Winner of the Prix Renaudot 2019

A New York Times Best Book of 2021

‘Extraordinarily beautiful… a long last loving glance at the planet.’ Carl Safina, author of Becoming Wild

The snow leopard stalks the frozen expanse of the Tibetan plateau – 4,500 metres above sea level. Fierce, silent, near invisible, she is a perfectly adapted predator.

Escaping Paris’s urban sprawl, the renowned French adventurer Sylvain Tesson journeys into the frozen wilderness in search of these most elusive creatures.

Tightly focused and tautly written, Tesson offers a dazzling account of a singular journey, a meditation on the ruthlessness of the natural world, a plea for ecological sanity and a reflection on the lost art of patience.

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‘One of the best books of the year.’ Financial Times

‘A transcendent travel writer.’ Countryfile, Best Books of 2021

‘A poetic eulogy to the planet.’ Big Issue

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‘[One of] the best books of the year.’ 

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‘I thought I’d rip through this book. But it’s not something you want to read fast. Tesson, who I came to like more and more, is trying to rearrange his relationship with time. Being alone, miles from anywhere, encourages him to sit still and watch things.’

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‘He comes across as the brainiest, daftest, sternest, funniest, most companionable hermit you'll ever meet.’