"Meticulously researched, smartly written, beautifully laid out ... required reading."--Outside Magazine

Matt Warshaw knows more about surfing than any other person on the planet. After five years of research and writing, Warshaw has crafted an unprecedented history of the sport and the culture it has spawned. At nearly 500 pages, with 250,000 words and more than 250 rare photographs, The History of Surfing reveals and defines this sport with a voice that is authoritative, funny, and wholly original. The obsessive nature of this endeavor is matched only by the obsessive nature of surfers, who will pore through these pages with passion and opinion.

Here, at last, is the definitive history of surfing.

THE PERFECT GIFT: Packed with stunning photographs, this exhaustive history of surfing makes a superb present for surfers, beach bums, photography lovers, and history buffs.

EXPERT AUTHOR: Matt Warshaw began riding waves in 1969 and even had a brief, undistinguished, resume-padding career as a pro surfer during the early 1980s. He worked at Surfer magazine for six years and became editor in 1990. He has published articles in TheNew York Times, TheWall Street Journal, Esquire, Interview, and Outside, and has written eight books, including The Encyclopedia of Surfing ("A living, breathing masterpiece," according to Salon.com).

READERS LOVE IT: In hundreds of 5-star ratings, reviewers rave, calling this "the best, most comprehensive and enjoyable single source read available today on surfing" that's definitely "not just for surfers."

Perfect for:

• Fans of surf culture, history, or photography
• Anyone looking for a unique coffee table book or beautiful gift
• Adding to the shelf alongside classic surfing books like Big Wave Surfer, Clark Little: The Art of Waves, and William Finnegan's Pulitzer Prize-winning Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life