In Pursuit of Giants is a moving elegy and call to arms for the protection of the great fish of the sea—marlin, bluefin tuna, and swordfish. It’s an adventure story that takes author Matt Rigney across the globe on a quest to discover how once thriving species are now threatened. Rigney’s pilgrimage to encounter these giants of the sea takes him from the sportfishing mecca of Cabo San Lucas to the Great Barrier Reef, from New Zealand to Japan, the Mediterranean and elsewhere, as he joins commercial and recreational fishermen, marine biologists, fish-farming pioneers and activists to investigate the causes that have led to the demise of these creatures, and the various efforts being made—or not—to protect them.
In Pursuit of Giants combines the romance of a great sport narrative with the passionate advocacy of the best environmental writing. It recalls the spiritual power of Peter Matthiessen’s The Snow Leopard and will win comparisons to Mark Kurlansky’s Cod.
In 2017 the University Press of New England released the paperback of In Pursuit of Giants as part of its “SEAFARING AMERICA” series of original and classic works of nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and drama exploring the history of America’s engagement with our oceans and coastlines.