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Whale Nation
2-Time Award-Winner!
1996 AudioFile Earphones Award
1995 Talkies Award • Best Poetry
'Leviathan...
Upon earth there is not his like,
who is made without fear.
Will he speak soft words unto thee?'
Job 41
Whale Nation is a hymn to the beauty, intelligence and majesty of the largest mammal on earth. A 'green classic' read with natural resonance by its author, it rarely fails to strike a chord in the heart of those concerned with the abuse of our planet. It is joined by additional content devoted to a fascinating account of whale history.
Music: Mendelssohn, Holst, Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Debussy, Ciurlionis, The Song of the Humpback Whale
191 pages, Hardcover
First published July 27, 1988
1 person is currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Heathcote Williams
49 books13 followersJohn Henley Jasper Heathcote-Williams was an English poet, actor and award-winning playwright. He was also an intermittent painter, sculptor and long-time conjuror. After his schooldays at Eton, he hacksawed his surname's double-barrel to become Heathcote Williams, a moniker more in keeping perhaps with his new-found persona. His father, also named Heathcote Williams, was a lawyer. He is perhaps best known for the book-length polemical poem Whale Nation, which in 1988 became "the most powerful argument for the newly instigated worldwide ban on whaling." In the early 1970s his agitational graffiti were a feature on the walls of the then low-rent end of London's Notting Hill district. From his early twenties, Williams has enjoyed a minor cult following. His first book, The Speakers (1964), a virtuoso close-focus account of life at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, was greeted with unanimous critical acclaim. In 1974 it was successfully adapted for the stage by the Joint Stock Theatre Company.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 15, 2021
I didn't like this because poetry is mixed with fact. Do one or the other, but don't mix the two together. You get a substandard result for both.
The poetry portion is short.
The factual information is spotty and lacking in depth. Topics such as the size and usage of whales' body parts, the mating and birth process, how they are killed today and in the past, the economics of the whaling industry and stories of whales in literature.
The book promotes the protection of whales, but I didn't need to be convinced of this.
In the audio version, sound effects are laid on thick. The whole is too overdramatized for my taste; it sounds like a sales pitch. Heathcote Williams reads his poem at the start. Then Harry Barton and Caroline Webster alternately throw out tidbits of information. The words are clearly spoken, but we are to be drawn in by the music rather than the words. I do not like this type of recording. I have given it one star.
******************************
*Featherhood: A Memoir of Two Fathers and a Magpie
by Charlie Gilmour, who is Heathcote Williams's son
3 stars
*Whale Nation
by Heathcote Williams
1 star
The poetry portion is short.
The factual information is spotty and lacking in depth. Topics such as the size and usage of whales' body parts, the mating and birth process, how they are killed today and in the past, the economics of the whaling industry and stories of whales in literature.
The book promotes the protection of whales, but I didn't need to be convinced of this.
In the audio version, sound effects are laid on thick. The whole is too overdramatized for my taste; it sounds like a sales pitch. Heathcote Williams reads his poem at the start. Then Harry Barton and Caroline Webster alternately throw out tidbits of information. The words are clearly spoken, but we are to be drawn in by the music rather than the words. I do not like this type of recording. I have given it one star.
******************************
*Featherhood: A Memoir of Two Fathers and a Magpie
by Charlie Gilmour, who is Heathcote Williams's son
3 stars
*Whale Nation
by Heathcote Williams
1 star
July 14, 2025
This book marks an important milestone for me, being my 2000th book on Goodreads.
This was on my parents' bookshelf during my childhood. And it was one of several I largely credit in shaping, for me, what became an almost mystical fascination for the sea. Growing up, I was absolutely enchanted by the idea of distant worlds, discoverable only by the ocean - sometimes even under it.
Sharks both intrigued and terrified me. Whales and dolphins possessed what can only be described as an angelic aura. Certain pictures followed me into sleep, and I would dream about going somewhere far away, perhaps an Arctic station I still think about when I look at slanted Westfield windows showing only grey sky - the briny smell of fish, the clamorous screech of seagulls, ice floes, freezing weather, and somewhere beneath the dark and stormy sea, a realm of giants, graceful, kind, our guardians of the deep ...
Growing up, I had to come to terms with learning that while the blue whale is indeed immensely big, it wasn't quite the otherworldly leviathan my young imagination had always made it. I had to face the truth that, far from being treated as the mysterious, evolutionary marvels that they are, they were instead hunted to the brink of extinction. My regular dreams of going out to magical places permeating my subconscious have been gradually replaced with a recurring dream (that still visits me) in which a whale either beaches or flails hopelessly in shallow water, and I only just manage to swim out to it before I wake up.
It is appropriate that Whale Nation should be my 2000th book. It has something of a coming-full-circle feel to it. As the original copy my parents owned disappeared at some point between my childhood an adult years, I felt a strange, protective glow upon finding another copy (who knows? It might have been, but almost definitely wasn't, the same one) at a book market not even a year ago.
