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Life in the Valley of Death: The Fight to Save Tigers in a Land of Guns, Gold, and Greed Hardcover – November 13, 2007

by Alan Rabinowitz (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 178 ratings
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Dubbed the Indiana Jones of wildlife science by The New York Times, Alan Rabinowitz has devoted—and risked—his life to protect nature’s great endangered mammals. He has journeyed to the remote corners of the earth in search of wild things, weathering treacherous terrain, plane crashes, and hostile governments. Life in the Valley of Death recounts his most ambitious and dangerous adventure yet: the creation of the world’s largest tiger preserve.
 
The tale is set in the lush Hukaung Valley of Myanmar, formerly known as Burma. An escape route for refugees fleeing the Japanese army during World War II, this rugged stretch of land claimed the lives of thousands of children, women, and soldiers. Today it is home to one of the largest tiger populations outside of India—a population threatened by rampant poaching and the recent encroachment of gold prospectors.
 
To save the remaining tigers, Rabinowitz must navigate not only an unforgiving landscape, but the tangled web of politics in Myanmar. Faced with a military dictatorship, an insurgent army, tribes once infamous for taking the heads of their enemies, and villagers living on less than one U.S. dollar per day, the scientist and adventurer most comfortable with animals is thrust into a diplomatic minefield. As he works to balance the interests of disparate factions and endangered wildlife, his own life is threatened by an incurable disease.
 
The resulting story is one of destruction and loss, but also renewal. In forests reviled as the valley of death, Rabinowitz finds new life for himself, for communities haunted by poverty and violence, and for the tigers he vowed to protect.
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  1. Print length
    248 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Island Press
  4. Publication date
    November 13, 2007
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1597261297
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1597261296
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"As a general rule, books by saints are best avoided... The exception to this rule: Alan Rabinowitz. ... Suffice it to say that the guy's halo is green, bright and fully deserved. But he's also a hell of a good writer, which is why Life in the Valley of Death is anything but another desperate dispatch from a shrinking corner of the wild." ― Men's Journal

"Life in the Valley of Death is not your typical chronicle of rescuing wildlife. Rather it's a clear-eyed rendering of conservation's unruly, dangerous, and chaotic side." ― Audubon

"Rabinowitz deserves credit for a political courage no less real than his physical bravery, for being willing to sit down with the devil, occasionally, to save a tiger." ― TIME

"Life in the Valley of Death is the triumphant story of his toughest job to date...Rabinowitz had to gain the cooperation of the ruling military junta and navigate an elaborate bureaucracy. That he succeeded testifies to his modesty, patience, and ability to persuade powerful people of the importance of saving tigers." ― National Geographic Adventure

"For 20 years, he has traveled the world, imploring the power elite of democracies and dictatorships to dedicate large parcels as reserves for these imperiled felines." ― New York Times

"By engaging Myanmar's ruthless military dictatorship, Alan Rabinowitz has pulled off extraordinary feats for tiger conservation. His is a story of drawing lines—geographic, political, and moral." ― Conservation

"The story of how this lofty goal is accomplished makes for absorbing reading; this very personal account of the nuts and bolts of international conservation will resonate with lovers of the earth's last wild places." ― Booklist

"Engaging. . . [Rabinowitz] is a man on a mission and we are not really surprised when that mission ultimately proves successful." ― Explorer's Journal

"In an inspiring, personal book, Rabinowitz recounts his struggles to protect the tiger population in Myanmar, formerly Burma. . .Ultimately, his book is about challenges, possibilities, and hope." ― Library Journal

"Alan Rabinowitz is a hero of mine. He combines the courage and initiative of nineteenth-century explorer with the knowledge of a modern wildlife scientist, thereby achieving solid conservation in some of the most remote and critical parts of the world. Life in the Valley of Death represents a high point in a remarkable life." -- Edward O. Wilson, University Professor Emeritus, Harvard University

"I could not put down this remarkable book. Alan Rabinowitz's personal journey is every bit as moving and inspiring as is his passionate and courageous battle to save the world's most endangered great cats. We need the mystery and majesty of wild things and wild places. I am convinced that the efforts of Alan and his colleagues will have a profound effect on our collective soul." -- Glenn Close, actress

"Move over Indiana Jones—Alan 'Burma' Rabinowitz is a great man with a great vision. His dramatic story of hope and heroism facing tangled jungles, political intrigue, and a personal battle with cancer will have you on the edge of your seat, cheering for both him and the tigers." -- Sy Montgomery, author of "Spell of the Tiger" and "The Good Good Pig"

"By turns sad and uplifting, Life in the Valley of Death tells the amazing tale of Alan Rabinowitz's courageous and spirited efforts to protect Burma's (Myanmar's) remaining tigers and establish the Hukawng Valley Reserve. It is hard to imagine a more passionate or exciting account of today's conservation challenges, or a more thoughtful rendering of life, death, and politics in Burma's most remote corners." -- Thant Myint-U, author of "The River of Lost Footsteps: A Personal History of Burma"

About the Author

Alan Rabinowitz is CEO of Panthera Foundation. Educated at the University of Tennessee, with degrees in zoology and wildlife ecology, Dr. Rabinowitz has traveled the world on behalf of wildlife conservation and has studied jaguars, clouded leopards, Asiatic leopards, tigers, Sumatran rhinos, bears, leopard cats, raccoons, and civets.

