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Silent Thunder: In the Presence of Elephants Paperback – September 1, 1999

by Katy Payne (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 54 ratings
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A natural history rich in observation of the animal world and how humans participate in it, Silent Thunder is also a passionate story of scientist Katy Payne’s spiritual quest as she turns a keen eye on her role in this world. Starting with the story of her revolutionary discovery that elephants use infrasonic sounds—sounds below the range of human hearing—to communicate, Payne shares what she learned from her fascinating field research in Africa, research that reveals new insights into elephants’ social lives. When five of the elephant families she studies are the victims of culling, Payne’s approach to her research changes, as she fights valiantly to protect the elephants. The result of her research, and the touching insights gained from Africans she worked with and the elephants she studied, give a vivid impression of Payne’s view from the front lines of the natural preservation effort. Like Peter Matthiessen’s The Snow Leopard and the writings of Jane Goodall, Silent Thunder demonstrates how a commitment to all life can bring one’s own into a new focus.
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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Penguin Publishing Group
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 1999
  5. Dimensions
    7.76 x 5.08 x 0.65 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0140285962
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0140285963
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Katy Payne is an acoustic biologist whose study of humpback whale songs received national attention. A frequent lecturer on conservation and on animal behavior and communications, she is currently a Visiting Fellow at Cornell University's Bioacoustic Research Program. She lives in Ithaca, New York, and is the mother of four children.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Publishing Group (September 1, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0140285962
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0140285963
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 5.08 x 0.65 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 54 ratings

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Katharine Payne

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
54 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Faith & Grace
5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous Bush Stories About Elephant Communication
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2006
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Did you know that elephants communicate with sounds that are below the range of human hearing? Similar to whales, they can speak over long distance with each other using infrasound. I can't help but wonder if their infrasonic vocalizations are what contribute to the palpable energetic vibrations I felt, sitting amongst the clusters of elephants in Northern Kenya.

Katy Payne is one of the elephant researchers in Amboseli Park, Kenya, that helped to discover the infrasonic rumbles of elephant communication (along with Joyce Poole and Cynthia Moss) during the late 1980's and early 1990's. She is also an eloquent writer with a passion for the elephants she studied for many years.

In Silent Thunder: In the Presence of Elephants, she shares some facinating stories of what it's like to be in the bush with wild elephants...and one gripping story of an encounter with a lion. Her personal accounts hint of her strong intuitive gifts, where she touches on her precognitive dreams. She stops short of using direct language on some of these topics, which left me longing to hear more of what the real Katy Payne is all about. But I applaud her for bringing up spiritual topics at all. It's unusual for a scientific researcher to make personal revelations. I found it refreshing that she did.
10 people found this helpful
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Pianomama
5.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking and eye-opening
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2013
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Who knew that elephants are so sensitive to sound frequencies far below what our ears can detect? Not only that, they have some kind of telepathic connection as well. These gentle giants are extremely emotional, loyal, passionate and compassionate towards one another. They form tight family bonds and grieve for their dead. They are so endangered they could become extinct within a decade.

I hope this kind of illuminting research will make the world aware of the critical danger elephants face, and take steps to ensure their survival. there's the World Wildlife Fund, and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, among many. And the iWorry campaign has petitions to sign to stop the illegal poaching of elephants for their tusks.
4 people found this helpful
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Chetna
5.0 out of 5 stars A moving account of Elephant behaviour, and human responses and accountability
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2015
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What a brilliant book. I loved reading about Katy Payne's experiences. I feel deeply moved by her point of view. Not only was it educational and informative, her expression touches the heart deeply. Thank you Katy for a wonderful inspiring book, sharing your experiences with these majestic beings, giving us insight into their habits and behavior.
3 people found this helpful
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Quinbould
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating book
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2011
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I read this book before departing for Thailand to study elephants. It is a disturbing book, but I recommend it. We need to treat these noble beasts better and it's not easy considering their size and how much they must consume in a day. It all got me started on a quest to learn more about Elephants. We found several elephant rescue camps in Thailand that use tourist money to acquire urban elephants and ones that are used in Berma for logging...very bad for their backs. We signed up for three days where we would have our own elephant and would have to care for it. I found myself bonding with my Minoy, a large female that was assigned to me. It's hard to believe, but she bonded with me as well. When I left there was a very large tear in her eye. Elephants are amazing animals. This book was helpful to me in understanding how elephants communicate. I could feel them "talkin" to each other through my legs, but could not hear the subsonic messages.
6 people found this helpful
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Susan McGowan
5.0 out of 5 stars Its beautiful in its observations and it is an interesting view ...
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2015
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I was introduced to Ms Payne through an interview with her on a podcast and I was fascinated by her story. This book filled in many of the pieces. Its beautiful in its observations and it is an interesting view about the life of a scientist studying among locals. I really enjoyed this.
One person found this helpful
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Eva Johnston
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved this book
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2013
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Awesome book! I recommend it to anyone who loves animals and cares about preserving wildlife. The author's experiences are a fascinating read (including a hair-raising stare-down encounter with a lion), and her insights into elephant behavior and communication will change the way you think about the non-human beings who share our planet.
One person found this helpful
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Norma B. Webb
5.0 out of 5 stars Learn from the largest creatures.
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2013
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Elephants sense so much of the world that's below our hearing, and their understanding must form the basis for their family and social lives. We can learn a great deal from them, Katie Payne helps us do that. Her patient observations and her dedication are truly inspiring.
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jeanine aubertin
3.0 out of 5 stars something is missing
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2001
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I have not read the book yet, but I am very disappointed that she has not photos! Having read Joye Poole's book that lots of tremendous photos and Cynthia Moss's book that at least some black & white photos, I thought this book would have some also. As a photographer and elephant lover, I expected them.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Defontaine
5.0 out of 5 stars Vie sauvage
Reviewed in France on February 22, 2023
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Très bon livre . Tous les livres sur le comportement des éléphants m’intéressent beaucoup . Une très belle lecture
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M. Orchard
5.0 out of 5 stars The great Katy Payne discovered (relatively recently) that elephants use subsonic ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 25, 2016
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The great Katy Payne discovered (relatively recently) that elephants use subsonic frequencies to communicate. All beyond us as so much of nature is, this book gives a glimpse into the world of the beautiful elephant.
One person found this helpful
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Judy S.
5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing story
Reviewed in Canada on June 23, 2016
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Love reading this story. Like being with her as she discovers about the elephants. Stories like this make me want to learn more!
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Amazon Customer
2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
Reviewed in India on August 9, 2016
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Quality of paper and printing not good.
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Phebe Archer
5.0 out of 5 stars Silent Thunder
Reviewed in Italy on February 10, 2016
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Finora il mio libro preferito di elefanti e ne ho tantissimi. Katy Payne scrive in modo intelligente e molto informativo. Sto imparando molto, utile per una che pianifica un viaggio per osservare elefanti specialmente i piccoli.
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