“A remarkable memoir. … Amid ice, whales, petrels, seals and vast shoals of fish, McCrae followed thousands of emperor penguins for nearly a year. … Most gripping are his fine-tuned observations of these beautiful metre-high birds.” - Nature
“Twelve men have walked on the moon. But how many have spent an entire season with the Emperors in the frozen south? Lindsay McCrae has, and this is his wonderful story–a dramatic saga forged by passion, honesty, and rare skill.” - Chris Packham, BBC Springwatch presenter
“Amid ice, whales, petrels, seals and vast shoals of fish, McCrae followed thousands of emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri) for nearly a year. His remarkable memoir is rich in the technological and logistical challenges of filming in extreme conditions. But most gripping are his fine-tuned observations of these beautiful metre-high birds, which must survive and raise their young in temperatures as low as -60°C.” - Nature
"Reveals the brutal beauty of Antarctica and its most beloved creature." - Christian Science Monitor
“A touching story of courage, survival and persistence, My Penguin Year is a must-read for nature lovers and those who enjoy a stirring memoir.” - BookPage
"McCrae shares the joy and heartbreak of filming the penguins. ... With beautiful descriptions of the stark landscape, harsh weather conditions, challenges of filming, and isolation during the dark Antarctica winter, this work lovingly and accurately details emperor penguin behavior in an engaging memoir that will appeal to wildlife enthusiasts, adventurers, and armchair travelers." - Library Journal
"Part adventure story, part evocation of the last untouched place on Earth, this is mesmerizing." - Daily Mail, “Books of the Year”
"My Penguin Year is an immersive insight into the life of a wildlife filmmaker and the challenges of surviving in the harshest, most unforgiving environment on Earth. ... Evockative" - The Herald (Scotland)
"Delightful and picturesque. ... It's hard not to be enchanted." - Washington Independent Review of Books
"Unforgettable. ... Readers will laugh, cry, wince, and even bristle at the incredible word-pictures McCrae paints of the birds' courting, births, and deaths." - Booklist
“A stunning and often gut-churning account of the lifecycle of thousands of emperor penguins. … An unforgettable, intimate story of survival.” - Shelf Awareness
“For 337 consecutive days, cameraman Lindsay McCrae made his home among 11,000 emperor penguins. In Antarctica, he watches as the colony experiences birth, death and everything in between. Annotating his photos, he writes of how penguins and humans alike adjust to an environment where temperatures can reach 60 degrees below zero. Filled with color photographs, this is a treasure.” - Los Angeles Times
“A gorgeously illustrated memoir.” - Telegraph (UK)