The Last of Its Kind: The Search for the Great Auk and the Discovery of Extinction

"Shortlisted for the Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize" "A fascinating, important, and timely book about a major icon of extinction."---Mark V. Barrow Jr., Science "An engaging book."---Tom Tierney, New Scientist "The Last of its Kind is a slow-moving thriller, a murder-mystery where we know from the outset who did it."---Surekha Davies, Times Literary Supplement "[A] moving and well thought out tale. . . . This book is an important part of an innocent species' life."---Deb Hirt, Muskogee Phoenix "Much has been written about the demise of the Great Auk . . . and this work by Gísli Pálsson is an important addition to the body of work on this iconic and enigmatic species. It is scholarly and well-presented."---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds "Pálsson affectionately profiles Wolley and Newton and thereby gives readers a colorful view of what ornithology and natural history was like in the decades immediately before the publication of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species."---Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review "[An] engaging story."---Andrew Robinson, Nature "Through a combination of scientific analysis, personal narratives, and ecological insights, Pálsson crafts a gripping story that underscores the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect endangered species."---John Hague, The Grebe "[A] thoughtful and melancholy account."---Liam Shaw, London Review of Books "Remarkable."---Rob Hume, BirdGuides "Wonderful."---John Miles, Birdwatching