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Big Meg: The Story of the Largest and Most Mysterious Predator that Ever Lived
When Tim Flannery was a boy he found a fossilised tooth of the giant shark megalodon at a Port Philip Bay beach near his home. This remarkable find—the tooth was large enough to cover his palm—sparked an interest in palaeontology that was to inform his life’s work and a lifelong quest to uncover the secrets of the world’s largest ever predator, the great shark Otodus megalodon .
Tim passed on his love of the natural world and interest in the fossil record to his daughter, Emma, a scientist and writer. And now, together, they have written a fascinating account of this ancient marine creature.
Big Meg charts the evolution of megalodon, its super-predator status for about fifteen million years and its decline and extinction. It delves into the fossil record to answer questions about its behaviour and role in shaping marine ecosystems as well as its impact on the human psyche. It contains stories of the scientist and amateur fossil hunters who have scoured the seas, and land, for fossil remains, drawn to the beauty and mystique of the great shark, sometimes meeting their death in the process.
Like the fossil record itself, this enthralling story is a piece of the great natural history of our planet.
Tim Flannery is a palaentologist, an explorer, a conservationist and a leading writer on climate change. He has held various academic positions including visiting Professor in Evolutionary and Organismic Biology at Harvard University, Director of the South Australian Museum, Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Museum, Professorial Fellow at the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne, and Panasonic Professor of Environmental Sustainability, Macquarie University. His books include the award-winning international bestseller The Weather Makers , Here on Earth , Atmosphere of Hope and The First 100 Million Years.
Emma Flannery is a scientist and writer. She has explored caves, forests and oceans across most of the globe’s continents in search of elusive fossils, animals and plants. Her research and writing on geology, chemistry and palaeontology has been published in scientific journals, children’s books and a number of museum-based adult education tours.
‘Flannery is not merely a scientist, he is also an entertainer…He deploys fantastic imagery and eye-popping factoids with aplomb, while condensing great volumes of hard science into his text…He brings to the most arcane topics an infectious enthusiasm coupled with a real talent for narrative and explanation.’ Weekend Australian on Here on Earth
‘A masterclass in science writing.’ New Zealand Listener on Europe
Tim passed on his love of the natural world and interest in the fossil record to his daughter, Emma, a scientist and writer. And now, together, they have written a fascinating account of this ancient marine creature.
Big Meg charts the evolution of megalodon, its super-predator status for about fifteen million years and its decline and extinction. It delves into the fossil record to answer questions about its behaviour and role in shaping marine ecosystems as well as its impact on the human psyche. It contains stories of the scientist and amateur fossil hunters who have scoured the seas, and land, for fossil remains, drawn to the beauty and mystique of the great shark, sometimes meeting their death in the process.
Like the fossil record itself, this enthralling story is a piece of the great natural history of our planet.
Tim Flannery is a palaentologist, an explorer, a conservationist and a leading writer on climate change. He has held various academic positions including visiting Professor in Evolutionary and Organismic Biology at Harvard University, Director of the South Australian Museum, Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Museum, Professorial Fellow at the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne, and Panasonic Professor of Environmental Sustainability, Macquarie University. His books include the award-winning international bestseller The Weather Makers , Here on Earth , Atmosphere of Hope and The First 100 Million Years.
Emma Flannery is a scientist and writer. She has explored caves, forests and oceans across most of the globe’s continents in search of elusive fossils, animals and plants. Her research and writing on geology, chemistry and palaeontology has been published in scientific journals, children’s books and a number of museum-based adult education tours.
‘Flannery is not merely a scientist, he is also an entertainer…He deploys fantastic imagery and eye-popping factoids with aplomb, while condensing great volumes of hard science into his text…He brings to the most arcane topics an infectious enthusiasm coupled with a real talent for narrative and explanation.’ Weekend Australian on Here on Earth
‘A masterclass in science writing.’ New Zealand Listener on Europe
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2023
53 people are currently reading
3625 people want to read
About the author
Tim Flannery
132 books388 followersTim Flannery is one of Australia's leading thinkers and writers.
An internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer and conservationist, he has published more than 130 peer-reviewed scientific papers and many books. His books include the landmark works The Future Eaters and The Weather Makers, which has been translated into more than 20 languages and in 2006 won the NSW Premiers Literary Prizes for Best Critical Writing and Book of the Year.
He received a Centenary of Federation Medal for his services to Australian science and in 2002 delivered the Australia Day address. In 2005 he was named Australian Humanist of the Year, and in 2007 honoured as Australian of the Year.
