About the Book:

In March of 1940, marine ecology in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) was born with the pioneering expedition of Ed Ricketts and John Steinbeck aboard the Western Flyer,  a sardine seiner out of Monterey, California.  Although earlier biologists had visited the area, none had done so using an ecological, or “holistic” approach and none had attempted to undertake a faunal survey nor describe littoral communities.

The voyage is eloquently chronicled in the 1941 book by Steinbeck and Ricketts, Sea of Cortez. A Leisurely Journal of Travel and Research (Viking Press).  The book is an essay on the then-emerging field of ecology, as well as a travelogue, an adventure story, and a philosophical inquiry.  In their six-week voyage, Steinbeck and Ricketts made 24 discrete collections from 21 localities.  Thousands of specimens and over 560 species of marine invertebrates were captured, and the Synoptic Catalog in Sea of Cortez was the first-ever compendium of the invertebrate fauna of the Gulf of California. 

In honor of the 80th anniversary of John Steinbeck and biologist Ed Ricketts’ landmark 1940 voyage, Arion Press brings new life to a monumental collaboration—part detailed scientific study, part philosophical and spiritual exploration. Arion’s edition incorporates salvaged wood from the Western Flyer, the vessel Steinbeck and Ricketts chartered for the trip.

About the Publisher:

Arion Press pairs great artists with great literature to create beautiful books by hand. They publish several limited editions every year, each conceptually unique and printed from metal types cast on site. Their production facility includes a letterpress shop with a one-of-a-kind collection of historic metal typefaces, a type foundry now in continuous operation for over 100 years, and a complete hand book bindery, all housed in a 14,000 square foot industrial building in San Francisco’s Presidio National Park.

Details:

32 x 23 cm, 240 pages 
Housed in an illustrated box
Numbered edition limited to 185 copies.

*IF YOU LIVE IN AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR SWITZERLAND THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL £20 DUTIES CHARGE ON TOP OF POSTAGE. ONE OF OUR BOOKSELLERS WILL BE IN TOUCH AFTER PURCHASE TO TAKE PAYMENT. ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE EMAIL ENQUIRIES@HEYWOODHILL.COM

For more information, email books@heywoodhill.com.