MY PENGUIN YEAR :: Lindsay McCrae

A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is republished here with permission.

Growing up on the outskirts of England's Lake District National Park, eight-year-old Lindsay McCrae was enthralled by nature and decided he wanted a career filming wildlife. A letter to a BBC nature program at age 14 resulted in him making a short film on badgers. From there his career took off, and he documented wolves in the Arctic and armadillos at the equator. McCrae's ultimate dream, to film emperor penguins in Antarctica, came true when the BBC Natural History Unit made that once-in-a-lifetime offer. The catch? He would need to prepare for a year, then be gone for 11 months.

Anyone who wonders what such an incredible and dangerous expedition entails will be enchanted by McCrae's chronicle of his time in the harshest climate on earth (reaching -60F degrees). My Penguin Year is a stunning and often gut-churning account of the lifecycle of thousands of emperor penguins from a "behind the lens" perspective. It also reveals the toll such a job takes on the participants--risk, confinement, isolation (from loved ones and medical treatment), and experiencing Mother Nature at her harshest.

McCrae carried a few added burdens: he married just before departing and his wife gave birth during his time away. His account of dedication and sacrifice, from both documentarian and penguin angles, is thoroughly compelling. The written version of McCrae's film (he won a BAFTA as director of photography for BBC's Dynasties) is an unforgettable, intimate story of survival.

STREET SENSE: Like any material on Mother Nature, there are parts of McCrae's that are tough going and difficult to read. But to get the story from this perspective was truly compelling. I have a new level of respect after scratching the surface of what goes into giving the rest of the world a window to such magnificence.

COVER NERD SAYS: Who doesn't love a penguin? This cover image is both lovely and telling, for the focus emperors have on their young is second to none. I also appreciate the fact that the image is surrounded by nothing but white, making the black marking stand out even more and providing a sense of the isolation faced by human and penguin in the Antarctic. I'm a sucker, but this would totally catch my eye on a bookstore shelf or table.