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An Atlas of Endangered Species
'A call to arms for everyone' Steve Backshall
'Eye-opening' New Scientist
The diversity of life on earth is astounding, with each species perfectly adapted to its environment. Sharks can navigate the ocean using electromagnetic fields; sloths use algae as camouflage; albatross can fly for hours without beating their wings; and orca pods each have unique cultures and languages.
But every hour, three species disappear.
Our incredible world is at risk.
Megan McCubbin reveals the stories of the scientists, rangers and conservationists who are fighting to save these extraordinary creatures from extinction. An Atlas of Endangered Species shows us that the battle is on for their survival - and we all have a part to play.
'Joyful and heartbreaking, an inspiring celebration of some of our planet's most endangered species and those who champion them' - Dave Goulson, author of Silent Earth
'A powerful, passionate plea for a wilder future' - Sophie Pavelle, author of Forget Me Not
'Eye-opening' New Scientist
The diversity of life on earth is astounding, with each species perfectly adapted to its environment. Sharks can navigate the ocean using electromagnetic fields; sloths use algae as camouflage; albatross can fly for hours without beating their wings; and orca pods each have unique cultures and languages.
But every hour, three species disappear.
Our incredible world is at risk.
Megan McCubbin reveals the stories of the scientists, rangers and conservationists who are fighting to save these extraordinary creatures from extinction. An Atlas of Endangered Species shows us that the battle is on for their survival - and we all have a part to play.
'Joyful and heartbreaking, an inspiring celebration of some of our planet's most endangered species and those who champion them' - Dave Goulson, author of Silent Earth
'A powerful, passionate plea for a wilder future' - Sophie Pavelle, author of Forget Me Not
- GenresNonfictionAnimalsNature
304 pages, Hardcover
Published May 10, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 13, 2025
Humans were a mistake
April 14, 2026
I enjoyed reading about the endangered species covered by this book. I was a little surprised to find an atlas without a single map.
May 12, 2026
4.25/5 stars
Overview
This book is a collection of essays where each chapter focuses on a species who is threatened by extinction. The book is divided by the northern and southern hemispheres.
Of the 19 species (not including humans) the ratio of representation is as follows:
Mammals: 10
Birds: 3
Non-chordates: 3 (1 insect, 1 echinoderm, 1 mollusc)
Reptiles: 1
Amphibians: 1
Fish: 1
Plants: 1
Fungi: 0
I would have maybe liked to see more variety (dare I say, biodiversity). The chapter on the orchids was really good because this is the first time I've seen a book touch on plant poaching and the exploitive plant trade industry.
Some Things I Liked
Dividing the chapters by species, rather than biome or region, was nice.
There was a lot of new information for me, and the book goes beyond "fast facts."
I really liked McCubbin's personal antecedes, and her own feelings and thoughts on conservation were lovely to read. She has a true passion for life. It was nice to see animals and species be talked about and valued intrinsically and as individuals, not just as potential resources or mere data. This all resonated with me greatly, because it captured how I feel about ecology and conservation. For me, the parts where McCubbin's personality comes through are a 5/5.
I also think it was thoughtful of her to explain the methods she took to reduce her carbon output while researching this book, and she asked other professionals some very intriguing questions! For example, I like when she asked someone if there were any particular individual Northern Royal Albatrosses who stood out to them during their years of research (the answer was yes: a female named White Orange).
My favorite chapter was on the Kakapo, and then (in order) the freshwater pearl mussels, wild camels, Northern Royal Albatrosses, Lady's Slipper Orchids, and hammerhead sharks.
Some Things I Didn't Like
Some chapters were much more focused than others. Sometimes, it was more so the group or even the environmental region as a whole that was the primary focus, rather than the species whom the chapter was named for. I sometimes had the feeling this was due to a lack of information available for the species.
The book started feeling a bit drawn out for me around page 180, but then there were a few really interesting parts which appeared later, so it really varied chapter by chapter. Some chapters were really good, and others less so. The more focused ones (which centered on specific studies and conservation measures) were the best.
There was one instance where McCubbin used the word, "design" in reference to something with evolution, which I didn't like because it implies a creationist perspective, but it may have been unintentional.
There is an instance where the word "poison" is used rather than "venom" when referring to injection not oral consumption, which is incorrect (I checked if British English uses these words differently, but could not find anything indicating this).
I felt that explaining how the IUCN works better, and earlier, would have been beneficial. Sometimes I felt that some things about how the world of conservation works were a little bit assumed, which would have been fine, but there are other areas in the book which then explain what I feel are very introductory concepts, placing the book somewhere in between a beginner and a more experienced person's resource. Though, perhaps we need more books like this, so it might not be a bad thing!
