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Vanished: An Unnatural History of Extinction
'A vital and important book' David Olusoga
From an award-winning historian of race, science and empire, a path-breaking and poignant history of extinction as a scientific idea, an imperial legacy and a political choice
Anyone alive today is among a tiny fraction of the once over 90% of species that ever existed are now extinct. How did we come to think of ourselves as survivors in a world where species can vanish forever, or as capable of pushing our planet to the verge of a sixth mass extinction?
Extinction, Sadiah Qureshi shows us, is a surprisingly modern concept – and a phenomenon that’s not as natural as we might think. In Europe until the late eighteenth century, species were considered perfect and unchanging creations of God. Then in the age of revolutions, scientists gathered enough fossil evidence to determine that mammoth bones, for example, were not just large elephants but a lost species that once roamed the Earth alongside ancient humans. Extinction went from being regarded as theologically dangerous to pervasive, and even inevitable.
Yet Vanished shows us that extinction is more than a scientific idea; it’s a political choice that has led to devasting consequences. Europeans and Americans quickly used the notion that extinction was a natural process to justify persecution and genocide, predicting that nations from Newfoundland’s Beothuk to Aboriginal Australians were doomed to die out from imperial expansion.
Exploring the tangled and unnatural histories of extinction and empire, Vanished weaves together pioneering original research and breath-taking storytelling to show us extinction is both an evolutionary process and a human one which illuminates our past, and may alter our future.
From an award-winning historian of race, science and empire, a path-breaking and poignant history of extinction as a scientific idea, an imperial legacy and a political choice
Anyone alive today is among a tiny fraction of the once over 90% of species that ever existed are now extinct. How did we come to think of ourselves as survivors in a world where species can vanish forever, or as capable of pushing our planet to the verge of a sixth mass extinction?
Extinction, Sadiah Qureshi shows us, is a surprisingly modern concept – and a phenomenon that’s not as natural as we might think. In Europe until the late eighteenth century, species were considered perfect and unchanging creations of God. Then in the age of revolutions, scientists gathered enough fossil evidence to determine that mammoth bones, for example, were not just large elephants but a lost species that once roamed the Earth alongside ancient humans. Extinction went from being regarded as theologically dangerous to pervasive, and even inevitable.
Yet Vanished shows us that extinction is more than a scientific idea; it’s a political choice that has led to devasting consequences. Europeans and Americans quickly used the notion that extinction was a natural process to justify persecution and genocide, predicting that nations from Newfoundland’s Beothuk to Aboriginal Australians were doomed to die out from imperial expansion.
Exploring the tangled and unnatural histories of extinction and empire, Vanished weaves together pioneering original research and breath-taking storytelling to show us extinction is both an evolutionary process and a human one which illuminates our past, and may alter our future.
496 pages, Hardcover
Published September 9, 2025
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759 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 9, 2025
I feel the title and the cover of this book, while good, don't do justice to how important the message and how deeply serious and political the content is. Professor Sadiah Qureshi doesn't "just" write about extinction (a topic I find interesting anyway!), she details the links of modern extinction events to the awful history of colonialism and capitalism and human greed, and shows it as a pattern rather than one-off events. In this book, she covers a lot of different events, from the Dodo to the Steller sea cow, to human groups thought to be extinct in the early 20th century (the Beothuk, in New Foundland, and various groups in modern-day Australia) because of the persecution they suffered but also because of the way white colonialists thought generally about race and their refusal to acknowledge and recognise mixed-race individuals. Professor Qureshi also covers in depth the intellectual journey from finding and studying the first fossils and prehistoric remains to understanding how they fit in the history of evolution.
There's a lot about how science came to think about extinction, how extinction was represented and discussed in intellectual circles, and how the imperial machine created these events and the loss that came with it. It was interesting to read about how the colonial powers felt that human groups going "extinct" was simply inevitable, and framed "interventions" like the boarding schools or reservations as humanitarian actions. It's a very dark book, and contains many examples of the horrific treatment of both humans and animals. It was still accessible, and very well-written, with illustrations and photos between paragraphs which really helped put the facts within context.
I really liked this one, and would definitely recommend it - but don't expect a leisurely book about dinosaurs (although they do make an appareance), this is a brilliant non-fiction about race and colonialism written by an accomplished historian.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
There's a lot about how science came to think about extinction, how extinction was represented and discussed in intellectual circles, and how the imperial machine created these events and the loss that came with it. It was interesting to read about how the colonial powers felt that human groups going "extinct" was simply inevitable, and framed "interventions" like the boarding schools or reservations as humanitarian actions. It's a very dark book, and contains many examples of the horrific treatment of both humans and animals. It was still accessible, and very well-written, with illustrations and photos between paragraphs which really helped put the facts within context.