He spent a year teaching at Harvard, and is a founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, a director of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, and the National Geographic Society's representative in Australasia. He serves on the board of WWF International (London and Gland) and on the sustainability advisory councils of Siemens (Munich) and Tata Power (Mumbai).
In 2007 he co-founded and was appointed Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council, a coalition of community, business, and political leaders who came together to confront climate change.
Tim Flannery is currently Professor of Science at Maquarie University, Sydney.
An internationally acclaimed scientist, explorer and conservationist, he has published more than 130 peer-reviewed scientific papers and many books. His books include the landmark works The Future Eaters and The Weather Makers, which has been translated into more than 20 languages and in 2006 won the NSW Premiers Literary Prizes for Best Critical Writing and Book of the Year.
He received a Centenary of Federation Medal for his services to Australian science and in 2002 delivered the Australia Day address. In 2005 he was named Australian Humanist of the Year, and in 2007 honoured as Australian of the Year.
He spent a year teaching at Harvard, and is a founding member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists, a director of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, and the National Geographic Society's representative in Australasia. He serves on the board of WWF International (London and Gland) and on the sustainability advisory councils of Siemens (Munich) and Tata Power (Mumbai).
In 2007 he co-founded and was appointed Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council, a coalition of community, business, and political leaders who came together to confront climate change.
Tim Flannery is currently Professor of Science at Maquarie University, Sydney.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
September 28, 2023
Fun and insightful book about a creature from prehistory that has been lost but not forgotten. I really enjoyed much of the history lesson regarding the time when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Definitely recommend this to anyone who loves topics like this, it was very well written and the interplay between the author and his daughter lent a personal touch that elevated the book that much more.
March 17, 2024
Free Range Reading
I have developed many odd interests over the last 60 years. Paleontology has been a long lasting love. My father used to tell me that I knew the names of “all the dinosaurs" by the time I was three (an exaggeration I'm sure). In the last decade or so, I've also become fascinated with fossil fishes. Attendance at a lecture/slide show by the artist Ray Troll sparked my interest (check out his website for fabulous fin art).
Anyone who has read Peter Benchley's Jaws will understand the lure of the gigantic prehistoric shark Megalodon. Shark fossils are particularly scanty, as their skeletons are mostly cartilaginous rather than bone and cartilage doesn't preserve well in the fossil record. However it is amazing what scientists have been able to piece together from what there is available: range maps, possible birthing localities, diets, possible habits and causes of extinction (although the last two items seem rather more speculative).
The ocean is a mysterious place to most of us and its predators are a source of fascination. There is good reason that there are many shark gods envisioned by the people of Oceania. Our current world has an impoverished ocean, with sharks and other fish, whales, even corals and other small creatures in decline. Nevertheless, there are those who would like to believe that the Megalodon still lurks in the depths. I suppose anything is possible, but it seems to me that there just aren't enough food species left to maintain a sustainable population of this enormous shark. But I think it is natural, in a world where so many species teeter on the edge of extinction, to hope that this awesome predator is still out there.
I've read other books by Tim Flannery which I also found enjoyable. He provides accurate information (although paleontology is a science prone to revision as new specimens are studied) and he writes in a clear, accessible style. I get the impression that he truly loves sharing his knowledge. If you are particularly interested in fossil sharks, I would also recommend Resurrecting the Shark: A Scientific Obsession and the Mavericks Who Solved the Mystery of a 270-Million-Year-Old Fossil. If fossil fishes in general are your jam, The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution might suit you. If you are intrigued by the connection between fish and land animals, Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body is a great choice.
I have developed many odd interests over the last 60 years. Paleontology has been a long lasting love. My father used to tell me that I knew the names of “all the dinosaurs" by the time I was three (an exaggeration I'm sure). In the last decade or so, I've also become fascinated with fossil fishes. Attendance at a lecture/slide show by the artist Ray Troll sparked my interest (check out his website for fabulous fin art).
Anyone who has read Peter Benchley's Jaws will understand the lure of the gigantic prehistoric shark Megalodon. Shark fossils are particularly scanty, as their skeletons are mostly cartilaginous rather than bone and cartilage doesn't preserve well in the fossil record. However it is amazing what scientists have been able to piece together from what there is available: range maps, possible birthing localities, diets, possible habits and causes of extinction (although the last two items seem rather more speculative).
The ocean is a mysterious place to most of us and its predators are a source of fascination. There is good reason that there are many shark gods envisioned by the people of Oceania. Our current world has an impoverished ocean, with sharks and other fish, whales, even corals and other small creatures in decline. Nevertheless, there are those who would like to believe that the Megalodon still lurks in the depths. I suppose anything is possible, but it seems to me that there just aren't enough food species left to maintain a sustainable population of this enormous shark. But I think it is natural, in a world where so many species teeter on the edge of extinction, to hope that this awesome predator is still out there.
I've read other books by Tim Flannery which I also found enjoyable. He provides accurate information (although paleontology is a science prone to revision as new specimens are studied) and he writes in a clear, accessible style. I get the impression that he truly loves sharing his knowledge. If you are particularly interested in fossil sharks, I would also recommend Resurrecting the Shark: A Scientific Obsession and the Mavericks Who Solved the Mystery of a 270-Million-Year-Old Fossil. If fossil fishes in general are your jam, The Rise of Fishes: 500 Million Years of Evolution might suit you. If you are intrigued by the connection between fish and land animals, Your Inner Fish: a Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body is a great choice.
December 30, 2023
I have read several books by Tim Flannery, and I always enjoy them. This was no exception. Well written, properly researched, this book is a collection of stories and information on the extinct Megalodon shark. There are also chapters on today's sharks, the possibilities of "big Meg" still existing today, and on personal stories from the authors. Definitely recommended for fossil lovers, ocean enjoyers, shark people, biologists, scientists.. anyone, really. I read an advanced reader's copy, I hope the final version will have some photos as well, that would really make the book perfect.
Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to read & review. These are my honest opinions.
Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to read & review. These are my honest opinions.
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July 30, 2024I don't rate nonfiction.
A really interesting look at the, now extinct, apex predator of the oceans - the megalodon. I'd say, although I'm a former geology student, I was never that invested in learning about megaldons however I found this engaging and easy to follow. A good introduction to the topic, Tim Flannery clearly knows his stuff and tells it with a great dollop of enthusiasm.
A really interesting look at the, now extinct, apex predator of the oceans - the megalodon. I'd say, although I'm a former geology student, I was never that invested in learning about megaldons however I found this engaging and easy to follow. A good introduction to the topic, Tim Flannery clearly knows his stuff and tells it with a great dollop of enthusiasm.
September 7, 2023
4.5★s
Big Meg is a non-fiction book by Australian palaeontologist, explorer, conservationist, and climate change writer, Tim Flannery, and his daughter, scientist and writer, Emma Flannery. The Megalodon tooth that seventeen-year-old Tim finds after a flood initiates a life-long fascination with the world’s largest-ever predator.
But, being a shark, the only fossil finds are teeth and some vertebra with growth bands that offer some idea of growth rate and age; there are no bones, so scientists can only speculate on its physical form and shape.
What is known about Megalodon is that it had a lifespan of up to 100 years, was probably warm-blooded, born at up to two metres long (probably aided by voracious intrauterine cannibalism of siblings) and a fast growth rate to an adult length of fifteen to possibly twenty metres.
Their diet is known, to some extent, from their tooth marks on the fossilised bones of their prey. Comparison to other sharks indicates that they’re not descended from, or ancestors of, the great whites, a comparison that will see readers knowing more than they ever thought possible about sharks without getting bored. One of those many sharks mentioned, still living in our times, is the cookie-cutter shark: from the description of how they feed, definitely one to avoid!!
The large birth size and rapid growth rate are possibly what allowed the Megalodon to become a gigantic super-predator, preying on other large predators, likely including other Megalodon. Members of the lineage thrived for fifty million years, and Megalodon was around for 20 million years, then, in the space of about two million years, were extinct: a mystery.
Scientists employ many sophisticated techniques to try to pin down the when of that extinction, hoping thereby to discover the why, but not all are useful. Theories on the why include the Earth’s cooling possibly affection food availability, the reduction in nursery grounds, sea level changes affecting migration routes, and I creased competition from other predators.
The abundance of Megalodon tooth fossils, weighing up to 1.4kg, can be attributed to the fact that many sharks completely replace their dentition every few weeks. Humans put those plentiful fossils to numerous uses: as jewellery, protection against evils, as hunting charms and as tools. In the 17th Century, the Megalodon tooth was believed to detect poison, to turn the evil eye.
Flannery describes the people who chase these fossils and the lengths to which they will go, diving in dangerous conditions, losing their lives. He describes how poachers frustrate researchers; how movies and TV have changed attitudes to sharks; how deterrents are of questionable efficacy.
Chapter 10: Shark Eats Man describes the many encounters that humans have with sharks and quantifies the risk: “The risk of death from attack by any shark is very small – around 1 in 3.7 million. That is minute when compared with the risk of being shot and killed in the USA (which in 2020 was about 16 in 100,000) or being killed in a car accident.” But it also warns that even in the Amazon River, when there are already many potential dangers, attack from a bull shark can occur 4200km inland. Chapter 11: Man Eats Shark comments on shark nets and the particular cruelty that goes into making shark fin soup.
