Mesmerising ... There's something endlessly pleasurable in listening to a person talk about a subject on which they're both an enthusiast and an authority, and Tim Birkhead has both qualities in abundance.

The Telegraph

As Tim Birkhead reminds us in this wide-ranging and deeply researched study, human exploitation of the species goes back millennia … A lively and meticulous book.

The Spectator

A sad but engrossing elegy … The story of the great auk, movingly told in this book, continues. This remarkable bird is not forgotten.

Mail on Sunday

A fascinating book… The Great Auk tells the story of an iconic bird.

Literary Review

Tim Birkhead's narrative is a poignant elegy for what has been lost… Over a century after its extinction, the great auk still has a life of its own.

Natural History

Quite simply, one of the best natural history books I have read.

Birdwatch