Tigers Between Empires: The Improbable Return of Great Cats to the Forests of Russia and China

by Jonathan C. Slaght

The thrilling saga of the great Amur tiger and the scientists who came together, across the world, to save it.

The forests of Northeast Asia are home to a marvelous range of animals—fish owls and brown bears, musk deer and moose, wolves and raccoon dogs, and leopards and tigers. But in the final years of the Cold War, only a few hundred tigers stepped quietly through the snow of the Amur River basin. Soon, the Soviet Union fell and catastrophe arrived, as poaching and logging took a fast, astonishing toll on an already vulnerable species.

Just as these changes arrived, scientists came together to found the Siberian Tiger Project. Led by the moose researcher Dale Miquelle and Zhenya Smirnov, who studied rodents, the team captured and released more than 114 tigers over three decades, witnessed their mating rituals and fights, their hunting and feeding, their ceding and taking of territory, their creation of families.

Within Jonathan C. Slaght’s Tigers Between Empires, these characters, both feline and human, come fully alive as we travel with them through the quiet and changing forests of Amur. We travel across time, too, as the species is shaped by the history and politics of empires—like the Qing dynasty’s Willow Palisade that once slowed human settlement, or the later introduction of roads through Russian reserves. The Siberian Tiger Project became the longest running tiger research initiative anywhere in the world; its work continues to guide conservationists today.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, Science, History, Russia, China

Audible Audio

First published November 4, 2025

About the author

Jonathan C. Slaght, PhD, is the Regional Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Temperate Asia Program, where he oversees WCS programs in China, Mongolia, and Afghanistan, and projects in Russia and Central Asia.

His first book, "Owls of the Eastern Ice," was longlisted for a 2020 National Book Award for Nonfiction, and won the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award in 2021.

Slaght's "Tigers Between Empires" was released in November, 2025, and named one of the Best Books of 2025 by the Minnesota Star Tribune, Scientific American, BookPage, and more.

His other writings have been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Guardian, and Audubon Magazine, among others.

Reviews

[Olive Fellows (abookolive) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tigers between Empires tells the soup-to-nuts history of the Siberian tiger project, a research project that aimed to answer questions about the surviving Amur tiger population in the Russian Far East. It involved tracking, tagging, monitoring, and in a few cases, raising and releasing tigers - tasks that are easy to list, but much, much more difficult to physically carry out when you're talking about a huge apex predator.

Click here to hear more of my thoughts on this book (and one other book on tigers) over on my Booktube channel, abookolive!

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

WOAH, one of my favorites from this entire year for sure! This book was amazing, I can't believe I have never heard of this author before now! I can't wait to read his other works. I nearly hesitated while requesting the advanced copy of this book, because I was worried I would find it a bit too historical and dry (I don't often like reading pure history). However, it was anything but that!!! While the author does go over, in intricate detail, the history of tiger conservation efforts in northeastern Asia from the 1990s until today, it reads like part memoir, part wilderness adventure story.

If you like to read about people spending time outdoors or living in remote places (I am recently especially fond of What Walks This Way: Discovering the Wildlife Around Us Through Their Tracks and Signs, and Anima: A Wild Pastoral), then this would absolutely be the book for you. Animal lovers and fans of Barry Lopez (especially his animal writing in Arctic Dreams) will adore this as well, since the author takes you up close and personal with exactly how a tiger (and their prey) lives in the wild. We follow the young biologists through the forest while they note tiger signs and eventually begin to capture and track them- an intimate perspective that very very few people are ever lucky enough to experience.

Reading this was also very much like reading a memoir (even though I know it is not one), because the author really makes efforts to include specific details of the events and people involved to make you feel as if you are right there with them. In the end notes I found out this is likely because he WAS right there with them, at least for many later parts of this book, as he himself is a wildlife scientist who studied the endangered Blakiston's fish owl in the same region where the Siberian Tiger Project was doing its work (yes, I already added his book about this work to my tbr haha), and is friends with quite a few of the people he writes about. He is therefore able to paint such a wonderful and intimate picture of the Primorye region and its nature, along with the people involved in tiger conservation there.

I learned so much more than I expected about tigers and how they live (and die) in the wild. It is such a gift to feel like you have been right there walking with these huge, beautiful animals in their forest while reading this from your city house thousands of miles away. Wonderful history, wonderful animals, wonderful writing style, really a breath of fresh air- I can only very happily recommend this one!