His work in Belize resulted in the world’s first jaguar sanctuary; his work in Taiwan resulted in the establishment of that country’s largest protected area, its last piece of intact lowland forest; his work in Thailand generated the first field research on Indochinese tigers, Asiatic leopards, and leopard cats, in what was to become the region’s first World Heritage Site; and his work in Myanmar has led to the creation of five new protected areas there: the country’s first marine national park, the country’s first and largest Himalayan national park, the country's largest wildlife sanctuary, and the world’s largest tiger reserve. 

Dr. Rabinowitz has authored nearly eighty scientific and popular articles and six books, including Jaguar: One Man’s Struggle to Establish the First Jaguar Preserve (1986/2000), Chasing the Dragon’s Tail: The Struggle to Save Thailand’s Wild Cats (1991/2002), and Beyond the Last Village: A Journey of Discovery in Asia’s Forbidden WildernessNew York Times, National Geographic Adventure Magazine, Outside Magazine, Scientific American, Men’s Fitness, GEO, Natural History, and Audubon. He has been featured in television specials by the National Geographic Society and the BBC, and recently consulted on an IMAX film project about tigers in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh and India.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Island Press; First Edition (November 13, 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 248 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1597261297
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1597261296
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.15 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 178 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
178 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Richard A. Jenkins
5.0 out of 5 stars A personal account of politics and science
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2008
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I came to the "Valley of Death" after having read Rabinowitz's prior account of working in Burma. I'd also read and enjoyed his book about Thailand. I have fairly deep ties to SE Asia, esp. Thailand. I had the experience of seeing Daw Aung San Suu Kyi give one of her last public talks and was deeply touched by my travel in Burma during the 90s.

Rabinowitz's book works well on a number of different levels. He describes the process of doing field research in a way that communicates the technical issues, the human relations issues, and the political considerations, and does it in a way that is matter of fact and accessible, while making the details interesting and vital. Rabinowitz's main concern is the protection of wildlife and their habitat, but he never loses sight of the people who have to share the environment with the tigers and other animals that he wishes to protect. He has a truly broad understanding of ecology, development, and conservation that is often missing when policies for environmental issues are discussed.

Rabinowitz brings his personal life into the story, and describes his experience as a person with leukemia and as a man who is never far from the the things that brought him to nature and complicated his early life. He relates all this without evoking self-pity or letting his own story get in the way of protecting the tigers of northern Burma. Rabinowitz provides a useful overview of Burmese politics and provides a rather candid-sounding account of his dealings with a secretive totalitarian government. Some people will be put off by his willingness to deal with the Burmese regime, but he lays out his case as well as anyone could and I admire his ability to make things happen under the circumstances.

The book should appeal to people who are interested in SE Asia (and Burma in particular), as well as those who are willing to engage environmental issues in a very practical way. Rabinowitz also writes well about science, without sounding like a scientist and people seeking careers in field work, even if it has nothing to do with tigers, can learn a lot from reading about his experience. The book ends with a note of optimism, but also plenty of realism. My hope is that we get to hear more from Rabinowitz and that we see get to see him make more strides for the tigers and their human neighbors in northern Burma.
20 people found this helpful
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Kenya Starflight
4.0 out of 5 stars Even-handed and fascinating look at the struggle to save tigers
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2020
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I've been an animal lover all my life, and I've long hated how humanity has driven so many species to extinction and near-extinction over the years. But I also recognize that the fight to save these incredible creatures is much harder than it looks, and often involves a delicate game of politics, research, and cooperation between parties that almost never actually want to cooperate. This is perfectly exemplified by Alan Rabinowitz's account of his mission to save the tigers of Myanmar, and how he balances his struggle to save these magnificent creatures with a far more personal struggle.

Myanmar is a country of political turmoil and a troubled history... and home to its own tiger population. Naturalist Alan Rabinowitz has committed himself to saving these creatures, and works hard with local government officials to discover how many tigers are left in the country and how best to save them. But Myanmar is facing tremendous upheaval, with the government shaky at best and facing vicious coups at worst, and the discovery of gold in the country results in a rush to strip the landscape bare of this precious metal at the expense of the tigers and other animals that live there. And as Alan strives to establish a protected area for the tigers, he also faces a cancer diagnosis that forces him to come to terms with his own health and mortality.