But I guess like many things we remember through the tint of nostalgia, this book wasn't quite as wonderful as I wanted it to be. The first section (which unfortunately only makes up less than a quarter of the actual text) was a long poem, praising the whale and lamenting its treatment under our stewardship. It was excellent - powerful, moving, upsetting, original. Williams also uses pictures effectively, many of them weird and not even directly of whales themselves, but still relevant in their own dark way.
The rest of the book was just a tedious cop-out though. Like a university student writing his essay last minute, deciding he just doesn't give a damn anymore, the writer makes the baffling decision to just dump a load of lengthy quotes, all cited, so that other people can tell the reader about whales, dolphins, shitty humans and cat food.
This was on my parents' bookshelf during my childhood. And it was one of several I largely credit in shaping, for me, what became an almost mystical fascination for the sea. Growing up, I was absolutely enchanted by the idea of distant worlds, discoverable only by the ocean - sometimes even under it.
Sharks both intrigued and terrified me. Whales and dolphins possessed what can only be described as an angelic aura. Certain pictures followed me into sleep, and I would dream about going somewhere far away, perhaps an Arctic station I still think about when I look at slanted Westfield windows showing only grey sky - the briny smell of fish, the clamorous screech of seagulls, ice floes, freezing weather, and somewhere beneath the dark and stormy sea, a realm of giants, graceful, kind, our guardians of the deep ...
Growing up, I had to come to terms with learning that while the blue whale is indeed immensely big, it wasn't quite the otherworldly leviathan my young imagination had always made it. I had to face the truth that, far from being treated as the mysterious, evolutionary marvels that they are, they were instead hunted to the brink of extinction. My regular dreams of going out to magical places permeating my subconscious have been gradually replaced with a recurring dream (that still visits me) in which a whale either beaches or flails hopelessly in shallow water, and I only just manage to swim out to it before I wake up.
It is appropriate that Whale Nation should be my 2000th book. It has something of a coming-full-circle feel to it. As the original copy my parents owned disappeared at some point between my childhood an adult years, I felt a strange, protective glow upon finding another copy (who knows? It might have been, but almost definitely wasn't, the same one) at a book market not even a year ago.
But I guess like many things we remember through the tint of nostalgia, this book wasn't quite as wonderful as I wanted it to be. The first section (which unfortunately only makes up less than a quarter of the actual text) was a long poem, praising the whale and lamenting its treatment under our stewardship. It was excellent - powerful, moving, upsetting, original. Williams also uses pictures effectively, many of them weird and not even directly of whales themselves, but still relevant in their own dark way.
The rest of the book was just a tedious cop-out though. Like a university student writing his essay last minute, deciding he just doesn't give a damn anymore, the writer makes the baffling decision to just dump a load of lengthy quotes, all cited, so that other people can tell the reader about whales, dolphins, shitty humans and cat food.
October 21, 2020
Well, that was an emotional rollercoaster! Williams divides the book into two parts: First, his poem, which is itself of two halves, then a series of extracts from books, scientific studies and historical reports.
The poem in blank verse begins with a meditation on whales and their environment, unfolding the brutal exploitation of both by humans, which is gut-wrenchingly tragic.
The extracts similarly begin gently with descriptions of our fascination with these amazing animals, then crashing into the genocide we've perpetrated on them through the industrial revolution and global capitalism - utterly heartbreaking. Williams is kind enough to end the book on a gentler note again. Throughout, the accompanying photographs are by turns gorgeous and horrific.
A wonderfully moving book which made me marvel and love, feel angry and ashamed. Unequivocally 5🌟
The poem in blank verse begins with a meditation on whales and their environment, unfolding the brutal exploitation of both by humans, which is gut-wrenchingly tragic.
The extracts similarly begin gently with descriptions of our fascination with these amazing animals, then crashing into the genocide we've perpetrated on them through the industrial revolution and global capitalism - utterly heartbreaking. Williams is kind enough to end the book on a gentler note again. Throughout, the accompanying photographs are by turns gorgeous and horrific.
A wonderfully moving book which made me marvel and love, feel angry and ashamed. Unequivocally 5🌟
November 11, 2021
Written in 1988, Whale Nation is a call to arms: Williams discusses the beauty, intelligence and majesty of the whale, and uses this as a plea and a polemic against the practise of whaling. This book has two major problems: firstly, that it is of its time, and it much of the argument is dated, and secondly that poetry that has such an obvious message can feel amateur or lack depth. However, this remains an important and moving book. The first half of it contains Williams' Whale Nation poem, which begins with clear, precise descriptions of whales and their behaviour, and then goes on to explore commercial whaling. The second section, which is longer, is a selection of quotes about whales and whaling, from a variety of sources: primarily eye-witness accounts of whales, and scientific books or paper about whales, but also literary texts and poems. Both these sections are fascinating: Williams has a keen eye for the details that are most important and compelling, as well as a great love for the whale. His poem sets out a lot of information about whales in a clear and interesting way, and the quotes he selects are relevant and wide-ranging. When he writes in praise of the whale, his poetry comes alive, and transcends his polemic tone.
