Description

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From "a graceful writer who’s written some of the best natural history books of the past decade” (The New York Times Book Review) comes an urgent, stirring celebration and a rallying cry on behalf of one of earth's greatest natural treasures.  

Polar bears—fierce and majestic—have captivated us for centuries. Feared by explorers, revered by the Inuit, and beloved by zoo goers everywhere, they are a symbol for the harsh beauty and muscular grace of the Arctic. But as global warming threatens the ice caps’ integrity, the polar bear has also come to symbolize the environmental peril that has arisen due to harmful human practices. In the past twenty years alone, the world population of polar bears has shrunk by half. Today they number just 22,000.

About the Author

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RICHARD ELLIS is the author of more than a dozen books. He is also a celebrated marine artist whose paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world. He has written and illustrated articles for numerous magazines, including Audubon, National Geographic, Discover, Smithsonian, and Scientific American. He lives in New York City.

Praise For…

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“Timely, passionate and comprehensive. . . .  Ellis is . . . a graceful writer who’s written some of the best natural history books of the past decade.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Ellis is [the polar bear’s] ideal champion. . . . By presenting the bears’ plight in such convincing terms, Ellis shows unequivocally that the fate of these magnificent creatures is in our hands.” —Providence Journal

“It takes a hard heart indeed to be unmoved by this history of an endangered species.” —The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
 
“Vivid and affectionate.” —Time Out New York
 
“[Ellis] clearly loves these animals, and so do we by the time he’s done. . . . Excellent.” —National Geographic Adventure

“[Ellis’s] thorough discussion of the polar bear in history and literature and his concise description of its physiology serve as a background to a powerful plea for the survival of one of the most imposing animals.” —St Louis Post-Dispatch

“Masterful. . . . Ellis relieves the more painful passages . . . with fascinating details about polar bear biology and behavior.” —Louisville Courier-Journal

“Through [Ellis’s] eyes, the ice bear becomes more than a sacrificial symbol; it becomes a vital part of the mental and physical landscape we inhabit.” —Los Angeles Times
 
“In On Thin Ice Richard Ellis . . . paints a natural history of the icon of the north, the polar bear. Well-versed in the complicated history and politics of whaling, he describes the long tradition of Arctic explorers who proved themselves by taking on the white bear.” —The Economist
 
“A memorable and important book about a magnificent animal that now seems doomed to die before our very eyes.” —The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
 
“[Ellis’s] newest book captivated me. . . . Ellis covers the wide range of the polar bear, which recognizes no national boundaries while searching for food, mates, and shelter at the top of the world, and outlines the difficulties in protecting an animal whose populations straddle parts of five countries. . . . I found it hard to put down.” —Susan Meadows, Santa Fe New Mexican

“This is a thoughtful and well-researched book about the beast of the decade: the beast of the new millennium. . . . Ellis does his best to allow the bears to speak for themselves.” —The Times (London)

“It’s disturbing to learn just how threatened the polar bear is by the effects of global warming and the melting of ice packs. Ellis offers a detailed look at the lifestyle of Earth’s largest predator.” —Sacramento Bee
 
“If Ellis does not have all the answers, he certainly has a clear vision of all the problems.” —The Anniston Star

“An extensive portrayal of impressions, interactions and impacts of humans upon the polar bear. . . . Fascinating.” —The Winnipeg Free Press