[Molly Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved learning about these snow cats and the fieldwork exploits. So cool. A little slow in places but I thought it was overall gripping and now I am full of fun tiger facts

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A second outstanding book from this author. I hope he writes a third one.

[Grace Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book somehow reminded me that I do in fact like my major. Round of applause.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A really incredible account of the Siberian Tiger Project. I love reading nonfiction books that do a deep dive into one species, and this book did a phenomenal job of that while still being accessible to the layperson. This book did not just successfully convey the biology, behavior, strength, and majesty of the Amur (Siberian) Tiger—it also conveys the feeling of confusion that comes from living in a country in turmoil after the fall of the Soviet Union. It captures the political climate of that time incredibly well. One of my favorite nonfiction books I've read in a while.

[Robert Sheard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tigers Between Empires continues my recent streak of exceptional nature writing. I’ve always been fascinated by the Russian Far East, but Jonathan C. Slaght brings that remote and often forbidding landscape vividly to life through the story of the Amur tiger and the scientists determined to save it.

Part natural history, part geopolitical history, and part field memoir, this book traces the precarious survival of one of the world’s most magnificent predators through the collapse of the Soviet Union and the chaos that followed. The long-running Siberian Tiger Project provides the narrative spine, but Slaght never loses sight of the individual animals whose lives and territories shaped the research.

What makes this especially compelling is the balance: scientific rigor paired with genuine narrative drive, and conservation urgency without sermonizing. A deeply absorbing look at how fragile ecosystems depend on fragile human cooperation—and how, sometimes, that cooperation succeeds.

[Dev (lit.lark) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for an ALC of this one!

I've been trying to read more non-fiction recently and this one caught my attention because like most people, I had a period of childhood where I was "obsessed" with tigers. I really enjoyed this one, and was pleasantly surprised by how it was written. I was a little afraid it would be too dry with history and I would zone out (just by it's nature and my personal preferences) but it was not at all dry!

While there are definitely a lot of facts and tons of information dropped on us in this book, it's written in a way that does not make you feel like you're just being info dumped. It almost reads like a memoir as we follow detailed accounts of the scientists that worked on this project and I think that brings a really great layer to this book that helps the reader (or at least, me) absorb the information. I definitely learned that I knew next to nothing about how these types of animal conservation projects work, that's for sure. There is a lot more that goes into them, and the scientists that dedicate their lives to these efforts have all my applause.

I'm always hesitant when an author narrates their own book because sometimes it just doesn't work but it really did work here. You can hear the passion in his voice for this subject, and he emotes really well that brings some heart to this story that could otherwise feel bland since there IS so much information being given to us. His familiarity with the subject (conservation in general, the people, and the geographical area) comes across pretty clearly, in my opinion, because there's an ease in the way he speaks throughout this audiobook.

Overall, I learned a lot in this one and really enjoyed the connection we had to some of the specific tigers AND scientists. Some parts did make me very sad (animal poaching obviously sucks and this is a reminder of how AWFUL humans are...) and I'll definitely be looking for similar reads to add to my tbr - both about tigers and other animal conservation topics in general!

[Jonas]

I was almost certain that I was going to like this book even before I picked it up (metaphorically; I've read it on my Kindle), as I've enjoyed Slaght's previous book Owl's of the Eastern Ice tremendously. Let me say, this didn't disappoint either. In it Slaght tells how the Amur tigers (not a distinct tiger species but subspecies - there's only one species of Panthera tigris) returned to the forests of the Russian far east. Technically they were never entirely gone, but on the brink of extinction. The whole story starts in the 90s shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, with an American scientist, Dale, traveling to the region north of Vladivostok to learn more about tigers. We get to be present whilst he, a handful of Russian scientists and some field assistants slowly figure out how to capture tigers, how to track them and how to protect them.
I've enjoyed this first half of the book the most gripping and interesting part. Even more so than Slaght's previous book. The second part takes a small step back from the field work and focuses more on organizational aspects and problems that cropped up in the early 2000s and 2010s in tiger conservation. This too was interesting to read about, but didn't manage to be as gripping as the stories taking place in the wild forests of Russia. The one thing, that I missed in this book was a clear picture of the current state of tiger conservation. In the early 2020s (or late 2010s?) the Americans involved in the project left the country, due mounting political pressure. Whilst this pressure gets acknowledged freely, there didn't emerge a clear picture of whether the future is likely to be promising for tigers or not. However, after our (Western) picture of Russia has been tinted negatively in 2022 (or arguably 2013), it was refreshing to read a more or less contemporary story which is written as apolitically as you can - without closing your eyes.
If you didn't already got it until now - read this book if you like tigers (or nature in general)!

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any book that deals with one of my favorite subjects - cats, would rate quite highly, that is my disclaimer firstly. Though the study of Siberian (now known more appropriately as Amur) tigers has been covered famously by Peter Matthiesson and even National Geographic, this current publication is the most exhaustive and detailed yet. The author, himself fully immersed in the Russian Far East studying owls and joining the Wildlife Conservation Society's regional office, is intimately familiar with the cast of characters of the tiger program. And this story really revolves around one man - Dale Miquelle, without whom there would not have been a tiger program to begin with.

Dale was the key person, and the only one associated from beginning to end of the program's thirty year run from 1992 to 2022 or thereabouts. The book traces the research and conservation of this iconic beast, the largest cat in the world, from the early post Soviet days, through the ups and downs until its eventual decline with the increasingly xenophobic posture of Russian government today. The silver lining though, is that the technical expertise and positive attitude to protecting the tiger has been passed on successfully to the country, and even across the border in China things have turned around and tiger numbers have increased since the 1990s. The trials and tribulations of this pioneering study were well documented, from the difficulty of capturing specimens to collar to the subsequent reacquiring of the individual to re-collar, including darting tigers from the unwieldy Mi-8 behemoth of a helicopter while swinging from a harness! Late in the book the successful reintroduction of an orphaned tiger was covered in detail. This was new to me as I only knew about jaguar reintroductions in Argentina to date. It offers hope and guidance to future efforts at bringing tigers back to their former ranges where they have been locally extirpated, though the process is a long and costly one.

With the advent and proliferation of camera traps from the early 2000s the collaring of animals has become increasingly unnecessary and even frowned upon today, though it is true that only collars can provide the most intimate study of an animal's daily life, like its home range, frequency of kills and composition of diet. Unfortunately these are not known at all in their range where collaring has never been done. Indeed, these old school field biologists were lucky to have had the experience of carrying out radio and GPS collaring at the time when there were no viable alternatives like remote sensing.

The description of the tough lives of the people involved and the rugged but beautiful landscape make for good reading as well. There was one thing that stood out. Slaght mentioned twice that Primorye and environs are the only places where brown bears and tigers regularly encounter one another, but this also occurs in the Himalayas in Nepal and Bhutan. Quite puzzling that as a seasoned professional conservationist he would make this factual error, or did I miss something?

[Anna (1001BooksClub) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone who loves travel writing, wildlife, and remote landscapes. Tigers Between Empires beautifully blends scientific insight with personal adventure, offering a rare glimpse into the world of the endangered Amur tiger. Before reading this book, I knew very little about these elusive creatures - and even less about the tireless efforts scientists undertake to protect them. Slaght’s storytelling is both informative and deeply immersive, making this an eye-opening journey through one of the wildest corners of the world.

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 big stars for the big cats!

[Andrew Ney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book chronicles the life of the Siberian Tiger Project, a joint conservation project between Russian and American biologists. The books starts a little slow, as background information on political landscape and topographical descriptions of the far east Russian setting. Methods of tracking and capturing are broken down, and we await a catch. Once a tiger is collared, the projec, and book, take off. Moments where humans encounter tigers are written with such tension, their aura felt through the pages. To able to take that in in person must be a life changing experience. As the book goes on, you get to learn about these tigers, and all their unique personality traits. One long lived tigress by the name of Olga particularly captured mine and the Russian hearts, helping to push forward tiger conservation throughout the Russian far east. Seeing these creatures as neighbors rather than dangers was crucial to the project. Slaight, and the biologists, do a fantastic job with framing the tigers as creatures to be saved and admired, not persecuted and murdered. This was truly one of the most fascinating books i have ever read

[Ula Tardigrade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Jonathan C. Slaght’s debut about his fieldwork in the Amur region, Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl. His amazement with the natural world and wild creatures is truly contagious. This enthusiasm is also present in his new book. However, I found it to be slightly less engaging overall.

It chronicles the Siberian Tiger Project and tells the stories of all the scientists involved in this impressive program. I loved the parts that described in detail the daily realities they faced. However, because of the book's scope, some parts were dry, and I sometimes got lost among all the characters.

Still, if you are interested in this region and want to know more about Amur tigers, I highly recommend this book.

Thanks to the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

[Jessica Haider · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lifelong cat person, I’ve always believed all felines are majestic, unpredictable, and quietly judging us—but Tigers Between Empires takes that belief and scales it up to 400 pounds. Slaght tells the story of the Amur tiger with awe and intimacy, weaving together political history, conservation science, and vivid fieldwork in a way that makes these elusive cats feel both mythic and deeply real.

What really shines is the human side: the international team of scientists working through the collapse of the Soviet Union, brutal winters, and real danger, all for the chance to understand and protect a species on the brink. The book can be dense at times with ecological detail, but the payoff is worth it—especially when Slaght captures moments of tiger behavior that feel as intimate as watching your own cat stalk a dust mote… just with much higher stakes.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm pretty enraptured by the subject matter ("The Tiger" by John Valliant is one of my ten favorite books of all-time), but damn if this isn't a ripper. Slaght is a gifted storyteller, able to tell both the human and animal tales from the Russian Far East. I loved being in the world he has recreated here.

[Becks]

This is another Booktube Prize Octofinals read so I will share my thoughts in April!

[Matt Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love when a book exceeds my expectations. This is the story of the siberian tiger project, which started in 1991 as a joint research project on Amur tigers (commonly known as Siberian tigers) by Russian and American scientists. The project spanned 30 years and was very successful in capturing, studying and assisting Amur tigers to expand their populations and enhance protection of the forests where they roam. The writing is exceptionally well balanced between describing the tigers, the biologists and other humans who interact with them, the larger political and social fabric of russian society that affects conservation, and the science. You don't have to be a nerd for wildlife and conservation biology to really enjoy this book, the chapters are short and usually revolve around an exciting capture or encounter with these amazing animals. However, if you are a nerd about this subject, you will appreciate how deftly the author describes the science and weaves it into the natural and human history is Asia. Like the people on this project, I was rooting for each and every tiger studied, they in fact won over many hearts and minds in Russia and China, a key to their recovery so far. The American scientists arrived in remote eastern Russia literally the week after the USSR collapsed in 1991, so as a bonus you may learn a whole lot about Russian history in the 2nd half of the 20th century- I certainly did. There are people all over the world working to understand and reverse the decline of species, and in many cases succeeding despite enormous odds. This book is a great synopsis of one such project and an example of the precarious but hopeful international human cooperation needed to save our precious biosphere.

[Myra Lewontin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved. Such a fascinating history of Amur tiger conservation in Siberia. A whole interesting side of Russia that we never normally get to see, and it wonderfully highlights the importance of science in conservation movements and how vital international collaboration is to further conservation as well

[Andy Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slaght’s earlier book, Owls of the Eastern Ice: A Quest to Find and Save the World's Largest Owl, was one of books of the year two years ago, and if anything, this is even better.
The focus of both books is on conservation, and Slaght’s writing itself is doing wonderful things for the cause. As in the best fiction, his characters have depth and the reader cares about them, and there is a plot which is addictive and a page-turner.

The location of both books is similar, the isolated town of Terney, neighbouring the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve in the Primorye province of southeast Russia, close to its border with China, across which the tigers cross, unsurprisingly unchallenged. The author is the Regional Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society's Temperate Asia Program, where he oversees WCS programs in China, Mongolia, and Afghanistan, and projects in Russia and Central Asia.

The elusive Siberian, or more correctly called Amur, tigers fight for their survival. Poachers are the most direct of threats, the logging industry is eroding their territory, and many political twists of the day determine their fate too. The book is in three parts, roughly dealing with each decade from the 1990s to the present. It concerns a handful of scientists, in particular, Dale Miquelle, a fearless and altruistic conservationist, who is described splendidly by Slaght.

There is tension throughout, from the process involved with tracking a tiger, to darting it to enable a health check and the placement of a GPS collar around its neck to track its moves. During the 30 year time period advances in technology make the tracking more accurate. Those in this line of work must also work with haste in a harsh, icy cold climate, with danger from bears as well as the tigers themselves.

Despite not being able to be in Russia for six years Slaght has managed to highlight the plight of Blakiston fish owls, and Amur tigers through his writing. Arguably, by raising awareness of the whole process of conservation through such excellent books is doing even more than he was when in situ previously.

Here’s a couple of clips..

The path toward a future with Amur tigers across northeast Asia is clear. What remains uncertain is if we, as a global society, are able to see it through. Wildlife populations can be restored if we have the will to do so. This has been demonstrated with wolves in North America, brown bears in the Alps, and Eurasian lynx across Europe. In order to succeed, tiger conservation requires government agencies and national governments to be open, mutually respectful, and cooperative among themselves and across borders.
Amur tigers move freely across the Sino-Russian frontier; governments, NGOs, and civil society should follow suit, taking their lead from the tigers.

and

The zapovednik system of nature reserves dates to 1916, before the Russian Revolution, when the Barguzin Nature Reserve was established near Lake Baikal in central Russia. Kedrovaya Pad-the smallest of Primorye's four nature reserves, at 179 square kilometers-was established that same year.
Unlike national parks, which came late to Russia in the 1980s and encouraged use and enjoyment by the public, zapovedniks were the first protected areas anywhere in the world designated specifically for nature preservation and scientific study. The point of these reserves was to understand what nature looked like and how it functioned in the absence of human influences. No one was allowed to just visit them: rangers provided protection, and staff scientists came to study and monitor the natural ecosystems.

[Marl · Rating 5 out of 5]

[5 stars]

A wonderful rundown of the Siberian Tiger project - the joint Russian and US conservation project focusing on the dwindling Amur (Siberian) tigers - Tigers Between Empires takes its readers to the Russian Far East to follow those scientists who helped in the conservation of the largest big cats in the world.

This book does such a great job at alternating between the more hard facts (population data, local history and geography, and changes in legal protection over time) and the on the ground events of the Project (snaring and collaring tigers, tracking them, rehabilitation of orphaned cubs). The book primarily follows Dale Miquelle - the US lead of the project - who acts as a protagonist as we move throughout the Project's foundation, slow start, and entire lifetime. If the book starts slow, it’s because the Project started slow! After the first while, we move from documenting every single trip out to moving at a faster pace over the years (though still taking the time to document individual expeditions and encounters at times).

At first I was apprehensive about the amount of historical and geographic information being thrown at me from the start - I’ve had a streak of nonfiction books that I felt went too broad for their own good lately - but it worked so well in the end for this book. The tigers are just one part of the Amur River basin and Primorye as a whole. The time the author spends on the landscape and greater ecology of the region itself (without taking away from the main focus of the Project and its tigers at all) just further emphasizes the importance of the conservation work done here. It also is so obvious how much the author loves this region and the wildlife in it.

Another aspect that really stood out to me was the care the author (and seemingly those involved with the Project themselves) had towards the locals. Though every death of a tiger due to poaching is tragic and gets the admonishment that it deserves, the horrible state of the economy and lack of any support from the new Russian government following the collapse of the USSR are blamed even more so than the random civilian who may have needed the money to keep his family alive that winter. We follow the expanding legal protections of the tigers and the increasing penalties towards poaching as the times change and people are able to better support themselves. Of course, the book never says that it’s fine for people to poach endangered animals and get off scot-free (good!) but it acknowledges the context of the times and refuses to demonize the people suffering during and after the regime change. I just always find it refreshing when an author takes in the whole picture, rather than just a knee-jerk reaction on who to blame.

Anyways, this was such a great look into both a specific conservation effort with all of its ups and downs as well as wildlife fieldwork on a broader scale. The people involved are distinct without ever feeling like characterized versions of real people, the wonder, terror, and heartbreak of these cats is felt in every encounter, and there is so much interesting information without the narrative ever getting too stuck in the hard numbers. It’s just a really fine book.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

[Rachel Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone who loves big cats, animal conservation, or field biology. I’ll have to read this author’s other book as it has even better reviews.

[Nick Asreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible read. From pre-creation of the Siberian tiger project in the mid 20th century detailing how pioneering Russian wildlife biologists would spend weeks on end tracking wild Amur tigers on foot in the snow. In the subzero temps of the Russian far east winter. Living off scraps of their kills at times. Metal. Amazing.

Then to the early 90s visiting the main study area and starting this project up to the present day with the Russia Ukraine war and how it has affected the project and wildlife conservation of the region. Moving on from winter only tracking in the snow to box traps baited with live animals, snares, radio collars, tracking individual tigers with dogs based on scat scent, satellite/GPS collars, and finally camera traps. The advancement and innovation in wildlife survey techniques in such a short period of time is insane and fascinating to think about. Wonder what the next few decades and longer will bring.

