How to Speak Whale: A Voyage into the Future of Animal Communication

By Tom Mustill

‘Fascinating’ Greta Thunberg

‘Extraordinary’ Merlin Sheldrake

‘A must-read’ New Scientist

‘Enthralling’ George Monbiot

‘Brilliant’ Philip Hoare

Wildlife filmmaker Tom Mustill had always liked whales. But when one breached onto his kayak, nearly killing him, he became obsessed.

This book traces his extraordinary investigation into the deep ocean and the cutting-edge science of animal translation.

What would it take to speak with a whale? Are we ready for what they might say?

MORE PRAISE FOR HOW TO SPEAK WHALE

‘One of the most exciting and hopeful books I have read in ages’ SY MONTGOMERY, AUTHOR OF THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS

‘A narrative that will expand your concept of language and deepen your understanding of the many ways there are to be alive … It left me inspired’ MERLIN SHELDRAKE, AUTHOR OF ENTANGLED LIFE

‘A must-read … a hugely engaging personal story of a journey into the future of human-animal communication facilitated by delving into its past’ NEW SCIENTIST

‘Fascinating and deeply humane’ GRETA THUNBERG

‘A rich, enthralling, brilliant book that opens our eyes and ears to worlds we can scarcely imagine’ GEORGE MONBIOT, AUTHOR OF REGENESIS

‘Tantalizing … Think how transformative it would be if we could chat with whales about their love lives or their sorrows or their thoughts on the philosophy of language’ ELIZABETH KOLBERT, NEW YORKER

Format: Paperback
Release Date: 14 Sep 2023
Pages: 320
ISBN: 978-0-00-836342-0
Tom Mustill is a biologist turned filmmaker and writer, specializing in stories where people and nature meet. His film collaborations, many with Greta Thunberg and David Attenborough, have received numerous international awards, including two Webbys, a BAFTA, and an Emmy nomination. They have been played at the UN and COP 26, and been shared by heads of state, the World Health Organization, and Guns N’ Roses. He lives in London with his wife Annie; daughters Stella and Astrid; and the inhabitants of his small but surprisingly deep pond.www.grippingfilms.comInstagram @tommustillTwitter @tommustill

”'A rich exploration of some of the world's most astonishing creatures … Mustill weaves a narrative that will expand your concept of language and deepen your understanding of the many ways there are to be alive. This is an extraordinary book that left me inspired” - Merlin Sheldrake, author of Entangled Life

”'A must-read… a hugely engaging personal story of a journey into the future of human-animal communication facilitated by delving into its past” - New Scientist

”'[An] extensively researched and energetic book… it is via the informed, far-reaching empathy of intermediaries such as Mustill that we stand our best chance of seeing into the non-human depths” - New Statesman

”'First-class … Reasoned, entertaining, and fact-filled” - Forbes

”'Fascinating and deeply humane” - Greta Thunberg

‘A rich, enthralling, brilliant book that opens our eyes and ears to worlds we can scarcely imagine’George Monbiot, Sunday Times bestselling author of Regenesis -

”'Tantalizing … Think how transformative it would be if we could chat with whales about their love lives or their sorrows or their thoughts on the philosophy of language” - Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker

‘Mind-blowing … You will never feel closer to the magnificence of whales’Lucy Jones, author of Losing Eden -

‘A scary, important and brilliant book … If we do get to translate ‘whale’, will we like what they’ve got to say?’Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan -

”'Mustill takes us farther, much farther, than Dr. Dolittle ever imagined” - Carl Safina

”'Riveting … One of the most exciting and hopeful books I have read in ages” - Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus

”'Mustill conveys the richness of whale song and communication” - Frans de Waal

”'Lively and informative” - Jonathan Slaght, author of Owls of the Eastern Ice

”'Extraordinary” - Christiana Figueres