The Great Soul of Siberia: In Search of the Elusive Siberian Tiger

The Great Soul of Siberia is, if nothing, a strenuous exercise in the patience demanded by nature, of which Sooyong Park is an expert. "To wait for a tiger is to wait for yourself" Park writes, presumably in the midst of a six month stakeout from a cramped underground bunker with only mice for company; as a filmmaker, observer and enthusiast, his work in the field seems unparalleled and the choice to share such work and experiences in a book for all to relish and relive is a privilege for those who do so.The writing has a poetic quality to it that echoes of an adventure story rather than a wildlife study, though the two are seamlessly woven together; the reader is dragged into that dank underground bunker with Park, and the endless months of isolation and loneliness that go with it.The appearance of the tigers are rightfully rare, and occasionally harrowing - avoiding spoilers, a certain midnight encounter with the children of Bloody Mary would be, from the writer's perspective, unimaginably terrifying.Park's deeply abiding love and respect for these majestic creatures spills off every page, and is intoxicating. As such, it makes the needless plight of these surprisingly intelligent, affectionate animals all the more heart-breaking. Rightfully so, the closing paragraphs of the book are an indisputable call to arms. The natural world would be an infinitely poorer place without Siberian tigers who, with a mere 540 (approx.) individuals remaining in the wild, are yet another victim of the illegal wildlife trade.I'd hasten to add that this book is a must-read for the wildlife enthusiast/aspiring conservationist/natural history lover, but that would not entirely be true; in fact, I think it's a book for everyone to read. It's emotional, informative, unsentimental and uncompromisingly candid. Anybody with an invested interest in the wealth of the natural world (hopefully anyone that lives on this planet) would do well to recognise the surprisingly tender and complex nature of Siberian tigers that Park observes - there is so much more to this species than one can appreciate when seen in captivity (a sight so easily taken for granted).On that note, I'd like to highlight two organisations doing invaluable work in the conservation of tigers, all subspecies of which are listed as "Endangered" or "Critically endangered" on the IUCN red list - [...] and [...]. It's a terrifying but likely prospect that endeavours such as these are the only thing standing between tigers and their extinction in the wild - something that would be an unimaginable and unforgivable crime against nature indeed.

Well written and extremely informative, this interesting book includes an area map, a few black & white tiger sketches & a nice collection of colour photographs. Undoubtedly written by a specialist with extreme endurance, patience and enthusiasm for tracking & recording the Siberian Tiger in a challenging environment. A good read recommended to all with interests in wildlife and geography.

I agree with the five star reviews on this book..can't add much more to these good reviews except to say that I wish there were more books like this (and everyone should read them!) One thing puzzled me...Sooyong Park referred several times to the tigers' sense of smell..in other books I have read that the tiger doesn't have a well developed sense of smell and does not use it for hunting...that, for instance, he can walk by a hide concealing a human and not smell them.The book has several good photos. The map near the beginning was helpful but could have been a little more detailed. I had to add kms and different places mentioned to the map myself to give a better idea of where he was travelling at a given time.

A beautifully written and sensitively descriptive homage to one of nature's most majestic animals.Sooyong Park perfectly captures the patience of nature study and blends it with his respect and awe for three generations of one tiger family.I read this in a couple of sittings and was so captivated by the sheer poetry and power of his writing that I have already recommended this to many friends.A genuine pleasure and an emotional read.

An extraordinarily detailed account of someone dedicated to knowing more about the Great Siberian Tiger. Fascinating in its detail, if you ever want ed to know what it must be like to find our more about truly wild animals, this will tell you, in all its grim and tedious reality of days, weeks and months without human contact, living immobile in a tiny space. I have never read anything like it.

true devotion to a cause, buried in a hide for weeks in winter! I hope the tigers are still there

Wonderful

This is a book about an animal with which for some amazing reason I have a real affinity. Park shares his insights and in doing so my relationship with this magnificent creature is enhanced.