Journeys with Emperors

“Marine physiologist Kooyman’s captivating memoir, written with one of his research assistants, Mastro, centers on two series of Antarctic journeys, both equally impressive. . . . In addition to his clear and often enthusiastic writing, Kooyman has included many photographs of both the scientists on site and the penguins and seals they lived with over the years. Brew a cup of hot tea and spend some time with these remarkable birds—and the humans that study them.” * Natural History *
"This is a thrilling book full of stories about their expeditions, discoveries, interesting observations of the emperors, and life in one of the harshest regions on Earth." * Explorers Journal *
"Informative sidebars, graphs, and charts explain technical terms in clear language. An annotated bibliography and gorgeous photos round out this treat of a book, which describes what it was like to live among emperor penguins and the challenges and rewards of research in the Antarctic. This book will have armchair travelers, penguin lovers, Antarctic enthusiasts, and science readers rejoicing." * Booklist *
"An intriguing addition . . . Journeys with Emperors takes us behind the scenes of pioneering scientific expeditions and then follows up with the scientific results in readable, layman’s language. The bifurcated organization works thanks to the use of a single authoritative narrative voice, a careful arrangement of scientific details, and a sense of wonder that infuses every chapter, whether it’s about hiking over a glacier or the benefits of anaerobic metabolisms. It’s a very enjoyable book to read. It also gives insight into the scientific way of looking at birds and their habitat, and the personal costs and rewards of a life devoted to scientific obsession." * 10,000 Birds *
"A fascinating read with gorgeous pictures and lots to offer those of us who may never experience what it is like to live and work at the bottom of the world." -- Elizabeth Marro * SPARK *
"The 2005 Luc Jacquet documentary March of the Penguins won an Oscar for its depiction of emperor penguins' fifty-kilometer trek over sea ice to their breeding grounds. While such a trek may be common for emperors breeding in colonies around the Antarctic perimeter, it is not the case for the largest colonies in the Ross Sea. To understand emperor penguins here, we must follow them on four critical journeys, each with its own challenges and hazards. In this compelling and accessible book, comparative biologist Kooyman and writer and fellow Antarctic explorer Mastro offer a detailed explanation of all four journeys. A book that will take you [into] the field with scientists to discover those charismatic and fascinating birds." * PolarJournal (Switzerland), "Our polar book ideas for Christmas" *
"Reading Journeys with Emperors gave me a new appreciation for the challenges many wildlife biologists face to answer seemingly simple questions. To study emperor penguins on the ice shelves of Antarctica requires only a little less preparation than a journey to the moon. . . . Each chapter is full of adventure and description of how to best investigate the lives of penguins and supplemented with links to videos from the experience. . . . These birds are cool! . . . Journeys with Emperors is a fun read that won’t leave you with cold feet." * American Biology Teacher *
“Kooyman has been traveling to the Ross Sea in Antarctica since the 1960s, first to study seals, and later Emperor Penguins. In Journeys with Emperors, written in partnership with Mastro, the latter are Kooyman’s focus, as he shares stories from his years among them, and the lengths to which he had to go to learn a little about their lives. . . . The book includes an inset of lovely color photos, as well as information on links to online content if the reader wants to put down the book for a spell and head over to their computer. Readers may not be so inclined, however, preferring instead to stay with Kooyman as he marvels at his study subjects and the remarkable land- and seascapes in which they live.” * Marine Ornithology *
“Throughout the book, Kooyman and Mastro capably evoke the penguins in their breathtaking Antarctic environs, helped by a series of illustrations: lovely color plates, and grayscale figures and tables that are both informative and illustrative. . . . Emperor Penguins occupy a special place in the public consciousness. As movie stars they have won Oscars (for March of the Penguins), headlined blockbusters (Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two). But books that meet them more or less on their own terms are less common. This is what makes Journeys with Emperors welcome. It is a pleasure to read.” * Ornithological Applications *
“This book seamlessly weaves two amazing stories. The first, embedded in the subtitle, is to document the remarkable natural history and Antarctic distribution of the amazing, indeed mind-boggling, Emperor Penguin. The second story is the story of Kooyman himself, now 89 years old, whose career spanned decades of remarkable groundbreaking research experience of tagging, diving with, and studying Emperor Penguins among their various colonies on the pack ice of Antarctica. . . . As a writer, he is congenial, seemingly enjoying sharing his (dare I say) many adventures along the way of his career. The book is a delight to read.” * Wilson Journal of Ornithology *
“[Kooyman] recounts his tale of one of the most iconic examples of charismatic megafauna in a way that captures both the magnitude of his science and the elegant descriptions and personal anecdotes that transport the reader to the ice (all through the lens of a changing climate). His acts of veritable heroism—raging-river crossings, risky glacial traverses, frequent excursions on figurative and literal thin ice—were simply routine components of his daily scientific procedures.” -- Jessica Ulrika Meir, PhD, comparative physiologist and NASA astronaut, from the foreword
“Journeys with Emperors follows a decades-long quest to study the largest, deepest diving, most colorful, and most isolated of the penguins. Readers are literally a part of the research expedition. It is the trials and tribulations, successes and failures of Kooyman and his research team that are at the core of this book. An iconic Antarctic bird makes it all the more engaging, and you walk away with an appreciation of how unique these birds are, as are the people who study them. Everyone will be the better for having read this book, and perhaps, emperor penguins will benefit from such an informed population; I can think of no higher praise.” -- Terrie M. Williams, author of "The Odyssey of KP2: An Orphan Seal and a Marine Biologist’s Fight to Save a Species"
“This remarkable book is the most authoritative and readable account of the biology of emperor penguins ever written. Of equal significance is that through example, Kooyman provides insight into the importance of patiently observing and documenting aspects of the natural history of this extraordinary bird, over a period of decades. Collectively, those observations facilitated a stream of original ideas, and the technology needed to test them. As such, Journeys with Emperors models how to successfully conduct long-term research on a wild species in a truly challenging environment.” -- Ian Stirling, FRSC, research scientist emeritus, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and adjunct professor, University of Alberta, Canada