I really liked this one, and would definitely recommend it - but don't expect a leisurely book about dinosaurs (although they do make an appareance), this is a brilliant non-fiction about race and colonialism written by an accomplished historian.
Free ARC sent by Netgalley.
June 23, 2025
Vanished is a compelling exploration of the politics of extinction and conservation. Qureshi offers fascinating insights into how ideas about the natural world are deeply entangled with histories of colonialism and the treatment of Indigenous peoples. The book shines in its ability to draw thought-provoking connections between environmental loss and broader systems of power.
However, while the structure well-considered, I found the prose overly dense, academic and repetitive, which makes the narrative difficult to follow at times. A clearer, more accessible style would have helped to better refine Qureshi’s argument.
Vanished is a valuable and thought-provoking read for those interested in environmental history, colonial legacies and the politics of preservation.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
However, while the structure well-considered, I found the prose overly dense, academic and repetitive, which makes the narrative difficult to follow at times. A clearer, more accessible style would have helped to better refine Qureshi’s argument.
Vanished is a valuable and thought-provoking read for those interested in environmental history, colonial legacies and the politics of preservation.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*
November 1, 2025
Overall a good and important book (though also very depressing) but I'm a bit confused on why the author goes out of her way to fully type out names in the other non-English languagues that come up, but then refuses to refer to the Oostvaardersplassen by its full name? Why not type out the Dutch name when other names in other non-English languages are not an issue? Genuinely confusing to me as a Dutchie.
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February 1, 2026In a sentence:
Vanished is a rigorously researched and quietly devastating history that reveals extinction as a human-made, politically shaped act, even if its scholarly dryness sometimes softens the emotional impact of its darkest truths.
TLDR Review:
I picked up Vanished because it appeared on the Royal Trivedi Society Award shortlist, which is one of my favorite annual guides to thoughtful, rigorous books about science and technology. That list reliably surfaces titles I might not have found on my own, and this year Vanished was the one that immediately caught my attention. Extinction is a topic I think about often, and I was curious to see how a historian might reframe something we usually treat as a purely biological event.
Sadiah Qureshi’s project is ambitious. She traces how extinction became an idea, a category, and eventually a political tool. The book moves through centuries of scientific thought, imperial expansion, and cultural mythmaking to show that extinction is not simply a natural process but a human act shaped by power. Her archival work is extraordinary. She reveals how the disappearance of species and the dispossession of Indigenous peoples were intertwined, and how the language of inevitability was used to justify violence, exploitation, and erasure.
The first half of the book focuses on the extinction of peoples, cultures, and languages under colonial rule. Qureshi shows how Europeans framed Indigenous disappearance as natural in order to absolve themselves of responsibility. The second half turns to nonhuman life, recounting the stories of the passenger pigeon, the thylacine, the great whales, and even the Wollemi pine. Throughout, she demonstrates how scientific classification, museum culture, and conservation policy shaped which beings were seen as worth saving and which were allowed to vanish.
It is a dark history, and Qureshi never looks away from the brutality at its core. She holds up a mirror to the systems that produced so much loss and asks us to consider how those same systems continue to shape our present. Her argument that extinction is a political choice lands with quiet force.
My one criticism is that the prose can feel a little dry. Qureshi’s commitment to scholarly precision is admirable, but at times the density of detail flattens the emotional weight of the material. For a subject steeped in violence and grief, I occasionally wished for a sharper sense of atmosphere or a more vivid rendering of the stakes. The darkness is there, but the restraint sometimes mutes its poignancy.
Even so, Vanished is a significant and deeply illuminating work. It reframes extinction in a way that feels both intellectually rigorous and morally urgent. Qureshi gives us a history that complicates easy narratives and reveals how much of what we call “natural loss” is anything but. I am grateful for the clarity and depth she brings to a subject that is too often simplified or sentimentalized.
Vanished is a rigorously researched and quietly devastating history that reveals extinction as a human-made, politically shaped act, even if its scholarly dryness sometimes softens the emotional impact of its darkest truths.
TLDR Review:
I picked up Vanished because it appeared on the Royal Trivedi Society Award shortlist, which is one of my favorite annual guides to thoughtful, rigorous books about science and technology. That list reliably surfaces titles I might not have found on my own, and this year Vanished was the one that immediately caught my attention. Extinction is a topic I think about often, and I was curious to see how a historian might reframe something we usually treat as a purely biological event.
Sadiah Qureshi’s project is ambitious. She traces how extinction became an idea, a category, and eventually a political tool. The book moves through centuries of scientific thought, imperial expansion, and cultural mythmaking to show that extinction is not simply a natural process but a human act shaped by power. Her archival work is extraordinary. She reveals how the disappearance of species and the dispossession of Indigenous peoples were intertwined, and how the language of inevitability was used to justify violence, exploitation, and erasure.
The first half of the book focuses on the extinction of peoples, cultures, and languages under colonial rule. Qureshi shows how Europeans framed Indigenous disappearance as natural in order to absolve themselves of responsibility. The second half turns to nonhuman life, recounting the stories of the passenger pigeon, the thylacine, the great whales, and even the Wollemi pine. Throughout, she demonstrates how scientific classification, museum culture, and conservation policy shaped which beings were seen as worth saving and which were allowed to vanish.
It is a dark history, and Qureshi never looks away from the brutality at its core. She holds up a mirror to the systems that produced so much loss and asks us to consider how those same systems continue to shape our present. Her argument that extinction is a political choice lands with quiet force.
My one criticism is that the prose can feel a little dry. Qureshi’s commitment to scholarly precision is admirable, but at times the density of detail flattens the emotional weight of the material. For a subject steeped in violence and grief, I occasionally wished for a sharper sense of atmosphere or a more vivid rendering of the stakes. The darkness is there, but the restraint sometimes mutes its poignancy.
Even so, Vanished is a significant and deeply illuminating work. It reframes extinction in a way that feels both intellectually rigorous and morally urgent. Qureshi gives us a history that complicates easy narratives and reveals how much of what we call “natural loss” is anything but. I am grateful for the clarity and depth she brings to a subject that is too often simplified or sentimentalized.
November 21, 2025
3.5 rounded up. I really enjoyed so much of this: early chapters “humanising” the history of thinking about extinction were illuminating in their attention to Indigeneity and metropolitan descriptions of “dying” peoples. It was interesting to trace how the initially heterodox idea of extinction was gradually naturalised precisely to the extent that it explained the extermination of Indigenous peoples and justified race science and theories of racial supremacy. Qureshi’s account of the emergence of conservation practices (and aesthetics - national parks were originally intended solely as tourist attractions) in relation to genocidal ideas about Idigenous peoples and different relationships to land and nature was precise and well made, and I liked how she traced this form of conservation through to contemporary rewilding projects. I also enjoyed her account of the discovery of and changing thinking about early hominid extinctions (Neanderthals), and how this similarly justified racist imperial projects. The second part, on animal and plant extinction, was similarly well crafted: historicising extinction in this way revealed how our thinking about endangered ways of being is over-focused on species (rather than, eg, ecosystems), particularly charismatic mammals, and is framed in catastrophic rather than long-temporal terms (in the author’s reading, because these ideas emerged during the nuclear anxieties of the Cold War).
It seemed a shame to me that by splitting the book into two parts - one on ideas about human/“racial” extinction, one on extinction in animals and plants - Qureshi ultimately reinforced the distinction she sought to problematise. That the idea of extinction emerged from and was so shaped by race science and imperial governance is such an intriguing and disturbing revision of the history of science and conservation (as well as empire); bifurcating the book in this way limited how far the author could take that revision. I’d be intrigued to see if/how this early racial conception of extinction still influences the way we think about loss/extermination of life. I also found the sketches of intellectual context oddly gestural - it would have been good to get more into the weeds of how, eg, the Cold War shaped conservation.
But all in all, I did think this was incredibly interesting and timely. The first part particularly.
It seemed a shame to me that by splitting the book into two parts - one on ideas about human/“racial” extinction, one on extinction in animals and plants - Qureshi ultimately reinforced the distinction she sought to problematise. That the idea of extinction emerged from and was so shaped by race science and imperial governance is such an intriguing and disturbing revision of the history of science and conservation (as well as empire); bifurcating the book in this way limited how far the author could take that revision. I’d be intrigued to see if/how this early racial conception of extinction still influences the way we think about loss/extermination of life. I also found the sketches of intellectual context oddly gestural - it would have been good to get more into the weeds of how, eg, the Cold War shaped conservation.
But all in all, I did think this was incredibly interesting and timely. The first part particularly.
June 30, 2025
Vanished is an extremely interesting book that juxtaposes the human-caused extinction of animals (deliberate and accidental) with the extermination and genocide of human populations (deliberate and accidental) throughout history. Heartbreakingly, it seems that the extinction of animals was thought to be a problem worth solving long before anyone extended that same interest and care towards humans. We have lost so much.
A thought provoking read and such a damning indictment of colonialism..
A thought provoking read and such a damning indictment of colonialism..
July 21, 2025
Wonderful book that I would recommend to anyone interested in history of empire, colonialism, paleonthology, the natural world etc.
Don't be daunted by the 400+ pages word count, over a 150 pages of it is notes, bibliography and other supplementary materials.
Don't be daunted by the 400+ pages word count, over a 150 pages of it is notes, bibliography and other supplementary materials.
July 2, 2025
Review to follow.
January 2, 2026
A challenging and thought-provoking book
January 24, 2026
Amazing and depressing reading. An important book about extinction, questioning assumptions.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews