One September, the writer and explorer Peter Matthiessen set out with field biologist George Schaller to journey 250 miles through the Himalayas to the Crystal Mountain on the Tibetan plateau. They wanted to study the wild blue sheep, the bharal, but also hoped to see the snow leopard, a creature so rarely spotted as to be nearly mythical.The Snow Leopardis not only an exquisite book of natural history but an extraordinary account of an inner journey ; a 'true pilgrimage, a journey of the heart.'

Peter Matthiessenwas a naturalist, explorer and writer. His works of fiction includeAt Play in the Fields of the Lord, Far Tortugaand the acclaimed 'Watson Trilogy'. His explorations resulted in many fine works of non-fiction, among themThe Snow Leopard, The Cloud ForestandThe Tree where Man was Born. He died in 2014, aged 86.

'Matthiessen's book is a triumph that will outlive him. It is a masterpiece' John Hillaby