The Tiger

A True Story of Vengeance and Survival

By: John Vaillant

Narrated by: John Vaillant

Length: 12 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

It’s December 1997, and a man-eating tiger is on the prowl outside a remote village in Russia’s Far East. The tiger isn’t just killing people, it’s annihilating them, and a team of men and their dogs must hunt it on foot through the forest in the brutal cold. As the trackers sift through the gruesome remains of the victims, they discover that these attacks aren’t random: The tiger is apparently engaged in a vendetta. Injured, starving, and extremely dangerous, the tiger must be found before it strikes again.

As he re-creates these extraordinary events, John Vaillant gives us an unforgettable portrait of this spectacularly beautiful and mysterious region. We meet the native tribes who for centuries have worshipped and lived alongside tigers, even sharing their kills with them. We witness the arrival of Russian settlers in the 19th and early 20th centuries, soldiers and hunters who greatly diminished the tiger populations. And we come to know their descendants, who, crushed by poverty, have turned to poaching and further upset the natural balance of the region.

This ancient, tenuous relationship between man and predator is at the very heart of this remarkable book. Throughout we encounter surprising theories of how humans and tigers may have evolved to coexist, how we may have developed as scavengers rather than hunters, and how early Homo sapiens may have fit seamlessly into the tiger’s ecosystem. Above all, we come to understand the endangered Siberian tiger, a highly intelligent super-predator that can grow to ten feet long, weigh more than six hundred pounds, and range daily over vast territories of forest and mountain.

Beautifully written and deeply informative, The Tiger circles around three main characters: Vladimir Markov, a poacher killed by the tiger; Yuri Trush, the lead tracker; and the tiger himself. It is an absolutely gripping tale of man and nature that leads inexorably to a final showdown in a clearing deep in the taiga.

©2010 John Vaillant (P)2010 Random House

Critic reviews

2011, The Orion Book Award, Short-listed

“This book must be read by everybody who is interested in the conservation of wildlife. It takes you to the Russian wilderness to meet face-to-face with the Siberian tiger.” (Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation and Animals Make Us Human)

“This book is magnificent, surely the best chronicle ever published of the wild Amur tigers in Russia’s Far East. In it are chilling accounts of human encounters with tigers—but these encounters, however fearsome, convincingly demonstrate the role that these enormous cats continue to play in the natural world. Equally compelling are the people of Primorye, those who of necessity must hunt the tigers, and those who would preserve them. To call this book a page-turner is an understatement. It’s riveting.” (Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Life of Dogs, The Hidden Life of Deer, The Old Way, and Tribe of Tiger)

Outstanding!!

It is hard to overestimate the richness and care with which this book was written. The story is one that speaks to the past and is directly applicable to our current circumstances. The perspective into the life of Russians is one that I have never encountered and I am better and more wise for it. Well done. Read this.

what a story

just when you think it's only about a tiger you get so much more out of it

Phenomenal

This book was so captivating I couldn't stop listening. John Vaillant does an incredible job maintaining an overall story with suspense and anticipation, while weaving in history, culture, biology, and the human experience. I wish I can find more books like this. Narration is perfect, and conveys the emotions expressed in the book. I would recommend this to anyone.

A moving story told with passion by the author

Would you listen to The Tiger again? Why?

It was a wonderful, moving story told with heart. You could feel the cold of Russia almost down to your bones when listening and yet also feel the warmth and drive for survival.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The tiger who came alive in John Valiant's words in a way I would never have imagined was possible.

You'll pause in disbelief, and then tell others

This story is one that will have you shaking your heads and telling your friends. The information related to the physicality of the Tiger is presented in a fashion where you will jaw drop, and look at others around you.

A friend of mine was reading the book at the same time and said to me that I was missing out listening to it not allowing for my own dramatic pauses... I quickly said he was wrong in this case - the author/narrator knew exactly what he was doing, and if anything, pointed out more to me with his pauses than I would have caught on my own.

If I had anything less than praise to say, it would be the amount of Russian history dragged on a bit for me, but I understand it's importance of setting the scene of desperation.

Fabolous presentation of an interesting story of mind blowing statistics.

Longer than it needed to be but still very good.

The book goes very in-depth to give you as much context about the subjects and the forces at work. You feel the cold and hear the crushing of snow by how well it is described. The suspense is a real companion during this journey.

Highly recommend

Setting aside the fact that tigers have always been my favorite animal, this book was phenomenal.
Vaillant masterfully weaves a terrifying story of a man eating tiger with a historical view of Russia, a nature story, and the surrounding far east areas. His way of working in so many different threads into a cohesive and highly compelling story was just incredible.

An absolute triumph!

I absolutely love this book and its message. I have read it in hard cover and now on audible.
The Tiger is my go to when i need to get away in my head.
If you are even curious about big game hunting, predator and prey type mysteries, Russian and or Siberian culture, and hunting of any sort then this book is a must listen.

Could become a classic

What an interesting book. The author weaves the story of Eastern Russia, China in all its splendor, geographic, cultural, political in this story of tigers, people and the boreal jungle. This book is very well written and tells congruent stories interwoven in the fabric of the area south of Vladivostok. Take your time with the book. This could easily be assigned reading in a literature course. A combination of Moby Dick, The Guns of August and A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. A pleasure through and through.

great book remember it is a true story

this book was exciting and revealed a lot about tigers and about how they are viewed by different cultures