At the present time, while whaling continues, it is at smaller scale than in 1988, and it is not the primary threat on whales. Whale numbers have increased since the end of large-scale commercial whaling, and in some ways, the anti-whaling campaign of the 1980s was an enormous success. However, whales remain under threat of extinction, as does all the life in our oceans, due to climate change and pollution, and whales are particularly under threat because they are so hugely impacted by undersea noises created by humans, such as seismic sounding. The sections about hunting in this book feel a little like Williams is preaching to the converted, and they are also not as relevant as they were at the time of his writing. Whales are in as much danger as they were in 1988, but not for the same reasons.
However, this books provides a wonderful snapshot of our understanding of whales in the 1980s, and the anti-whaling campaign. It also contains fascinating and beautiful photographs of whales, and contains a sensitive portrait of whales and dolphins as individuals, and of their species as a whole. I was glad to have read it.
At the present time, while whaling continues, it is at smaller scale than in 1988, and it is not the primary threat on whales. Whale numbers have increased since the end of large-scale commercial whaling, and in some ways, the anti-whaling campaign of the 1980s was an enormous success. However, whales remain under threat of extinction, as does all the life in our oceans, due to climate change and pollution, and whales are particularly under threat because they are so hugely impacted by undersea noises created by humans, such as seismic sounding. The sections about hunting in this book feel a little like Williams is preaching to the converted, and they are also not as relevant as they were at the time of his writing. Whales are in as much danger as they were in 1988, but not for the same reasons.
However, this books provides a wonderful snapshot of our understanding of whales in the 1980s, and the anti-whaling campaign. It also contains fascinating and beautiful photographs of whales, and contains a sensitive portrait of whales and dolphins as individuals, and of their species as a whole. I was glad to have read it.
July 24, 2020
Reading Rush: book six
Challenge: read a book completely outside
*3.75* *I didn’t read the excerpts of other people’s work, just Williams’*
This was good. It was extremely political and, whilst I appreciate the message, I felt like Williams just didn’t take enough time to build up the beauty of whales (like Falling for a Dolphin did). I think that if a few extra pages of describing the majesty of the whale, its hunting would have been more impactful.
Like the nerd I am, I was living for the Greek Mythology references (I capitalise it because it’s so important to me).
I couldn’t stop laughing at the description of the blue whale’s “ten gallon testicles” and how its “penis is nine feet long, which may require additional self-control”. I should probably be more mature by now, huh?
Challenge: read a book completely outside
*3.75* *I didn’t read the excerpts of other people’s work, just Williams’*
This was good. It was extremely political and, whilst I appreciate the message, I felt like Williams just didn’t take enough time to build up the beauty of whales (like Falling for a Dolphin did). I think that if a few extra pages of describing the majesty of the whale, its hunting would have been more impactful.
Like the nerd I am, I was living for the Greek Mythology references (I capitalise it because it’s so important to me).
I couldn’t stop laughing at the description of the blue whale’s “ten gallon testicles” and how its “penis is nine feet long, which may require additional self-control”. I should probably be more mature by now, huh?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2007
At the height of my love affair with the ocean and its giants, I found this book. Stunning photographs and an epic poem written, seemingly, by the whales themselves. A new edition comes with a CD of whalesongs...the completion of a symphony.
February 20, 2022
The long poem and photos are of it’s time- I remember reading this in the late 80’s and joined the WDCS on the back of it for a couple of years- so it was clearly affecting and effective in its aims and I campaigned in the dolphin friendly tuna campaign. Reading again today, things seem different apart from man’s stupidity.
I think the second part survey of cetacean facts and studies from lots of sources tires pretty quick when the case has already been made in the poem. Having said that it was a delight to re-read Carl Sagan’s views again all these years late. It’s still an important book and an affecting long poem.
I think the second part survey of cetacean facts and studies from lots of sources tires pretty quick when the case has already been made in the poem. Having said that it was a delight to re-read Carl Sagan’s views again all these years late. It’s still an important book and an affecting long poem.
October 7, 2022
I loved this production. It defies categorization, so if you like your poetry carefully segregated from your non-fiction you will not be happy. The first half is a mesmerizing reading of the author’s free-verse poem. The second half is a collection of quotes, facts, etc. It’s clear the author had a passionate love for whales and produced this work with the goal of spreading awareness and concern for their indiscriminate killing.
