The Beast in the Clouds
The Roosevelt Brothers' Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda
Will be published approx. on 2. July 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-1-6680-2775-2 (ISBN)
Description
A New York Public Library Best Nonfiction Book of 2025 ? A New York Times Book Review Critics' Pick ? A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2025 ? Shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature
"A thrilling work of history that's wilder than fiction." -The Washington Post
"[An] immersive, sometimes harrowing account of the siblings' Himalayan adventure." -The New York Times
The stunning true story of Theodore Roosevelt's sons and their 1929 Himalayan expedition to prove the existence of the panda bear to the western world, from the New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls.
The Himalayas-a snowcapped mountain range that hides treacherous glacier crossings, raiders poised to attack unsuspecting travelers, and air so thin that even seasoned explorers die of oxygen deprivation. Yet among the dangers lies one of the most beautiful and fragile ecosystems in the world.
By 1928, dozens of expeditions had scoured the Himalayas in search of the panda bear, an animal many believed to be a myth. That year the two eldest sons of President Theodore Roosevelt and a small team of scientists and naturalists launched their own dangerous journey. Lost in blizzards, attacked by robbers, ravaged by illness, and cut off from food supplies, the brothers' crew was pushed to its physical and emotional limits. They would accomplish what years of exploration had not-introducing the panda to the Western world. Along the way, they documented a rapidly disappearing landscape and helped bring about a new era of conservation biology.
In The Beast in the Clouds, Nathalia Holt brings these events to life in a gripping nonfiction thriller about ambition, survival, and the indomitable Roosevelt spirit.
"A thrilling work of history that's wilder than fiction." -The Washington Post
"[An] immersive, sometimes harrowing account of the siblings' Himalayan adventure." -The New York Times
The stunning true story of Theodore Roosevelt's sons and their 1929 Himalayan expedition to prove the existence of the panda bear to the western world, from the New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls.
The Himalayas-a snowcapped mountain range that hides treacherous glacier crossings, raiders poised to attack unsuspecting travelers, and air so thin that even seasoned explorers die of oxygen deprivation. Yet among the dangers lies one of the most beautiful and fragile ecosystems in the world.
By 1928, dozens of expeditions had scoured the Himalayas in search of the panda bear, an animal many believed to be a myth. That year the two eldest sons of President Theodore Roosevelt and a small team of scientists and naturalists launched their own dangerous journey. Lost in blizzards, attacked by robbers, ravaged by illness, and cut off from food supplies, the brothers' crew was pushed to its physical and emotional limits. They would accomplish what years of exploration had not-introducing the panda to the Western world. Along the way, they documented a rapidly disappearing landscape and helped bring about a new era of conservation biology.
In The Beast in the Clouds, Nathalia Holt brings these events to life in a gripping nonfiction thriller about ambition, survival, and the indomitable Roosevelt spirit.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
20 b&w images t-o
Dimensions
Height: 213 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
220 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-6680-2775-2 (9781668027752)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Nathalia Holt
The Beast in the Clouds
The Roosevelt Brothers' Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda
E-Book
07/2025
Atria/One Signal Publishers
€14.83
Available for download
Person
Nathalia Holt, PhD, is the New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls, Wise Gals, The Queens of Animation, and Cured. She has written for numerous publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic, Slate, Popular Science, PBS, and Time. She is a former fellow at the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard University. She lives with her husband and their two daughters in Pacific Grove, California. Find out more at NathaliaHolt.com.