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Fraser's Penguins: A Journey to the Future in Antarctica.
A dramatic chronicle of Antarctica's penguins that bears witness to climate changes that foreshadow our own future
The towering mountains and iceberg-filled seas of the western Antarctic Peninsula have for three decades formed the backdrop of scientist Bill Fraser's study of Adélie penguins. In that time, this breathtaking region has warmed faster than any place on earth, with profound consequences for the Adélies, the classic tuxedoed penguin that is dependent on sea ice to survive. During the Antarctic spring and summer of 2005-2006, author Fen Montaigne spent five months working on Fraser's field team, and he returned with a moving tale that chronicles the beauty of the wildest place on earth, the lives of the beloved Adélies, the saga of the discovery of the Antarctic Peninsula, and the story—told through Fraser's work—of how rising temperatures are swiftly changing this part of the world. Captivated by the tale of these polar penguins and a memorable field season in Antarctica, readers will come to understand that the fundamental changes Fraser has witnessed in the Antarctic will soon affect our lives.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 9, 2010
About the author
Fen Montaigne
18 books2 followersFen Montaigne is a journalist and author whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, National Geographic, Outside, Smithsonian, and The Wall Street Journal. A former Moscow bureau chief of The Philadelphia Inquirer, he is the author of Reeling in Russia and has co-authored two other books. For his work on Fraser’s Penguins, Montaigne was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2006. He now works as senior editor of the online magazine Yale Environment 360.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 12, 2020
Really interesting and well researched account of one journalist’s adventure to the Antarctic and his experience helping a team of scientists observe Adelie Penguins and the conservation issues they face in the face of declining populations. Well written, and easy to read kept me gripped and made me curious for answers. I’m not much for cold environments, but the way Antarctica is described by the author makes it sound like an intriguing place to see!
March 6, 2011
Well-told and somewhat distressing tale of the Adelie penguins living near Palmer Station in Antarctica. The Adelies are scrappy little krill-eaters, perfectly adapted to their environment -- but their environment is changing, and they can't change with it. In just thirty years, the centuries-old Adelie penguin colonies near Palmer Station have collapsed, losing 80 percent of their population. The cause: changing climate leading to change in ice formations and krill populations.
I'm not that sympathetic to the plight of the Adelies. Yes, they're cuter than the species that are replacing them, and their decline is therefore portrayed as a tragedy. But the other way to look at it is that they are suffering the fate of all species that overspecialize. That's the way the genetic game plays out, and they are neither the first nor last species to bet their genes on one strategy and lose. (This book could have been written as "The Amazing Growth of Chinstrap Penguins and Elephant Seals in Antarctica," but it wouldn't have sold very well if it had.)
What's distressing is how *quickly* the ground has shifted out from under them. Their entire ecosystem has changed in a just a few decades -- and if we don't start making a better effort to manage our own climate, we are likely to wind up in the same boat, sooner rather than later.
I'm not that sympathetic to the plight of the Adelies. Yes, they're cuter than the species that are replacing them, and their decline is therefore portrayed as a tragedy. But the other way to look at it is that they are suffering the fate of all species that overspecialize. That's the way the genetic game plays out, and they are neither the first nor last species to bet their genes on one strategy and lose. (This book could have been written as "The Amazing Growth of Chinstrap Penguins and Elephant Seals in Antarctica," but it wouldn't have sold very well if it had.)
What's distressing is how *quickly* the ground has shifted out from under them. Their entire ecosystem has changed in a just a few decades -- and if we don't start making a better effort to manage our own climate, we are likely to wind up in the same boat, sooner rather than later.
December 11, 2017
Recommended in preparation for my journey to Antarctica – and I’m really glad I picked up this book. Well-written, research-based, and full of information about the place in the eyes of a researcher (Bill Fraser) who has watched over one spot on the Antarctic Peninsula for more than 30 years...and measured and witnessed the impact upon the Adelie penguin population. Writes Montaigne, “There is something about snow and ice that brings comfort and joy to humans; it must have to do with the chasteness of the frozen world, a quality that pulls us out of our daily routine and transports us to a place that seems somehow better, or at least extraordinary,” and (in the words of Bill Fraser), “Here you have this unbelievably tough little animal, able to deal with anything, succumbing to the large-scale effects of our activities. And that’s the one thing they can’t deal with, and they’re dying because of it.” This book shows the facts (researched) about climate change. Read it if you care.
May 11, 2020
Very interesting book summarizing the experience of one scientist's 30 years of research in Antarctica. Captures the changes a warming planet has on Adelie penguins, the species they interact with, and the landscape they rely on.
January 27, 2013
Fraser’s Penguins is the story of the Adélie penguins, in theory. It’s really both much more and much less. I confess, I picked up this volume up based on the word “penguins” in the title. For years, I’ve been embarrassed at how little I knew about penguins, even though I’m, well, Penguin Girl. Did I learn more than I know before I started the book, yes. Is it the best book to learn about penguins? No. Through a meandering narrative, Montaigne explores the history of the Antarctic through historic expeditions and their interactions with penguins, Fraser’s modern research, and the rapid climate shift that is threatening this species and many others today. Because he worked with Fraser’s research group, we are given some insight into this scientist’s research and the conclusions he draws, but it isn’t what I expected at all before I started to read. That’s ok. I learned quite a bit about a region and a species of which I was ignorant. I cautiously recommend this title to college students wanting to understand the process of field research, though be warned I only had a two-week Latin America field-assistant gig (for psycholinguistics) and Montaigne is a journalist. I’m sure there are other titles out there that provide better introduction to what field scientists (and assistants) do both on the job and off… But I enjoyed these insights into that life. When all the disparate parts of the book are brought together, I found Montaigne does paint a picture of the rapid climate change affecting Antarctica and what that means for the Adélies, several other species, and us.
