Todd McLeish is the author of Golden Wings and Hairy Toes: Encounters with New England's Most Imperiled Wildlife and Basking with Humpbacks: Tracking Threatened Marine Life in New England Waters. He lives in Pascoag, Rhode Island.
Based on interviews with researchers and his own research, McLeish weaves a compelling story about narwhals and the impact of the changing climate on their survival. . . . This book is a great read for general audiences and students as well as scientists interested in narwhals. * Choice * [The book] is a personal account of the latest scientific findings on narwhals and on ways the Arctic environment is changing. . . . [it] feels like a privilege to see one's favorite study animal portrayed as it has been here in a well-written popular book for a broad audience. -- M. P. Heide-Jorgensen * Quarterly Review of Biology * McLeish provides a broad view of the narwhal's history and legend, remaining awestruck and deeply concerned for a species that remains a miraculous creation. -- Colleen Mondor * Booklist * Todd McLeish goes deep into the narwhal- from its mythology to its biology. -- Beth Daley * The Green Blog * Part of the book's strength lies in how McLeish captures the vivid sensory world of the Arctic. -- Doug Norris * IndependentRI * His expertise shines in this pithy, entertaining book, which concludes with a sober assessment of the future for this species, one of only three truly Arctic cetaceans, in a warming world. -- Kieran Mulvaney * BBC Wildlife * Anthropology, conservation, biology and local cultural and economic considerations blend effortlessly in this account. Ultimately the reader comes away with a profound awareness of the complications involved in maintaining in perpetuity a long lived species whose behavioral and ecological circumstances ironically leave it vulnerable to anthropogenic perturbations. -- Science Book and Film Review * American Association for the Advancement of Science * Narwhals is reminiscent of many geographers' first field experiences: journeys of discovery, both about the subject matter and about ourselves. . . . A lighter, more feel-good book about the joy, wonder, and Type II fun of a true research-based adventure. -- Russell Fielding * AAG Review of Books * As one of the first general-interest books for adults dedicated to the narwhal, it's an important first start. Full of science, story, and some amazing images, Narwhals introduces us to the 'sea unicorn's' world. -- Elizabeth Bradfield * Orion *