Of Tigers and Men

The profoundly moving experience of reading this book was one of a sustained and deeply personal conversation with a splendid human being who draws you ever more deeply into the tragic reality of the tiger's fate today. Written by a gifted naturalist in a strong and vividly expressive prose, it is no less than a powerful cri de coeur forewarning us of the exhaustion of natural habitat and the extinction of a magnificent animal in the few decades to come. I warmly, indeed urgently, recommend this book to everyone.

This book currently is out of print, which is troubling. First of all, its disapperance bodes ill for tiger, who certainly could have no more eloquent defender than Richard Ives. This is a book that, if read, could inspire people to work for the preservation of tiger. But while it is impossible to overestimate the book's value as a call to arms, it also is the story of a man who has chosen an improbable and difficult life and pursued it with admirable commitment. The book has been an inspiration for me since I found it in a shop in Paris on my way home from a two-and-a-half stint in the Peace Corps. If Richard Ives proves to be a Cassandra, his wise words on tiger and men ignored by everyone, then we are much the worse for it.

This book is the best book on extinction that I have read. Not only does Mr. Ives take you on a journey through the world of the tiger, he also makes you want to go to the places he describes and help as much as possible.I only wish that I could do more for the animals of this earth after I read this book. It will make you cry when you read it as you learn of the tigers plight.This book influences you to take a stand and declare " I'm mad as hell, and I'm not going to take it anymore!".

If the title had not been already taken, this book could have been called "Chronicle of a Death Foretold". As he takes us on his journey over Asia, Ives makes no bones about the ultimate fate of wild tigers: total extinction within 30 years. This would make for a grim book but for Ives' talent as a writer. Without pathos or over-sentimentality, he exposes facts, talks to park rangers and other naturologists to come to his conclusion. Very astutely, Ives understood that tigers "sell themselves" and you won't find impassionated speeches here: a good tiger story is worth a thousand of those. The book can be read on several levels: the author will entertain you with travel stories, get you interested in foreign cultures, astound you with his erudition, and scare the child in you who is still afraid of the wolf (I mean tiger!). Most of all, Ives will convince you with the force of his quiet logic. He made me (a dog person) care about those big cats. When he's done, you will get up from your arm-chair and think "We've got to save them!".

Mr. Ives, a lifelong traveller has combined a fascinating memoir, full of exotic places and even more exotic people, with a detailed examination of the forces driving the tiger into extinction worldwide. Reading this book, one can share Ives' passion for tiger-watching, and his concern for their future.