February 28, 2011
I love penguins. They are my favorite animal. I love learning about penguins, but I hated Fen Montaigne's Fraser's Penguins: A Journey to the Future in Antarctica. I thought Montaigne was a scientist writing about his research experience so I was willing to cut him some slack about his poor writing style, the lack of organization within each chapter, and the random back stories and anecdotes that came out of nowhere. I finally suffer through this book, only to discover that Fen Montaigne is a journalist who received funding to go to Antarctica and write this book.
A journalist wrote this book? And it was this bad? With a title that didn't fit? It was more of a journey into the past than the future. And why wasn't the fact he was a journalist introduced before I read the acknowledgments at the end of the book?
Ugh. That's all I can say. I wish I could get the time back that I spent reading this book.
A journalist wrote this book? And it was this bad? With a title that didn't fit? It was more of a journey into the past than the future. And why wasn't the fact he was a journalist introduced before I read the acknowledgments at the end of the book?
Ugh. That's all I can say. I wish I could get the time back that I spent reading this book.
April 13, 2014
Fraser’s Penguins was a very nice, informative book about what goes on in Antarctica these days. Saying that the ice was melting would be a huge understatement. The author shares what he has seen and observed with the daily life of adelie penguins. The warnings sign in antarctica is distressing, and I’m concerned for our poor, arctic flippered friends. However, I didn’t really like the voice or style of the author’s way of words. Although it was very informative, the information was here and there: everywhere. It should have been more organized. I do admit that this book provides a fascinating account of adelie penguins. I love the cover of the book.
May 27, 2011
Beautiful and moving; it's about penguins, of course, but it's even more about our place in a world that isn't exclusively or even primarily human, about how context and landscape can change both who we are and our understanding of ourselves, about the interplay between longing, failure, and grief.
It has a slightly disjointed or not-quite-realized quality that is keeping me from giving it the full five stars, but I'm wavering. It really is wonderful. But Montaigne's writing about people isn't as insightful or thrilling as his writing about the natural world, I think.
It has a slightly disjointed or not-quite-realized quality that is keeping me from giving it the full five stars, but I'm wavering. It really is wonderful. But Montaigne's writing about people isn't as insightful or thrilling as his writing about the natural world, I think.
July 11, 2012
really about adelie penguins and fraser is a scientists who has been studying them for over 30 years. author montaigne (writes for outside, and editor of yale environment 360) went with the study team in 2005-2006 and reports back here.
short version: the penguins are doomed. climate change and melting are so advanced and seemingly inexorable that the birds just cannot keep up with the changing environment, the failing chains of life that are radiating out from the pole, and our indifference.
well written, quite exciting research, very depressing.
short version: the penguins are doomed. climate change and melting are so advanced and seemingly inexorable that the birds just cannot keep up with the changing environment, the failing chains of life that are radiating out from the pole, and our indifference.
well written, quite exciting research, very depressing.
June 29, 2014
This book is a really great mix of personal experience, penguin research and global warming research. It made me extremely depressed to hear about all of the problems the Adelie penguins are having as the ice in Antarctica melts. This was coupled with a narrative about the beauty and insanity of being in Antarctica as a person so it at least preserves the experience of being in Antarctica with these animals for people in the future, and for people who won't be spending 5 months in Antarctica any time soon.
August 15, 2016
Great account of life as a scientist in Antarctica. Well researched and well written.
The accounts of a season at Palmer Station in Antarctica were written so well that I felt as though I was there, working alongside the scientists. I enjoyed the background information and the accounts of the penguins as well as of other large birds such as the skuas and petrels. The book does not hammer the global warming topic hard but clearly describes the impact of our warming planet in the final chapter. Very entertaining and informative read.
The accounts of a season at Palmer Station in Antarctica were written so well that I felt as though I was there, working alongside the scientists. I enjoyed the background information and the accounts of the penguins as well as of other large birds such as the skuas and petrels. The book does not hammer the global warming topic hard but clearly describes the impact of our warming planet in the final chapter. Very entertaining and informative read.
February 18, 2011
So yeah, the Adele penguins could become completely extinct on the southern shelf of Antartica and it's completely our fault. I'm too depressed to write anything else about this text, other than that it's really good and that I'm a sucker for penguins.
December 13, 2011
I have met the author and he is a great story teller in real life. I really liked this book, although the theme is pretty sad. He tells of the penguin's plight in an entertaining way.
But then again I am biased, I love penguins, how can a book about them fail to motivate me!
But then again I am biased, I love penguins, how can a book about them fail to motivate me!
April 21, 2012
This book made me want to go to Antarctica and assist in the research efforts...and I hate the cold. Compelling story of penguin woes interspersed with information about the rapid climate change. Read the print version for pictures.
January 26, 2016
A worthwhile read
Fen Montaigne's account of one research season among the islands around Palmer Station in the northwest Antarctic peninsula makes a compelling case for considering adelie penguin as flightless canaries in the climate change coal mine.
Fen Montaigne's account of one research season among the islands around Palmer Station in the northwest Antarctic peninsula makes a compelling case for considering adelie penguin as flightless canaries in the climate change coal mine.
July 15, 2013
Wonderful, if sad, read. Fascinating look into the future of my favorite animals.
Read
July 1, 2011Graceful, sympathetic, and mature account of a part of the world you've never been to. Will sit on my shelf next to Thin Ice by Mark Bowen and other charming biographies of great climate scientists.
June 5, 2014
Crisply written study of how penguins and antarctica are being affected by climate change. A minimum of both emotion and technical jargon, the author letting the facts speak for themselves.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews