variety of ingredients. Don't overfish. But that was before Homo sapiens came into his most destructive modern self. He said at one point "We may have come down from the trees, but we never truly conquered the sea." (Emphasis mine.) I am not fond of that word from the human species perspective as it relates to the world, but that's me. And it ties probably accidentally on François’s part (or at least the translated word does) to the loss of protection of the oceans. At any rate, in that context, François was relating a theory that aquatic environments played a role in human evolution.

"I spent years in the city trying to regain my place in nature, attempting to grasp the stories of fish amid the noise of the streets. I had no idea just how close to me nature really was. I didn't have and inkling of the surprising discoveries I would make, just a few yards from my apartment, and the incredible species I would encounter beneath the concrete of the city's sidewalks and streets."

François talks of the street-fishers who work the rivers beneath the streets. And he give the inhabitants a touch of flair:

" Like terrestrial Parisians, aquatic Parisians are Parisians first and foremost. They even share the same personalities, so typical of the French capital.
Aquatic Parisians are elegant snobs, especially in the nice neighborhoods."


I have only touched a micro-sampling of the stories in this short book. The author sums it well with a wish: "I hope these aquatic reveries leave you with a few dreams, a few ideas, and the desire to share them with friends." Once I got over my irrational fear years ago (I can't explain it ... I freaked the first time snorkeling off of Cozumel when the clear water showed the bottom dropping 40 feet below me as I passed the shallow breakers), I love snorkeling with the fishies. I won't scuba - not fond of paying every time I want to play - but I've seen some wonderful creatures off the Honduras, Belize, Mexico, St. Martins, the Gulf of Mexico, and other places.