The Beast in the Clouds

The Roosevelt Brothers's Deadly Quest to Find the Mythical Giant Panda

By: Nathalia Holt

Narrated by: Jacques Roy

A New York Public Library Best Nonfiction Book of 2025 · A New York Times Book Review Critics’ Pick · A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2025 · Shortlisted for the Boardman Tasker Award for Mountain Literature

“A thrilling work of history that’s wilder than fiction.” —The Washington Post
“[An] immersive, sometimes harrowing account of the siblings’ Himalayan adventure.” —The New York Times

The stunning true story of Theodore Roosevelt’s sons and their 1929 Himalayan expedition to prove the existence of the panda bear to the western world, from the New York Times bestselling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls.

The Himalayas—a snowcapped mountain range that hides treacherous glacier crossings, raiders poised to attack unsuspecting travelers, and air so thin that even seasoned explorers die of oxygen deprivation. Yet among the dangers lies one of the most beautiful and fragile ecosystems in the world.

By 1928, dozens of expeditions had scoured the Himalayas in search of the panda bear, an animal many believed to be a myth. That year the two eldest sons of President Theodore Roosevelt and a small team of scientists and naturalists launched their own dangerous journey. Lost in blizzards, attacked by robbers, ravaged by illness, and cut off from food supplies, the brothers’ crew was pushed to its physical and emotional limits. They would accomplish what years of exploration had not—introducing the panda to the Western world. Along the way, they documented a rapidly disappearing landscape and helped bring about a new era of conservation biology.

In The Beast in the Clouds, Nathalia Holt brings these events to life in a gripping nonfiction thriller about ambition, survival, and the indomitable Roosevelt spirit.

Complexities of conservationism

Human interest to each other and our relationship to other living creatures and the perseverance and those with a vision.

historical adventure of biological exploration

Fascinating adventure into the Himalayas in search of the nearly unknown wild panda. An excellent listen.

A great journey, and a sobering reminder

The journey the Roosevelt brothers and their support team/staff undertook to find the panda was truly amazing - harsh conditions, uncertain encounters with locals, and exotic wildlife galore. The beauty of China’s bamboo forests really came across in the writing as well. And although the story was gripping, the end was a sobering reminder of the changes we’ve made to our planet, and the tremendous effort it will take to conserve such wild places.

Interesting Story, I Can’t Believe It Has Not Been Told

Definitely a good story but maybe buy the book on this one.

I had a hard time following facts vs. the authors interpretation. I am sure she researched this exhaustively and used strong sources but I wished she mentioned this more. Also, could be simply be a book better read than listened! Probably loaded with footnotes.

The narration was bad. Slow and author struggled with strong consonant sounds like “t”and “k”; when the story has two characters named Ted and Kermit it’s brutal… I have heard the author speak and her voice is great, I wish she had read it. It could be just bad audio, turning the bass to zero helped his voice pop a little better.

Interesting But Not Interestingly Written

Interesting But Not Interestingly Written
The narrative tone is not captivating and leaves you anticipating something is going to build into something more. But it never does.