The writing in this book is serviceable, if a bit dry and repetitive in places. Alan goes into great depth regarding the often-overlooked country of Myanmar and its troubled history, and manages to tie his own past and personal life into the story without making this book entirely self-indulgent. There are a few places where it feels like he uses the wrong word to get his point across, and some odd typos here and there, but perhaps a later edition can correct these goofs.

Alan manages to give us a compelling account of the tigers of Myanmar and the efforts to save them without vilifying the humans who are trying to survive alongside these creatures. Too often in a conservation-minded book like this humans are vilified as being greedy or sheer evil, but Alan makes it clear that most of the people who are exploiting the tiger's habitat are just trying to survive as well, and that decisions need to be made that will benefit both parties instead of just serving one over the other. He shows that there are never easy, clear-cut answers when it comes to conservation efforts, and that these issues are more complex than people want to believe.

This book is rather bittersweet to read, especially the sections dealing with Rabinowitz's cancer -- he passed away in 2018 from the very cancer he's diagnosed with in this book. But it's a fascinating look at a country and its big cats, and the struggle to save them.
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Gael MacGregor
5.0 out of 5 stars Can He Save Myanmar's Tigers?
Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
Reading Alan Rabinowitz's book was a lesson in persistence, passion, and perseverance.

We are losing species every day, and his dedication to preserving the lives of the endangered animals is inspiring -- even though his interactions with the various bureaucrats in charge is a frustrating journey for the reader. Rabinowitz makes no bones about his own frustration with them, and the circumstances that impede his attempts to preserve the tigers in Myanmar.

Myanmar's history is an ugly one: human rights violations, revolutions (multiple), slaughter, and upheaval. Add to that to the poverty that drives the people to hunt the tigers, and the one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world -- including illegal logging -- and it is a recipe for ecological disaster. Rabinowitz has taken on a daunting task that takes years of his life, and takes us with him on his unflagging commitment to his cause.

While on his quest to save the remaining Myanmar tigers, Rabinowitz is also confronted with his own mortality because of a medical diagnosis, but perseveres despite all the obstacles, both personal and professional. He invites us in as he confronts his fears, his hopes, and his desire to counter the threats to Myanmar's wildlife -- specifically, its tigers.

He is our collective voice. Unfortunately, I fear he is speaking to the deaf ears of corporate greed.
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Top reviews from other countries

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javier rena
5.0 out of 5 stars Gran trabajo
Reviewed in Spain on November 8, 2018
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Super interesante lo que nos trae en esta ocasión el Dr. Rabinowitz, siempre un placer leer sus trabajos!
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Sameer Bakshi
5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant endeavour to get conservation started against all odds amidst ...
Reviewed in India on February 8, 2018
Verified Purchase
A brilliant endeavour to get conservation started against all odds amidst one of the most difficult political climates anywhere, as well as a health scenario that could stop most. A story of a fragile but critical and very real triumph amidst the quagmire of uncertainty.
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Parker R.
5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational, entertaining and REAL
Reviewed in Germany on July 19, 2013
Verified Purchase
If you care about nature and animals, this book is for you.
If you're interested in Burma and in how people live there, this book is for you.
If you want an entertaining and well written story, this book is for you.
If you think you have unsurmountable problems in your life and think about giving up, read about a man who has constantly been facing challenges throughout his life, most of which the majority of us wouldn't even dare to take on. Fighting for something he really cares about, Alan Rabinowitz does not shy away from putting in incredible amounts of effort and struggle. And seeing his passion and determination to save tigers even when things keep getting worse and worse, I found this book truly inspirational and motivating in many ways. A great read.
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Nicola A
5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyed this
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 21, 2010
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Read this book is 2 days as I just couldn't put it down, I thoroughly enjoyed it! I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves animals / nature, conservation, adventure or current affairs. This was different to some of the other books I have read on conservation, e.g the elephant whisperer but thiswas not a bad thing as each conservationist tells their story in their own unique was. Alan Rabinowitz couldn't be more passionate about conservation and trying to put things right. This book is about his struggles at creating the largest tiger reserve in Burma (now Myanmar)and it is truely gripping and fascinating. After a few chapters you will be hooked so don't hesitate to buy it!
2 people found this helpful
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Will Kelsall
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read and important to anyone with conservationist concerns
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 20, 2013
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Great read and makes you want to get up and DO something about the situation in Asia concerning conservation. A great man, I would thoroughly recommend reading his earlier book "Chasing the Dragon"
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