MONK SEALS IN ANTIQUITY

MONK SEALS IN POST-CLASSICAL HISTORY

Two titles focusing on “Europe’s most endangered marine mammal,” the Mediterranean monk seal, and its role in the history, culture and ecological decline of the Mediterranean Sea.

Although it may be thought of as an obscure species today, its very survival hanging by a thread, the Mediterranean monk seal has appeared in numerous writings inked onto papyrus, parchment or paper during the last 3000 years.

Homer, Aristotle, Hippocrates, Plutarch, Galen, Avicenna and Gesner are among some of the ancient and Renaissance world luminaries who recorded observations about the Mediterranean seal and its relationship to human culture, folklore, science and economy.

With the monk seal now sometimes referred to as an ecological barometer of the ailing sea it inhabits, this two-part history also seeks to explore the extent to which ancient human attitudes towards the species are still prevalent today.

*   *   *   *   *

THE ROSE-TINTED MENAGERIE

A History of Animals in Entertainment,
from Ancient Rome to the 20th century

The full, 325-page edition of The Rose-Tinted Menagerie has now been republished online, offering readers a free, fully searchable electronic resource on all matters relating to circus history, whales and dolphins in captivity, and the devastating impact of utilitarian human attitudes towards nature and animals.

*   *   *   *   *

MAKING A KILLING

Everything you ever wanted to know about the end of the world, but were always too afraid to ask…

"A mind-blowing and witty exposé… A no-holds barred, no mercy account of the conservation mercenaries’ (Have Bad News – Will Travel – First Class) successful efforts to get a rich living from a dying planet…"
~ Ian MacPhail, a founder of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) ~

‘[A] sharp, brilliantly observed book [that] deserves a wide audience… William Johnson courageously pulls no punches…’
~ Virginia McKenna ~

*   *   *   *   *

THE MONK SEAL CONSPIRACY

Wild landscapes and political intrigue
among the scattered islands of the Aegean

Iridescent Publishing presents the full, unabridged version of The Monk Seal Conspiracy. The book takes the reader to the lush island of Samos in the Eastern Aegean, into the headquarters of the Greek intelligence services, into confidential meetings of the world’s most influential conservation organizations… Vividly-described episodes, both comical and poignant, describe the fight to save Europe’s most endangered marine mammal and its polluted, tourist-jammed habitat.