Owls of the Eastern Ice

Slaght has a rare gift for startling evocations of the natural world…A refreshingly old-school, tautly strung adventure – Helen Macdonald * Guardian *
Excellent…The brutality of human habitation is counterpoised with the brutality of the natural world. The reader becomes, like the author, “stunned by the quiet violence of this place.” – Clement Knox * The Times *
This is a tale of man’s endurance, determination and perseverance in search of this elusive and beautiful creature … wonderful – Bill Bailey
The remarkable story of one man’s heroic quest to save the astonishing fish owl. If only every endangered species had a guardian angel as impassioned, courageous and pragmatic as Jonathan Slaght. – Isabella Tree, author of Wilding
A gripping account of the author’s obsessive quest to save one of the world’s most magnificent birds. – Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex and author of A Sting in the Tale
A vivid dispatch from the front line of conservation, Owls of the Eastern Ice is engrossing and uplifting; an inspiring story of vital work undertaken with utter determination in wild and distant places. – Horatio Clare, author of Orison for a Curlew
Slaght’s story reveals the patience and determination of a true conservationist. And the ears and eyes of a poet. Above all, he makes the people, wildlife and landscape of the Russian Far East come alive for armchair travellers. I haven’t enjoyed a book on remote Russia as much as this since Ian Frazier’s Travels in Siberia – Sophy Roberts, author of The Lost Pianos of Siberia
True epic. A powerful, passionate and highly readable reflection on the wildness both inside us and out there in the forest. – Charles Foster, author of Being a Beast
A fascinating account of one man’s quest to conserve the magnificent fish owl of Eastern Asia, this is a book that feels both urgent and relevant. – Christopher Skaife, author of The Ravenmaster
From the very first pages, Slaght grips readers with vivid language and tight storytelling … The cast of characters he brings to life - both human and avian - illuminate the delicate symbiosis of the natural world and shed a welcome light on the remarkable creatures that are too little known. Top-notch nature writing in service of a magnificent, vulnerable creature. * Kirkus *

Jonathan C. Slaght is an expert on endangered species of North Asia. He is the Regional Director of Temperate Asia for the Wildlife Conservation Society and has spent nearly thirty years travelling to and living in the region. His work has featured in The New York Times, BBC World Service, The Guardian, Smithsonian, and Audubon. Owls of the Eastern Ice, his first book, was named The Times Nature Book of the Year in 2020.

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