Most significantly for me, I found is very disheartening and overlooking to not include anything on veganism. The final chapter is on humans (which I really liked the idea of), but I felt it could have offered more. In general, I believe that the conservation community can place too much blame on developing countries, emphasizing that it's people in those places who poach, demand strange medicinal products derived from endangered animals, and are too poor to care. McCubbin does not do this, and that was really great to see.
McCubbin mentions Western consumerism and how its environmental devastation can outpace the issues of population growth in other countries. In the orchids chapter, she brings attention to how people in developed countries also demand products which drive poaching. McCubbin mentions the economy and inequality as threats to biodiversity, and I loved her blatant call out on page 278 of the wealthy parasite-class (my words, not hers) going on partying and not following pandemic measures during COVID.
However, when mentioning carbon output, she mainly focuses, vaguely, on fossil-fuel consumption, and presents it like renewable energy is the main solution to the climate crisis. She doesn't mention veganism and the extremely high carbon and methane output of the animal industry, nor does she mention the high impact of suburbanism or car-centricism on ecological damage. I was quite sad to not see veganism mentioned at all, since it is one of the best ways individuals can lower their carbon footprint.
There could have also been more focus on the on the large-scale organized lobbying, rabid greed, and corruption on behalf of corporations, which is immensely damaging to our planet, and how important voting and boycotting is in these regards. I also feel it would have been beneficial to advocate for a great reduction of our personal high levels of consumerism.
Conclusion
This book was good! I would recommend it to anyone. I think it will bring more than just the highlighted species to people's attention because of the wide topics it touches on.
For me, it was interesting learning what can indicate poached plants, that dragonflies have the highest recorded hunting success rates of animals, that 85% of Carnivora are solitary, and that King George had a coat of Indian pangolin scales presented to him in 1920 (p 251). Also, it was adorable reading pangolins described as "artichokes on legs" or "friendly miniature crocodiles." Very sadly, I learned about how stressful catch and release fishing is to sharks, told my family about what I had read, and then my mom witnessed it the next day on our vacation.
Overview
This book is a collection of essays where each chapter focuses on a species who is threatened by extinction. The book is divided by the northern and southern hemispheres.
Of the 19 species (not including humans) the ratio of representation is as follows:
Mammals: 10
Birds: 3
Non-chordates: 3 (1 insect, 1 echinoderm, 1 mollusc)
Reptiles: 1
Amphibians: 1
Fish: 1
Plants: 1
Fungi: 0
I would have maybe liked to see more variety (dare I say, biodiversity). The chapter on the orchids was really good because this is the first time I've seen a book touch on plant poaching and the exploitive plant trade industry.
Some Things I Liked
Dividing the chapters by species, rather than biome or region, was nice.
There was a lot of new information for me, and the book goes beyond "fast facts."
I really liked McCubbin's personal antecedes, and her own feelings and thoughts on conservation were lovely to read. She has a true passion for life. It was nice to see animals and species be talked about and valued intrinsically and as individuals, not just as potential resources or mere data. This all resonated with me greatly, because it captured how I feel about ecology and conservation. For me, the parts where McCubbin's personality comes through are a 5/5.
I also think it was thoughtful of her to explain the methods she took to reduce her carbon output while researching this book, and she asked other professionals some very intriguing questions! For example, I like when she asked someone if there were any particular individual Northern Royal Albatrosses who stood out to them during their years of research (the answer was yes: a female named White Orange).
My favorite chapter was on the Kakapo, and then (in order) the freshwater pearl mussels, wild camels, Northern Royal Albatrosses, Lady's Slipper Orchids, and hammerhead sharks.
Some Things I Didn't Like
Some chapters were much more focused than others. Sometimes, it was more so the group or even the environmental region as a whole that was the primary focus, rather than the species whom the chapter was named for. I sometimes had the feeling this was due to a lack of information available for the species.
The book started feeling a bit drawn out for me around page 180, but then there were a few really interesting parts which appeared later, so it really varied chapter by chapter. Some chapters were really good, and others less so. The more focused ones (which centered on specific studies and conservation measures) were the best.
There was one instance where McCubbin used the word, "design" in reference to something with evolution, which I didn't like because it implies a creationist perspective, but it may have been unintentional.
There is an instance where the word "poison" is used rather than "venom" when referring to injection not oral consumption, which is incorrect (I checked if British English uses these words differently, but could not find anything indicating this).
I felt that explaining how the IUCN works better, and earlier, would have been beneficial. Sometimes I felt that some things about how the world of conservation works were a little bit assumed, which would have been fine, but there are other areas in the book which then explain what I feel are very introductory concepts, placing the book somewhere in between a beginner and a more experienced person's resource. Though, perhaps we need more books like this, so it might not be a bad thing!
Most significantly for me, I found is very disheartening and overlooking to not include anything on veganism. The final chapter is on humans (which I really liked the idea of), but I felt it could have offered more. In general, I believe that the conservation community can place too much blame on developing countries, emphasizing that it's people in those places who poach, demand strange medicinal products derived from endangered animals, and are too poor to care. McCubbin does not do this, and that was really great to see.
