Whale song is an astonishing world of sound whose existence no one suspected before the 1960s. Its discovery has forced us to confront the possibility of alien intelligence—not in outer space but right here on earth. Thoughtful, richly detailed, and deeply entertaining, Whale Music uses the enigma of whale sounds to open up whales' underwater world of sonic mystery. In observing and talking with leading researchers from around the globe as they attempt to decipher undersea music, Rothenberg tells the story of scientists and musicians confronting an unknown as vast as the ocean itself. His search culminates in a grand attempt to make interspecies music by playing his clarinet with whales in their native habitats, from Russia to Canada to Hawaii.

This is a revised edition of Thousand Mile Song, originally published in 2008. The latest advances in cetacean science and interspecies communication have been incorporated into this new edition, along with added photographs and color whale scores.

A new album of music made together with whale sounds has been released together with this book, and can be listened to here.

“This guy is capable of some mean jazz with whales. Yes, with whales. . . . The results are astounding.”

—The New York Times

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“One of the 10 Best Science Books of the Year”

—Booklist

“They say that there are two peaks of intelligence on this planet: humans and cetaceans.… I humbly bow to their superiority, and I applaud David Rothenberg for opening their world to us.”

—Richard Ellis, author of Men and Whales and The Search for the Giant Squid

“Whale Music shows that sound and rhythm unite us all: cetaceans, humans and other animals.”  

  —Gaelin Rosenwaks, author of Sperm Whales: Gentle Giants of the Ocean

“By coming to a better understanding of these strange, beautiful, and sentient animals, we begin to understand ourselves, too.”

—London Daily Telegraph

"All Rothenberg's work—whether words or music—connects us to the beauty, power and awe of nature. Whale Music is a book that teaches about this mythical marine mammal and immerses us in its magical world of song.”

—Anne Doubilet, fellow of the Explorers Club and member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame

“It is now obviously urgent that we find a way back into balance with nature that observes, respects and integrates us into what we have left of the natural world. We will not be able to tackle that, without using the tools and the smart minds in the arts and sciences, engaged in crossing that divide and learning the chaotic creative joy of throwing all disciplines into one pot. It’s great to see and listen to David Rothenberg’s work, harnessing science and music to point out the path of potential dialogue with the natural world and all the wonderful creatures within it.”

—Peter Gabriel

ISBN 978-1949597-25-7
400 pp., 6 x 9 in, 30 color illus., 45 b&w illus.
$27.95