... engaging.

Mr. Slaght’s book is a stellar example of the fruitful intersection of scientific inquiry, conservation advocacy and wilderness adventure. It belongs to a rare species of nature writing in which facts are delivered with both exactitude and storytelling panache.

Slaght has a rare gift for startling evocations of the natural world.

... an absolute marvel of a book. Part science narrative, part memoir, part adventure story, it is captivating, thrilling and beautifully written.

... Owls of the Eastern Ice [has] the heroic flavor of a Boy’s Own story.

... excellent.

Indeed, in Slaght’s capable hands, the scientist-as-adventurer narrative brings readers into a strange land.

While sketching in the human background to his mission, Slaght treats his companions too summarily. He lets slip that one assistant had spent 24 years down a Siberian coal mine. What on earth was that like? Alas, we never learn.

... the owl’s presence can be felt throughout the book, thanks to some evocative writing by Slaght.

The excitement of finding owl tracks in the snow (the owls fish for salmon along open stretches of rivers) and owl nests is intertwined with stories of camping, attaching transmitters to owls, and dealing with recalcitrant equipment and villagers. Slowly the owls reveal their secrets, and Slaght lets readers revel in the discoveries along with him..

... a detailed and thrilling account.

From the very first pages, Slaght, the Russia and Northeast Asian Coordinator for the Wildlife Conservation Society, grips readers with vivid language and tight storytelling.