The Beast in the Clouds The Roosevelt Brothers’ Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda

New York Times Bestseller and Wall Street Journal Bestseller

Step into a world where myth meets reality on the rooftop of the world. Nathalia Holt, the New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls, brings us this breathtaking true story of courage, discovery, and the indomitable Roosevelt spirit.

In 1929, Theodore Roosevelt’s two eldest sons ventured into the unforgiving Himalayas on what seemed an impossible mission: to prove the existence of the legendary beishung—the giant panda—to the western world. What followed was an expedition that would change conservation history forever.

This is adventure writing at its finest. Holt masterfully weaves together:

• Heart-stopping moments of survival against blizzards, robbers, and oxygen-thin air
• The race against time to document a vanishing ecosystem
• A pivotal moment that launched modern conservation biology
• The personal transformation of explorers who risked everything for discovery

Praised as “a beautiful and powerful book” by New York Times bestselling author Candice Millard, and “valuable, revelatory, and contagiously page-turning” by David Michaelis, this is a story that lingers long after the final page.

Perfect for readers who loved The Lost City of Z or Endurance, The Beast in the Clouds captures both the soaring beauty of the Tibetan plateau and the depths of human determination. It’s history that reads like thriller—because sometimes, the most extraordinary adventures are true.

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