The authors’ extensive academic credentials certainly lend weight to whatever conclusions they draw about this enigmatic creature. There are four colour plates to enhance the text, a handy index and four pages of comprehensive references. Flannery has a talent for taking a potentially dry topic and keeping it interesting and sometimes gob-smacking, informative, entertaining and even amusing.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Text Publishing.
Big Meg is a non-fiction book by Australian palaeontologist, explorer, conservationist, and climate change writer, Tim Flannery, and his daughter, scientist and writer, Emma Flannery. The Megalodon tooth that seventeen-year-old Tim finds after a flood initiates a life-long fascination with the world’s largest-ever predator.
But, being a shark, the only fossil finds are teeth and some vertebra with growth bands that offer some idea of growth rate and age; there are no bones, so scientists can only speculate on its physical form and shape.
What is known about Megalodon is that it had a lifespan of up to 100 years, was probably warm-blooded, born at up to two metres long (probably aided by voracious intrauterine cannibalism of siblings) and a fast growth rate to an adult length of fifteen to possibly twenty metres.
Their diet is known, to some extent, from their tooth marks on the fossilised bones of their prey. Comparison to other sharks indicates that they’re not descended from, or ancestors of, the great whites, a comparison that will see readers knowing more than they ever thought possible about sharks without getting bored. One of those many sharks mentioned, still living in our times, is the cookie-cutter shark: from the description of how they feed, definitely one to avoid!!
The large birth size and rapid growth rate are possibly what allowed the Megalodon to become a gigantic super-predator, preying on other large predators, likely including other Megalodon. Members of the lineage thrived for fifty million years, and Megalodon was around for 20 million years, then, in the space of about two million years, were extinct: a mystery.
Scientists employ many sophisticated techniques to try to pin down the when of that extinction, hoping thereby to discover the why, but not all are useful. Theories on the why include the Earth’s cooling possibly affection food availability, the reduction in nursery grounds, sea level changes affecting migration routes, and I creased competition from other predators.
The abundance of Megalodon tooth fossils, weighing up to 1.4kg, can be attributed to the fact that many sharks completely replace their dentition every few weeks. Humans put those plentiful fossils to numerous uses: as jewellery, protection against evils, as hunting charms and as tools. In the 17th Century, the Megalodon tooth was believed to detect poison, to turn the evil eye.
Flannery describes the people who chase these fossils and the lengths to which they will go, diving in dangerous conditions, losing their lives. He describes how poachers frustrate researchers; how movies and TV have changed attitudes to sharks; how deterrents are of questionable efficacy.
Chapter 10: Shark Eats Man describes the many encounters that humans have with sharks and quantifies the risk: “The risk of death from attack by any shark is very small – around 1 in 3.7 million. That is minute when compared with the risk of being shot and killed in the USA (which in 2020 was about 16 in 100,000) or being killed in a car accident.” But it also warns that even in the Amazon River, when there are already many potential dangers, attack from a bull shark can occur 4200km inland. Chapter 11: Man Eats Shark comments on shark nets and the particular cruelty that goes into making shark fin soup.
The authors’ extensive academic credentials certainly lend weight to whatever conclusions they draw about this enigmatic creature. There are four colour plates to enhance the text, a handy index and four pages of comprehensive references. Flannery has a talent for taking a potentially dry topic and keeping it interesting and sometimes gob-smacking, informative, entertaining and even amusing.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by Text Publishing.
September 9, 2024
Fascinating read on the bad boy of the sea. Clearly doesn't help/stop my phobia of sharks.
September 6, 2023
Trigger warnings: blood, gore, shark attack, animal death
Me: a trash human who freaking LOVES shark movies/books and dinosaur movies/books
This book: is about the megalodon
Me: *heart eyes*
Could I have happily gone my entire life not knowing about goblin sharks and their teeth being on ligaments or cookie cutter sharks and their horrifying chomping habits? YUP. Did I have a delightful time learning about megalodons and their history? ABSOLUTELY.
A fast paced short read that I devoured (ha) in two sittings.
Me: a trash human who freaking LOVES shark movies/books and dinosaur movies/books
This book: is about the megalodon
Me: *heart eyes*
Could I have happily gone my entire life not knowing about goblin sharks and their teeth being on ligaments or cookie cutter sharks and their horrifying chomping habits? YUP. Did I have a delightful time learning about megalodons and their history? ABSOLUTELY.
A fast paced short read that I devoured (ha) in two sittings.
November 18, 2023
Rating: 3.75 stars
Sharks have cartilage, instead of bone, which doesn't fossilize very well. So almost everything we know about the giant, prehistoric shark, Megalodon, comes from the plethora of over-sized, fossilized teeth lying around. Thus, we have this rather slim volume. Just over half the book is dedicated to what scientists can determine and extrapolate from fossils about the evolution, life-style (growth, behaviour, mating, gestation, birth, feeding), ecological place, and extinction of the Megalodon. The latter, rambling, half of the book feels a bit like filler (some of which is interesting, some of which is not), and deals with things like ancient human trade in (and use of) fossil shark teeth, the use of Megalodon teeth as Medieval poison detector and deodorant (I don't think this one worked very well!), the fact that the extinct Megalodon still manages to kill an average of two people per year, the dozens of places where one can find fossil shark teeth, the effect man has on sharks, and the effect that sharks have on man (physical and psychological). There are a few photos (mostly of teeth), but this book really could have done with a whole many more illustrations. The book is engaging, easy to read, and, on the whole, very interesting.
Another Recommended Book about a Prehistoric Shark:
Resurrecting the Shark: A Scientific Obsession and the Mavericks Who Solved the Mystery of a 270-Million-Year-Old Fossil by Susan Ewing
Sharks have cartilage, instead of bone, which doesn't fossilize very well. So almost everything we know about the giant, prehistoric shark, Megalodon, comes from the plethora of over-sized, fossilized teeth lying around. Thus, we have this rather slim volume. Just over half the book is dedicated to what scientists can determine and extrapolate from fossils about the evolution, life-style (growth, behaviour, mating, gestation, birth, feeding), ecological place, and extinction of the Megalodon. The latter, rambling, half of the book feels a bit like filler (some of which is interesting, some of which is not), and deals with things like ancient human trade in (and use of) fossil shark teeth, the use of Megalodon teeth as Medieval poison detector and deodorant (I don't think this one worked very well!), the fact that the extinct Megalodon still manages to kill an average of two people per year, the dozens of places where one can find fossil shark teeth, the effect man has on sharks, and the effect that sharks have on man (physical and psychological). There are a few photos (mostly of teeth), but this book really could have done with a whole many more illustrations. The book is engaging, easy to read, and, on the whole, very interesting.
Another Recommended Book about a Prehistoric Shark:
Resurrecting the Shark: A Scientific Obsession and the Mavericks Who Solved the Mystery of a 270-Million-Year-Old Fossil by Susan Ewing
February 25, 2024
Let's call this 3.5 stars. It's a quick and easy read on a fascinating subject, but the author does go on a little too long about the joys of fossilized teeth...and as a result, some of the text feels repetitive. Still, as a one-stop-shop for the story of Megalodon, it does what it says on the tin.
February 4, 2024
This is a wonderful book for both those obsessed with the long-extinct megalodon, or sharks in general. Myself, I belong much more to the latter category. The "Big Meg" never has interested me as much as certain sharks that still grace our planet (and hopefully will continue to do so for a long time to come, providing the majority of us humans are able to get our act together and stop destroying the oceans and rivers). By all means, the idea that such a gargantuan fish, obviously so capable of inflicting catastrophic damage to the largest of animals, ever roamed the seas is a hard one not to get excited about. But for me, as much as this book did deliver in its detailed account of what we know about the giant shark, and as much as I did find all of that very intriguing, Tim Flannery and his co-writing daughter also managed to scratch a deeper itch I had in selecting this book, by delving into many of the living shark species - including my favourite, the bull shark.
On a personal note, I myself have been privately working on a book about bull sharks, accumulating and distilling all the academic literature I can find, newspaper reports, online articles, with a plan to also take my Dad's boat up the Parramatta River and connected tributaries later this year, in search of bull sharks with an underwater go-pro. Reading this book was both tantalising and somewhat chafing (is that the word?) as it does go into some of these topics I plan to cover with some depth. I better hurry the hell up.
For shark lovers, or natural history buffs generally, this book is a joy to read. I could point out a few tiny flaws, such as the weirdly out-of-place jabs at the Catholic Church. Hell, I can't even read a book about sharks without being told my religion is corrupt and evil. But whatever. I'm not the writer, and said person needs to grind his axe somewhere.
On a personal note, I myself have been privately working on a book about bull sharks, accumulating and distilling all the academic literature I can find, newspaper reports, online articles, with a plan to also take my Dad's boat up the Parramatta River and connected tributaries later this year, in search of bull sharks with an underwater go-pro. Reading this book was both tantalising and somewhat chafing (is that the word?) as it does go into some of these topics I plan to cover with some depth. I better hurry the hell up.
For shark lovers, or natural history buffs generally, this book is a joy to read. I could point out a few tiny flaws, such as the weirdly out-of-place jabs at the Catholic Church. Hell, I can't even read a book about sharks without being told my religion is corrupt and evil. But whatever. I'm not the writer, and said person needs to grind his axe somewhere.
May 15, 2024
I’m pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this, I wish it was longer! I feel like going on a deep dive into every species mentioned in this book, they’re all so fascinating. As an introduction to the topic this book is perfect, it touches on all areas without passing judgement, presenting the known information leaving it up to the reader to make their own decisions or research further, I really like that
August 1, 2025
Fish and chips for 5 years OR we're gonna need a bigger boat...MUCH bigger...a large destroyer should do the trick.
There's lots of "might have" and "may have" mainly because so much is guessed and so little is actually accurately known about our 50 ton (a guess) fishy. What the author actually tells us about the mighty Megalodon would have only filled maybe one or two chapters. All the rest is technobabble about all other things "sharky" and is more-or-less slightly relevant...at best.
Pretty disappointing, but informative nonetheless.
There's lots of "might have" and "may have" mainly because so much is guessed and so little is actually accurately known about our 50 ton (a guess) fishy. What the author actually tells us about the mighty Megalodon would have only filled maybe one or two chapters. All the rest is technobabble about all other things "sharky" and is more-or-less slightly relevant...at best.
Pretty disappointing, but informative nonetheless.
April 8, 2024
i am never putting my toes in the ocean now
February 14, 2025
Haaien zijn dope 😎🦈
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October 5, 2023The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Big Meg: The Story of the Largest and Most Mysterious Predator that Ever Lived
‘Tim Flannery scores again, diving into the murky myth-filled waters surrounding the world's biggest predator, and surfacing with a breathless true story stuffed with astounding facts and personal experience.’
Lucy Cooke, author of Bitch and The Unexpected Truth about Animals
‘Big Meg is big fun! It's packed to the gills with gobsmacking facts, insightful conjecture, and personal observation from two world-class scientists and explorers…a megaladon of delight for any shark-lover!’
Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus
‘Riveting.’
Age
‘The extraordinary story of a fascinating piece of natural history.’
Qantas Magazine
‘[Big Meg] presents some gripping insights into the brilliant detective work carried out by a whole range of scientific experts…exemplary in the way it draws clear lines between speculation, fact and fiction in a way that any lover of good detective stories would appreciate. Above all, the authors’ passion for their subject matter is contagious. If you have little interest in fossils and sharks when you start this book, you are in danger of becoming an enthusiastic bore on the subject when you have finished it.’
ArtsHub
‘Tim Flannery and Emma Flannery present an engaging, easy-to-read, holistic, and intelligent story of Big Meg…Insights from arts, history, anthropology, traditional and popular culture, archaeology, mythology and religion offer enjoyable, holistic understandings.’
Good Reading (4 stars)
‘The Flannerys communicate the science with the fidelity of seasoned palaeontologists without losing the breathless wonder of a seven-year-old talking about sharks at the dinner table…A fascinating read.’
Saturday Paper
‘A compelling history…Big Meg both entertains and informs.’
Newtown Review of Books
‘Tim Flannery scores again, diving into the murky myth-filled waters surrounding the world's biggest predator, and surfacing with a breathless true story stuffed with astounding facts and personal experience.’
Lucy Cooke, author of Bitch and The Unexpected Truth about Animals
‘Big Meg is big fun! It's packed to the gills with gobsmacking facts, insightful conjecture, and personal observation from two world-class scientists and explorers…a megaladon of delight for any shark-lover!’
Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus
‘Riveting.’
Age
‘The extraordinary story of a fascinating piece of natural history.’
Qantas Magazine
‘[Big Meg] presents some gripping insights into the brilliant detective work carried out by a whole range of scientific experts…exemplary in the way it draws clear lines between speculation, fact and fiction in a way that any lover of good detective stories would appreciate. Above all, the authors’ passion for their subject matter is contagious. If you have little interest in fossils and sharks when you start this book, you are in danger of becoming an enthusiastic bore on the subject when you have finished it.’
ArtsHub
‘Tim Flannery and Emma Flannery present an engaging, easy-to-read, holistic, and intelligent story of Big Meg…Insights from arts, history, anthropology, traditional and popular culture, archaeology, mythology and religion offer enjoyable, holistic understandings.’
Good Reading (4 stars)
‘The Flannerys communicate the science with the fidelity of seasoned palaeontologists without losing the breathless wonder of a seven-year-old talking about sharks at the dinner table…A fascinating read.’
Saturday Paper
‘A compelling history…Big Meg both entertains and informs.’
Newtown Review of Books
October 3, 2023
Thanks to Penguin for sending me a proof copy in exchange for an honest review, which you can find below.
4.5
As someone who never really grew out of the mandatory childhood dinosaur phase, any book about an enormous prehistoric shark was always going to be right up my street. However, Big Meg was even better than I anticipated. As well as all of the expected details on probably the largest carnivore in Earth's history, this book also contains fascinating meditations on sharks and their roles in history. Both of the authors' experiences are added to discussions on topics as diverse as the collection and usage of fossil shark teeth, the roles played by sharks in a wide variety of ecosystems and even the often-problematic relationship between humans and sharks (Jaws certainly has a lot to answer for). The volume is fairly short but manages to cover an impressive amount of ground. Sections such as that on the status of Malta as a haven for Megalodon teeth definitely inspired me to carry out further research. In contrast, the sobering details on the decline of many modern species of sharks are moving and provide a powerful testament to the destruction wrought by humanity, a far more mindless and efficient killing machine than any villainous B-movie Megalodon. It is a testament to the skill of both writers that a book covering such a mysterious subject still manages to be so gripping, and Big Meg is certainly an essential read for anyone interested in biology or palaeontology, or those simply wanted to read about 20-metre long sharks (this author falls into both sides of that Venn diagram).
4.5
As someone who never really grew out of the mandatory childhood dinosaur phase, any book about an enormous prehistoric shark was always going to be right up my street. However, Big Meg was even better than I anticipated. As well as all of the expected details on probably the largest carnivore in Earth's history, this book also contains fascinating meditations on sharks and their roles in history. Both of the authors' experiences are added to discussions on topics as diverse as the collection and usage of fossil shark teeth, the roles played by sharks in a wide variety of ecosystems and even the often-problematic relationship between humans and sharks (Jaws certainly has a lot to answer for). The volume is fairly short but manages to cover an impressive amount of ground. Sections such as that on the status of Malta as a haven for Megalodon teeth definitely inspired me to carry out further research. In contrast, the sobering details on the decline of many modern species of sharks are moving and provide a powerful testament to the destruction wrought by humanity, a far more mindless and efficient killing machine than any villainous B-movie Megalodon. It is a testament to the skill of both writers that a book covering such a mysterious subject still manages to be so gripping, and Big Meg is certainly an essential read for anyone interested in biology or palaeontology, or those simply wanted to read about 20-metre long sharks (this author falls into both sides of that Venn diagram).
April 5, 2024
I've loved Shark Week ever since it began. One of my few memories of my fraternal grandparents was going to their trailer on a lake for a week during summer vacation and watching Shark Week in the evenings. I was enthralled. But somehow it wasn't until my late 20's did I realize that sharks were my favorite animals (specifically whale sharks, but I do love all sharks).
I really enjoyed this book for someone who doesn't real nonfiction regularly. The history of sharks was fascinating and I highly recommend reading near a computer to look up what these historic sharks looked like. It was super cool. There is a lot of scientific jargon that made my eyes glaze over a few times, but I pushed through and I feel like I learned a lot about sharks and where they came from.
Recommended for any shark mega fan. I desperately want to go shark teeth hunting now!
I really enjoyed this book for someone who doesn't real nonfiction regularly. The history of sharks was fascinating and I highly recommend reading near a computer to look up what these historic sharks looked like. It was super cool. There is a lot of scientific jargon that made my eyes glaze over a few times, but I pushed through and I feel like I learned a lot about sharks and where they came from.
Recommended for any shark mega fan. I desperately want to go shark teeth hunting now!
April 28, 2025
Shark Facts You Didn’t Know You Needed🦈:
* You do not want to be eaten by a Greenland shark. Trust me.
* Google cookiecutter shark if you want to see something truly disturbing. Matter of fact — toss elephant shark on that search list too.
* Sharks are responsible for about 10 human deaths a year. Humans, on the other hand, kill 100 million sharks annually. Who’s the real monster?
* The big Meg — aka Megalodon — was the largest predator to ever exist.
* The Meg could weigh up to 100 metric tons — roughly three times larger than a great white shark. Absolute unit.
* You do not want to be eaten by a Greenland shark. Trust me.
* Google cookiecutter shark if you want to see something truly disturbing. Matter of fact — toss elephant shark on that search list too.
* Sharks are responsible for about 10 human deaths a year. Humans, on the other hand, kill 100 million sharks annually. Who’s the real monster?
