"Owl on the Far Eastern Ice Field" Author: [US] Jonathan Slater Publisher: Guangqi Bookstore

Introduction
★Selected for major book awards
◢2020 National Book Award longlist
◢Finalists for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award
◢The Times 2020 "Nature Book of the Year"
◢PEN America/Edward Wilson Science Award
◢The New York Times "Book of the Year"
◢The Wall Street Journal's "Top Ten Books of the Year"
◢ Best Books of 2020 from National Public Radio, Smithsonian, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Globe and Mail, etc.
◢New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice Recommendation
◢Literature Hub Radio (LitHub) Most Anticipated Books of 2020
◢Kirkus Reviews Summer Reading List Recommended Books
★This is a love of nature and wild places, an adventure story of our time
A field investigation into the ice field and a thrilling natural notebook.
An ornithologist who is like a modern-day knight travels deep into the secluded snow forests of the Far East and speeds down the fragile glaciers, just to find a mysterious and huge owl in the world...
★ Naturalist Helen MacDonald's personal book list recommendation
“This is an incredibly exciting account of the survey of the Rough-legged Fish Owl in the Russian Far East. Even on the hottest summer day, holding this book in your hands will make you feel like you are on an icy plain.”
◆ Introduction
When Jonathan Slater was a novice birder, he came across one of the most mysterious birds on Earth. It was larger than any owl he knew and looked like a little bear with feathers. He took a photo and shared it with experts. It was the largest owl in the world, the Hairy-legged Fishing Owl. Slater then began a five-year research trip to search for this huge and mysterious creature in the dense and remote forests of eastern Russia.
Despite having a wingspan of up to six feet and standing more than two feet tall, the Rough-legged Fishing Owl is elusive, and little is known about it. They are easiest to spot in the winter, when they leave large, distinctive tracks on snowy riverbanks as they forage for food. The Rough-legged Fishing Owl is also an endangered species. So Slater and his team set out to capture the owls to study them and try to develop a conservation plan to help the species survive. To accomplish their mission, they had to deal with a variety of challenges: overnight monitoring in freezing tents, frantic drives across melting glaciers, and unprotected climbs up rotting trees to check nests for precious Fishing Owl eggs. To capture and track the Fishing Owls, they use sophisticated location equipment, improvise clever traps, and must always be on the lookout for run-ins with bears or Siberian tigers. In Slater's unusually vivid, precise, and humorous narrative, the hairy-legged fishing owls gradually reveal their true colors: they are cunning hunters, loyal parents, a strange "duet couple", a relatively docile bird of prey that does not hold grudges, and a rare species that survives tenaciously in harsh conditions and shrinking habitats.
In addition, Slat also describes the various characters living in the Russian border areas in a hilarious style: there are alcoholic villagers who seem to never be sober and live on vodka, there are weird hermits who fled to the wilderness after a failed deal with the gang, there are ignorant teenagers who hunt hairy-legged fishing owls as bait in order to sell mink fur for $10... Slat also spared no effort in describing the cities and villages that he passed or stopped along the way, focusing on the history of these places, as well as their development during the Soviet collective economy period and their current decline.
With a thrilling field notebook, Slater fully presents to readers the creatures, humans, settlements, natural landscapes and cultural features of this Far Eastern ice field.
◆ Celebrity recommendation
This is an exciting account of Slater's research in the Russian Far East on the Hairy-legged Fish Owl, a large owl with fluffy feathers and yellow eyes that wades in icy rivers to catch fish, a mysterious bird to humans... Even on the hottest summer day, holding this book in your hands will transport you to the icy plains.
—Helen MacDonald
Richly interweaving scientific investigation, conservation, and wilderness exploration, this book is a rare kind of nature writing that is both factually accurate and storytellingly gorgeous. This book is full of narrative pleasure, full of desperate adventures, daunting challenges, and frustrating descriptions of adversity - from encountering blizzards, being trapped on closed roads, and keeping vigil on icy riverbanks, to technical failures, driving through dangerous spring glaciers, and the tired, talkative field assistant at the side... The author has portrayed the rare species of hairy-legged fishing owl very well.
—The Wall Street Journal
A riveting story… It immerses us in it, makes us feel every little thing, as if we were there. For this reason, it is an unusual and welcome work for our times. It is a powerful demonstration of Slater’s talents as a writer and researcher.
——The New York Times Book Review
This is a charming and lyrical, tender and inspiring memoir about a years-long pursuit of a strange and beautiful bird. Slater's narrative is interspersed with beautiful prose, and the strangeness of the owl completely attracts the reader. Equally compelling are the "oddities" of the people who live in this area. Not only that, the book is also filled with descriptions of things like elk meat, bad vodka, and Russian saunas... Through Slater's writing, we can learn about the world in a new way, helping us better inhabit it.
—The Times
This is undoubtedly a masterpiece. It is a mix of scientific record, reminiscence, and adventure story, written in a charming and thrilling way, with a beautiful touch... Slater is a great and thoughtful writer who tells the story so fluently, full of suspense and drama, and full of careful scientific observation, but also with a touch of humor and humility.
--Minneapolis Star Tribune
Like a modern-day ranger, Jonathan ventures deep into the jungles of Russia's Far East, returning with a thriller-worthy story about the science of nature conservation.
——Orion Magazine
One of the great survival stories of our time... Slater's true story reads like the finest novel, a cross between Jack London and JA Baker, filled with moments of courage and a love of nature and wild places.
——Ralph Lauren Magazine
From the first few pages, Slater's vivid language and tight storytelling grab the reader's attention. The book's success is due in part to the author's talent for presenting adventures and prolonging the tension, turning a potentially dry bird-watching story into an engaging, conservation-oriented must-read. Slater's rugged conservationist persona comes to life through his experiences of snowmobiling across glaciers, meeting local villagers over glasses of vodka, and observing the incredible owls in person on the lonely, beautiful nights.
——Kirkus Reviews