Since it’s over twenty years old, the status of whaling laws, their enforcement and that of public opinion has evolved, but humans still generally don’t have any idea about the miraculous intelligence and abilities of the species.
This is not a book to read/listen to if you want to be educated in a methodical way about cetaceans but if you’re curious about the history of whale killing and the abilities of the species it’s a quick appetizer.
Since it’s over twenty years old, the status of whaling laws, their enforcement and that of public opinion has evolved, but humans still generally don’t have any idea about the miraculous intelligence and abilities of the species.
This is not a book to read/listen to if you want to be educated in a methodical way about cetaceans but if you’re curious about the history of whale killing and the abilities of the species it’s a quick appetizer.
February 22, 2025
people are monsters
November 11, 2011
This is a wonderful book if you care about Whales - inspiring and harrowing.
October 9, 2015
A sublime epic! A grim warning to man. Very much worthwhile tracking down the audio version read by the author. A most wonderful thing to fall asleep to or just have on in a loop all day.
July 4, 2016
Documentary poetry is cool but this felt a little too david attenborough at times with its evocation of wonder
January 5, 2017
Shares almost everything about whales that whale lovers would love to know about. Can also be a good entry to more books that talk about whales.
January 9, 2022
A beautiful emotive poem that encapsulates the worrying times cetaceans faced in the 1980s. The beauty of the world's largest creatures is contrasted with the callous primitive whaling industry. Whales are no longer hunted in such devastating numbers but their future remains on a precipice.
A book of two halves the first half consists of the poem enhanced by some beautiful photos. The second half is a series of quotes from literature focusing on different aspects of cetaceans from their mind bending songs through the whaling industry to the selfless nature of dolphins.
The poem remains relevant as several countries continue the needless slaughter of cetaceans under the guise of scientific research or aboriginal hunting rights. Whales deserve the freedom of the oceans without the fear of being harpooned.
A book of two halves the first half consists of the poem enhanced by some beautiful photos. The second half is a series of quotes from literature focusing on different aspects of cetaceans from their mind bending songs through the whaling industry to the selfless nature of dolphins.
The poem remains relevant as several countries continue the needless slaughter of cetaceans under the guise of scientific research or aboriginal hunting rights. Whales deserve the freedom of the oceans without the fear of being harpooned.
October 25, 2021
The first half of this book was so delightful the poem was lovely and the images were nice, but the second half with the factual presentation of information pertaining to Whales I thought it was incredibly dull. Not that there wasn’t some useful information and there were certainly some stunning details that I would’ve never imagined, but I don’t feel that they brought anything to the book. Perhaps I would feel differently if the poem was at the end because that would’ve left a lasting impression that was favorable. . Had it not been for the second half this would’ve been four stars.
March 12, 2022
I last read this back in the late 80's - bought it from one of those excess stock cheapo bookshops and had no idea who Heathcote Williams was.
Having just read Featherhood (Charlie Gilmore) I went hunting for my copy of Whale Nation (and the one about Elephants) but somewhere in the last thirty odd years they've been lost by the wayside...which is a shame. I borrowed a copy from a friend (who bought it after she read Featherhood) and it made me cry...it's so much more relevant now than when it was written.
Having just read Featherhood (Charlie Gilmore) I went hunting for my copy of Whale Nation (and the one about Elephants) but somewhere in the last thirty odd years they've been lost by the wayside...which is a shame. I borrowed a copy from a friend (who bought it after she read Featherhood) and it made me cry...it's so much more relevant now than when it was written.
June 26, 2021
Yes, it gets a little preachy. Yes, it romanticizes whales in the hippie extreme. Yes, it's another one of those "the real monster is MAN" types of nature poetry...but damn, if I didn't enjoy every single second of it. I particularly recommend the audiobook, with its skillful reading by the author himself (along with two other talented performers), mixed with superb choices in classical music and of course Dr. Roger Payne's world-famous recording of Song of the Humpback Whale.
March 5, 2024
This was ok. Did it as an audio book sleep story. There's a part with chattering whales that wake you up! Haha. It's a mix of whale facts, poetry, and conservation efforts. Not a great sleep story. An ok read. Wouldn't read it again. Once was plenty.
October 22, 2020
beautiful images, very informative, beautifully written and dealt with the issues of whaling in a very moving manner
April 3, 2022
very moving - not only the poem but the accompanying texts. However horrific and needless you thought whaling is, this will shock you. A fascinating read
June 19, 2023
Tries too hard to be educational and poetic at the same time. Fails at being either.
Three stars for the attempt, and some passable stanzas throughout.
Three stars for the attempt, and some passable stanzas throughout.
May 28, 2025
prachtige foto's van walvissen en dolfijnen en diep treurige verhalen over de walvis- en dolfijnen vangst
February 18, 2012
Wow! Short powerful lines are able to convey important concepts and ideas and somehow make them really visual. Impressive.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews