Chasing the Panda: How an Unlikely Pair of Adventurers Won the Race to Capture the Mythical White Bear

by Michael Kiefer

In 1936, Quentin Young, a 22-year-old Chinese American, led American socialite Ruth Harkness on a 1,500-mile expedition into the remote mountains of Sichuan. Braving warlords and primitive tribes, the duo captured a giant panda and brought it back alive, the first time a live panda had been seen by the Western world. Hunters and scientists assumed the pair had stolen the animal. When it became clear the find was genuine, Ruth Harkness became a celebrity. But Quentin Young, together with his brother and fellow guide, Jack, was swept into the chaos of World War II and became a spy. A few years ago, Michael Kiefer discovered Quentin, now elderly and living in the United States. The resulting book sets the record straight.

Genres: Nonfiction, China, Biography, Animals, Ebooks

236 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 8, 2002

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written book about a lot of things in which I had no particular interest. What the Young brothers did in China during WWII would probably have been more interesting than their efforts as naturalists. As far as the Western explorers went, they were largely uninteresting and smaller than their times.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really interesting book about a very specific time in history. I'm really glad Micheal Kiefer set the story straight. I loved the 1930s adventure story and Ruth Harkness is a total badass. I thought the bits at the end with Quentin and Jack's involvement in the army could have been shortened and maybe cut out. Overall, definitely worth a look, especially if you're into pandas.