McCubbin mentions Western consumerism and how its environmental devastation can outpace the issues of population growth in other countries. In the orchids chapter, she brings attention to how people in developed countries also demand products which drive poaching. McCubbin mentions the economy and inequality as threats to biodiversity, and I loved her blatant call out on page 278 of the wealthy parasite-class (my words, not hers) going on partying and not following pandemic measures during COVID.
However, when mentioning carbon output, she mainly focuses, vaguely, on fossil-fuel consumption, and presents it like renewable energy is the main solution to the climate crisis. She doesn't mention veganism and the extremely high carbon and methane output of the animal industry, nor does she mention the high impact of suburbanism or car-centricism on ecological damage. I was quite sad to not see veganism mentioned at all, since it is one of the best ways individuals can lower their carbon footprint.
There could have also been more focus on the on the large-scale organized lobbying, rabid greed, and corruption on behalf of corporations, which is immensely damaging to our planet, and how important voting and boycotting is in these regards. I also feel it would have been beneficial to advocate for a great reduction of our personal high levels of consumerism.
Conclusion
This book was good! I would recommend it to anyone. I think it will bring more than just the highlighted species to people's attention because of the wide topics it touches on.
For me, it was interesting learning what can indicate poached plants, that dragonflies have the highest recorded hunting success rates of animals, that 85% of Carnivora are solitary, and that King George had a coat of Indian pangolin scales presented to him in 1920 (p 251). Also, it was adorable reading pangolins described as "artichokes on legs" or "friendly miniature crocodiles." Very sadly, I learned about how stressful catch and release fishing is to sharks, told my family about what I had read, and then my mom witnessed it the next day on our vacation.
October 10, 2023
Megan McCubbin’s book is a fascinating if ultimately depressing ‘wake-up call’ for humanity. As well as some of the well known species that are teetering on the edge of the abyss that is extinction, she also covers some lesser known species. Also included is one plant species, an orchid, making me aware of the practice of plant poaching, which is making many species of plant similarly in danger of extinction.
Megan does seem to try not to paint too bleak a picture, but I’m afraid I was left feeling that despite the courageous work of the many individuals that she introduces us to in the book, who are fighting to preserve the featured species, it is all ultimately going to prove to be too little, too late. I sincerely hope I am proved wrong. An excellent book nevertheless.
Megan does seem to try not to paint too bleak a picture, but I’m afraid I was left feeling that despite the courageous work of the many individuals that she introduces us to in the book, who are fighting to preserve the featured species, it is all ultimately going to prove to be too little, too late. I sincerely hope I am proved wrong. An excellent book nevertheless.
September 21, 2023
I thought this book / audio book was excellent, very well researched and thought provoking. I listened so I didn't see the dyslexia friendly version of the book but I thought this was brilliant, something that had never occurred to me.
The book is great because it doesn't just focus on the well known / cute and cuddly species, there's a good range of species from across the globe, it left me wanting to research more into certain species.
Although the book was excellent I found myself feeling a bit doom and gloom after reading it, especially as I finished it a day after the UK PM pushing back on some of the UK green commitments. I wonder where this leaves the species in the book and the human race longer term.
The book is great because it doesn't just focus on the well known / cute and cuddly species, there's a good range of species from across the globe, it left me wanting to research more into certain species.
Although the book was excellent I found myself feeling a bit doom and gloom after reading it, especially as I finished it a day after the UK PM pushing back on some of the UK green commitments. I wonder where this leaves the species in the book and the human race longer term.
August 23, 2023
A really brilliant insight into an array of endangered species with a fantastic mix of facts and real life experiences. Love the fact it’s not just the species that everyone knows about and it also doesn’t feel bleak with every chapter ending on what improvements are being made for that subjects conservation
July 13, 2023
Megan's enthusiasm for biodiversity and passion to save endangered species from extinction shines throughout. Pretty sound balance in coupling her own experiences with the essential facts for each of the species that are covered. Informative, enlightening, tragic - yet hopeful. Excellent read!
March 14, 2025
A really well thought out non-fiction highlighting the challenges which is causing the decimation of these species, snippets of interviews with an expert in conservation for each species and what is being done to help stabilise the populations.
It made me feel a lot, so much so I wrote a poem.
It made me feel a lot, so much so I wrote a poem.
July 11, 2023
Bright, colourful, informative and intriguing with a good balance of story and fact.
August 24, 2023
Brilliant book! Fascinating and shocking, heartbreaking learning about the demise of some amazing animals. The pictures are stunning. Loved the author's writing style. Definitely recommend.
June 30, 2024
Sobering without being depressing. Essential reading for those who care about this planets flora and fauna
October 19, 2024
A nice anthology of different animals - I like Megan's approach of talking to local people where possible and her writing style is nice and easy to engage with.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews