| Under the Sea Wind | |
|---|---|
1st edition |
|
| Author(s) | Rachel L. Carson |
| Illustrator | Howard French (1941), Robert W. Hines (1991) |
| Series | Penguin Nature Classics |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster, reissued by Penguin |
| Publication date | 1941 |
Under the Sea Wind (1941) is the first book by Rachel Carson. Originally published by Simon & Schuster, it received very good reviews but sold poorly in its first edition. After Carson's success with The Sea Around Us (1951), Under the Sea Wind was republished by Oxford University Press; this edition became a bestseller and was an alternate Book-of-the-Month Club selection. Today the book is recognised as one of the "definitive works of American nature writing,"[1] and has been reissued as part of the Penguin Nature Classics series.
Under the Sea Wind describes the behaviour of fish and seabirds accurately, but in story form, often using the scientific names of species as character names. Carson's stated goal in doing so was "to make the sea and its life as vivid a reality for those who may read the book as it has become for me during the past decade."[2] The first of her characters is introduced this way:
With the dusk a strange bird came to the island from its nesting grounds on the outer banks. Its wings were pure black, and from tip to tip their spread was more than the length of a man's arm. It flew steadily and without haste across the sound, its progress as measured and as meaningful as that of the shadows which little by little were dulling the bright water path. The bird was called Rynchops, the black skimmer.[3]
The middle section of the book follows the life-story of Scomber, the mackerel, while the last part describes pond creatures such as eels and ducks. A glossary at the end of the book provides additional detail.[4]
The style of Carson's writing makes the book suitable for children as well as adults, and the appeal is enhanced with illustrations, originally by Howard French, and replaced in 1991 with illustrations by Robert W. Hines. Carson acknowledged the influence of nature-novelist Henry Williamson on her writing style,[5] but uses her scientific expertise to ground Under the Sea Wind in scientifically accurate detail on each animal's appearance, diet and behaviour.[6]