First I should admit that I love the River Monsters television program, partly because of the many fishing trips in my childhood - ah, fishing nostalgia. I also studied documentary film in grad school, so I'm always up for an animal/travel documentary. Those are my biases right up front, and so I was predisposed to enjoy the book.

I read River Monsters hoping for more background on what it was like to film in such difficult situations, and the book definitely provided many interesting stories, some specifically about the difficulty of filming for television (and under a deadline). One thing I hadn't expected was so much background on Wade, the author, and why he has a continued to look for fish in such obscure places - not to mention how he started making such trips in the first place. It's very much a personal mission for him and not just a sport - his catch-and-release mode of fishing is not just for the camera. Wade repeatedly stresses the problems of a diminishing fish population as well as loss of habitat. The book's bibliography was a plus, though sadly many of the texts are ones that are no longer in print (because I did want to hunt down a few!).

A quote to give you an idea of Wade's style:

Page 148 - on having caught his first river stingray
"...I'm momentarily transfixed, torn between curiosity and fear. I can pull it up the gently sloping mud bank, but then what? Already thought is lagging behind events, as the blotchy brown mass slides up wet mud toward me, its amorphous margins flowing into the craters left by retreating feet. In the center of the yard-wide disc is a raised turret where two eyes open and close, flashing black. And it's bellowing. A loud rhythmic sound that is at first inexplicable until I realize that those blinking eyes are its spiracles, now sucking in air instead of water, which it is pumping out via gill slits on its underside. And all the while it brandishes that blade, stabbing the air like a scorpion..."

And a quote about how an early attempt didn't work out:

Page 56
"...The Congo trip was a disaster. The destination this time was the People's Republic of Congo, the former French colony west of Zaire - and a more user-friendly part of the river. But again water conditions were wrong... In the end we floated down on a log raft that was steered by a small tug skippered by an incompetent drunkard. I had persuaded Martin to join us on this adventure of a lifetime, and it did indeed live up to its billing. He remembers to this day the moment a Congolese man stepped over my prone body as I lay passed out with chronic malaria. "I thought I was going to come back home without you," he's told me many times since. "The man just shrugged and said it was possible that you were going to die."

From these quotes you can see that Wade is describing not the usual quiet fishing trip, but hardships and bizarre creatures. It's not all action - there are many more sections of thoughtful descriptions and Wade's concerns for the future of certain fish. If you enjoyed Wade's television program but wished more detail about the places, the wildlife, and the science, then you should find this an enjoyable read.
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Highly enjoyable account of extreme angler Jeremy Wade's quest to find the world's biggest fish. This book does not disappoint. It is absolutely riveting. Wade brings you up close and personal with some of the water's biggest monsters. ( )

I really love Jeremy Wade's "River Monsters" show on tv. In fact, it's become a bit of a weekly event for me and my three children (14, 11, 8-years old). So I was pretty psyched when I first saw that Wade was taking advantage of a new medium to further explore his very unique world and existence. His book is good, but it's uneven and disappointing relative to the high bar he's set for himself.

What makes Wade's show so special is not actually the fishing itself, but rather the integrated approach of his storytelling that blends mystery, travel, adventure, culture AND THEN fishing. I figured a book would give Wade an opportunity to expand on the elements of his trips that simply can't fit into a short 50+ minute weekly show. Jeremy delivers, but only sometimes and inconsistently. He squeezed 18 chapters into less than 300 pages when he probably should've focused on half as many different tales and expanded further on the experiences surrounding the fishing.

Wade is a strong communicator and I couldn't help but hear his soft English accent and very calm and genuine passion in the writing. He's at his best when he deftly weaves his personal history into his stories. It's hard to remember that Wade lived a very full life before he started to share his experiences on "River Monsters" and he provides some fun insights into his youth and meandering life as a young man...caught between wanting to fish the rest of his life and the reality of needing to live an 'accepted' life.

His best stories contain the same elements that make his best shows: adventure and challenge mixed with genuine cultural flavor from whatever remote area he’s exploring. I recommend this read, but keep in mind that it’s not all it can be. The best stories are focused on his searches to catch the elusive and dangerous Arapaima of the Amazon and the Goliath Tigerfish in the Congo.

Wade's show on Animal Planet is great television. It starts and ends with great story telling. Unfortunately, he did take full advantage of the more expansive writing medium to delve as deeply into his subjects as I, at least, wish he had. ( )