* The big Meg — aka Megalodon — was the largest predator to ever exist.
* The Meg could weigh up to 100 metric tons — roughly three times larger than a great white shark. Absolute unit.
Want to read
August 4, 2025show me the way, my elders
April 2, 2025
The best non-fiction book I’ve ever read. So easy to read and so fascinating that it was hard to put it down.
August 29, 2023
"Despite having become extinct millions of years ago the megalodon still kills an average of two people a year."
I loved this book so much! It drew me in and was so interesting, easy to read and well written. I don't normally go for non-fiction because they intimidate me and I feel many are hard to read if you know nothing, but this isn't like that at all.
Sharks are one of my favourite animals and I already knew a bit about them, but Big Meg just expanded upon everything. It was told in such a conversational way that it was so easy to grasp and understand. It didn't only encompass megalodon's and their history, it also looked at different cultures beliefs of sharks and meg teeth, how sharks have interacted with humans and vise versa and how the media and pop culture (specifically books and films such as Jaws and The Meg) portrayed sharks and sparked fear.
It also looks at Meg fever and the people who will do anything and everything to find more teeth and fossils of these creatures, or who works to prove they still exist.
This is just such a great book, that does an amazing job of covering so many different themes. If you've been wanting to know more about sharks and megalodon's this is a must read.
Thank you Text Publishing for the review copy of this book
I loved this book so much! It drew me in and was so interesting, easy to read and well written. I don't normally go for non-fiction because they intimidate me and I feel many are hard to read if you know nothing, but this isn't like that at all.
Sharks are one of my favourite animals and I already knew a bit about them, but Big Meg just expanded upon everything. It was told in such a conversational way that it was so easy to grasp and understand. It didn't only encompass megalodon's and their history, it also looked at different cultures beliefs of sharks and meg teeth, how sharks have interacted with humans and vise versa and how the media and pop culture (specifically books and films such as Jaws and The Meg) portrayed sharks and sparked fear.
It also looks at Meg fever and the people who will do anything and everything to find more teeth and fossils of these creatures, or who works to prove they still exist.
This is just such a great book, that does an amazing job of covering so many different themes. If you've been wanting to know more about sharks and megalodon's this is a must read.
Thank you Text Publishing for the review copy of this book
September 22, 2024
Como buena friki de los tiburones, me ha gustado bastante la cantidad de datos y curiosidades que cuenta sobre la especie extinta. Sí que es verdad que muchas veces me ha parecido que tan solo se centra en los dientes y no en otros datos que podrían haber sido interesantes de explicar. De todas formas, muy recomendable.
October 5, 2024
I started out loving this book, but then it got a little more boring in the later chapters. I think if it had been half as long - a long essay- it would have been fantastic. Very much worth reading if you are intrrested in sharks and Megalodons, but not the best book ever due to the pacing of facts and narrative really loosing steam at the end.
March 17, 2025
I was very interested in the parts of the book with scientific information about the megalodon. Unfortunately there just isn't that much to say about it, so almost half the book focused on other shark-related material (sharks in mythology, shark attacks, films about sharks, etc.). This was less interesting to me. Still glad I read the book.
February 18, 2024
I'm a dinofan and fascinated by everything related to megafauna. This was an informative and engrossing read that kept me reading and made me learn a lot.
Well researched, well written
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Well researched, well written
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
July 17, 2024
paleontology is so neat & fruitful! and yet there is still so much we don’t (and maybe will never) know about this earth & its creatures! big love to my big megs🦈
June 22, 2025
I really love sharks and I'm intrigued by them for over many years. I prefer documentaries above movies like Jaws, The Meg...(although, I'm a fan of shark movies) and I had high expectations about this book. There's not much known about the Megalodon and I hoped that my curiosity would be a bit satisfied with this book. Unfortunately, it did less. It was interesting for a bit, but at points repetitive. If you're a scientist, then you should check your facts. In the book the author wrote that the oldest Greenland shark ever found was around 200 years old. The book is written last year, so he would've known that the oldest was a bit more than 400 years old. I love facts and if they aren't right, it sets my hair upright.
Also, the book could've used pictures, scetches, pictures of fossiles, family trees of the different species...but none of that. It would've been a valuable addition to the book.
Also, the book could've used pictures, scetches, pictures of fossiles, family trees of the different species...but none of that. It would've been a valuable addition to the book.
July 2, 2025
3.75 ⭐️!!
August 16, 2023
got me hook line and sinker
love the meg, love the sharks, love LEARNING !!!!!
love the meg, love the sharks, love LEARNING !!!!!
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