What the main biologists mentioned throughout this book did for Amur tiger and wildlife conservation in general is so awesome and can't be understated. Legends. RIP to Bart Schleyer, Zhenya Smirnov, and Howard Quigley. Shame that the project/the American collaboration essentially no longer has any influence due to government insistence on keeping it in house. Global wildlife conservation shouldn't be compromised by a difference in borders, but alas.

Favorite quote among many:

"The only person who makes no mistakes is the person who does nothing."
- Zhenya (p.122)

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tigers between empires accounts the long running tiger conservation efforts between Russia and the U.S. starting in the 1990's and carrying through to the 2010's and beyond. It's a compelling read about some truly remarkable animals and the people who want to protect them from extinction. Jonathan C. Slaght does a remarkable job of capturing the harsh realities of this kind of work while still sharing the positivity and hope that are essential for keeping such programs alive and for continuing efforts to conserve our most endangered species. He describes, not only the tigers, but also the landscape and climate with vivid details that make the reader feel a part of things even if they've never visited anywhere close to this part of the world. He also takes us deep into the minds and hearts of the humans on the ground, giving us insights into their relationships, their thoughts and dreams, and their strengths and flaws. What results is a work of narrative fiction that informs and entertains in equal measure and leaves one with a greater appreciation for, and sense of responsibility to, our changing world, animals in general, and most of all, the tigers themselves. Highly recommend.

[giovi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a surreal and wonderful thing to be in your kitchen and know for certain that a tiger is somewhere nearby, minding her own business in the darkness.

[JC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combination of audio (Audible) and physical book (purchased hardcover at an awesome bookshop inside the Indianapolis airport). It took me about two years after the publication of Slaght's first book to read Owls of the Eastern Ice, and only about two weeks to prioritize reading Tigers Between Empires. The thrill and enjoyment I felt reading this one mirrored my experience with his first book, affirming that Slaght is a master of wildlife conservation writing, and I will read any future books he writes.

Listening to Slaght's narration in the early hours on a vacation trip, while the rest of my family was sleeping, I found myself throwing my arms in the air in surprise (multiple times) and looking around for someone else to share the amazing story I just heard. (The bear attack. "No...we have three tigers." Katya the Fearless. Lowering Bart from the helicopter to the ground. I could keep going!!)

Surely other people without a background in field work will find this story as fascinating as I did!?

[Dalton Valette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Jonathan C. Slaght’s Owls of the Eastern Ice in 2023 and was so excited to read Slaght’s follow-up, all about Amur tigers in Russia and China. Unlike Owls, Slaght himself is largely absent from the story, instead focusing on a group of American and Russian researchers and their conservation efforts from the 1990s into, basically, the 2010s. The timeframe here is crucial I feel in my overarching critique with this book—there’s just so much ground to cover. Whereas Owls covered roughly five years, we have well over 30 years here. The pacing then becomes somewhat disjoined at times. With that gripe out of the way, I found Tigers Between Empires to be a worthwhile read that manages to bring in so much detail within its ~420 readable pages. The stories recounted here are often exhilarating, maddening, and hopeful.

[Rob Sedgwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers around 30 years of the Siberian Tiger Project, which spans a time starting with the Soviet Union and ending in post-Ukraine invasion Putin's Russia. It's a near first-hand account of everything that happened on the project during those years, and everything you'll read about in these pages you'll probably not have read anywhere else.

Ultimately, it's a great book, about a handful of dedicated scientists overcoming political and cultural obstacles to create a viable population of tigers in this huge borderland between two empires. The numerous poaching incidents are depressing, but the situation at the end of the book is far better than at the start.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really informative book that taught me more than I ever thought I would know about tigers in Russia. I thought this was a really good balance between information about conservation and narrative about the real-life “characters” involved in the project. The author was nuanced in presentation of conservation issues in a way that was empathetic to the people living in places with tigers but still realistic about their population decline and risks that they face. Will make you look at eating products with pine nuts differently 😅

[Lauren Kirton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was more moving than I expected it to be. I love animals, and I am a sucker for an animal story but this had me crying sad tears and happy tears at different points. The prose is a little clunky, which is why I gave 4 stars, but I wish I had listened to it slower in the first half because I came to enjoy it so much. I slowed it down to 1.25 speed for the end because I had settled in and didn’t want to rush it.