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Yeti
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- GenresNonfictionHistoryScience
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
September 1, 2022
I admit to being a bit of a sucker for yeti books. But I guess my approach to date has been a little led by Sir Ed Hillary - and I am totally paraphrasing - that we don't know everything about everything, and the Sherpa certainly believe that there are yeti, but it is pretty unlikely. Hope I have been been fair to Sir Ed there.
Hoyland's book title "Yeti, and Abominable History" gives some clue to his approach in the content. He commences by catalogues each reported sighting (typically written in mountaineering books), and carries out some analysis on the person, the situation, and any other events that may have influenced the situation. For much of the first quarter of the book Hoyland doesn't do a lot more than catalogue these, but then he starts with some breaking down of the evidence. Of course there is little evidence - footprints, the occasional hair or stool sample, some Tibetan relics such as the scalp and the hand, which are well known. Much of the evidence was identified (and therefore debunked) prior to Hoyland collecting it in this book, but the appeal of the stories seems to keep them alive.
There are conclusions for the various types of Yeti that the Tibetans believe in, and again they are not new, but align with other researchers, but Hoyland takes it all a bit further (more below).
After the Yeti evidence is covered, then Hoyland moves on to other criptids in the stable. The yeti's North American cousin Big Foot is first, followed by a number of iceman type hoaxes from the USA. The Loch Ness monster is up next, including analyzing many of the suggested explanations for Nessie. The Mokele-mbembe follows, then a very brief debunking of more general hoaxes.
Finally, Hoyland brings it all together in an overarching examination of phenomena of mysterious monster sightings, and, as he puts it, the collective consciousness that leads us to believe in monsters. Here he also examines the reasoning behind many of the searches - and the very non-scientific approach - infact counter scientific, for a single purpose - for the Creationists, proof of Bigfoot, or or Mokele-mbembe is alive, they consider it would prove their belief that the earth is only a few thousand years old - and that such a find would disprove evolution. Of course it would do no such thing...
So in summary, Hoyland goes far and wide, covers off the evidence, the hoaxes (and more of then than not the reasoning for these), the effect of media, the popularity of media (such as the long-running series Finding Big-Foot which he suggests would be more correctly titled Not Finding Big-Foot), undiscovered species (which are obviously tending to smaller life forms, not dinosaur sized discoveries).
And while I haven't shared the details of his conclusions, Hoyland writes a interesting book, with plenty of humour, and while he certainly rains of the parade of a believer, he does so in a readable and logical manner.
4 stars
Hoyland's book title "Yeti, and Abominable History" gives some clue to his approach in the content. He commences by catalogues each reported sighting (typically written in mountaineering books), and carries out some analysis on the person, the situation, and any other events that may have influenced the situation. For much of the first quarter of the book Hoyland doesn't do a lot more than catalogue these, but then he starts with some breaking down of the evidence. Of course there is little evidence - footprints, the occasional hair or stool sample, some Tibetan relics such as the scalp and the hand, which are well known. Much of the evidence was identified (and therefore debunked) prior to Hoyland collecting it in this book, but the appeal of the stories seems to keep them alive.
There are conclusions for the various types of Yeti that the Tibetans believe in, and again they are not new, but align with other researchers, but Hoyland takes it all a bit further (more below).
After the Yeti evidence is covered, then Hoyland moves on to other criptids in the stable. The yeti's North American cousin Big Foot is first, followed by a number of iceman type hoaxes from the USA. The Loch Ness monster is up next, including analyzing many of the suggested explanations for Nessie. The Mokele-mbembe follows, then a very brief debunking of more general hoaxes.
Finally, Hoyland brings it all together in an overarching examination of phenomena of mysterious monster sightings, and, as he puts it, the collective consciousness that leads us to believe in monsters. Here he also examines the reasoning behind many of the searches - and the very non-scientific approach - infact counter scientific, for a single purpose - for the Creationists, proof of Bigfoot, or or Mokele-mbembe is alive, they consider it would prove their belief that the earth is only a few thousand years old - and that such a find would disprove evolution. Of course it would do no such thing...
So in summary, Hoyland goes far and wide, covers off the evidence, the hoaxes (and more of then than not the reasoning for these), the effect of media, the popularity of media (such as the long-running series Finding Big-Foot which he suggests would be more correctly titled Not Finding Big-Foot), undiscovered species (which are obviously tending to smaller life forms, not dinosaur sized discoveries).
And while I haven't shared the details of his conclusions, Hoyland writes a interesting book, with plenty of humour, and while he certainly rains of the parade of a believer, he does so in a readable and logical manner.
4 stars
July 14, 2018
This was a wonderfully surprising book, in so many ways. I was just expecting a fun jaunt through mountaineering history with a focus on the Yeti (which I got in spades - emphasis on the 'fun' part because Hoyland is hilarious), but it ended up being so much more than that. Hoyland also gives us several chapters on the other major cryptids, Bigfoot and Nessie. He explores their 'histories' and the various explanations and evidence for them that we have. His narrative voice straddles the middle-ground between systematic logic, emotional/social intelligence (particularly his understanding of the racism in Himalayan mountaineering history), and personal bias and expertise stemming from a long career as a mountaineer himself. As someone who is personally enthusiastic about cryptids/ghosts/unexplained phenomena but also completely cynical about it, I had worried that Hoyland would lean too far towards conspiracy theories and unreliable data. But that was not the case at all, and I found that I agreed with his conclusions at every turn. Finally, and this is my favourite surprise of the book - Hoyland uses the search for the Yeti to make some very thought-provoking and important points about recent political events, trends in social history, and our philosophical understanding of 'truth'. Definitely a book worth reading!
May 8, 2020
Ultimately this was a disappointing book not because it does not give a most excellent account of the history of the yeti and yeti hunting but because it lapses towards the end into padding and, finally, unnecessary and rather dubious cultural ranting.
But let's go with the positives. Hoyland gives us a very clear account of the precise stages involved in the creation of the legend of the yeti (the bulk of the book), adding further information on those other cryptozoological fantasies Bigfoot (Russian and American), Nessie and Mokele-Mbembe.
This is all very valuable material. What we have is an extended and valuable essay on fake news and the cultural results of letting journalists, hoaxers, the psychopaths in the intelligence services and fantasists on the financial make into our otherwise would-be rational world.
Up to a point cryptids are harmless fun but Hoyland shows how that point was exceeded time and time again with a nod done to the damage Piltdown Man did to science for forty years. He is also good on the special interests (like Scottish tourism) inventing monsters to order.
For most of the book, nothing is laid on with a trowel. We are allowed to draw our own conclusions. And, for all his strong enlightenment rationality, he does allow for monsters as psychological and cultural artefacts that meet a need (and then inconsistently gets cross about their creation).
Unfortunately, being a BBC man, Hoyland just has to patronise us 'hoi polloi', doesn't he? He cannot assume that we can draw our own conclusions but must give us a final rant that reaches its natural crescendo with, guess what, the standard issue attack on Trump and Brexit. Yawn!
I am getting rather fed up with this need amongst a certain type of minor intellectual to stamp their feet in childish frustration at the democratic process not coming up with the result they wanted and then to patronise ordinary folk as malleable victims.
What starts and is long sustained as an intelligent piece of research on the construction of fake news and cultural delusion becomes self indulgent to the point where, in those last few pages, you just want him to shut up so you can get on with your life.
This book should have been a subtle argument to be read, whatever your political or cultural stance, as a warning not to take too seriously some of what you read in the newspapers. By the end, expressing his class interest, he is telling us to trust and buy the damn things.
Healthy scepticism gets transformed into crowd pleasing (for his class and interest) cultural politics so that this reader was lost in the process. One suspects a publisher looked at the yeti portions of the text and made a demand for another 100 pages to justify £20 and Hoyland just ran out of steam.
But I don't want to put you off the book. Thoroughly sceptic as it is, if you are interested in cryptozoology (which need not be a pseudoscience), there is a lot of useful analysis of yeti 'sightings' here. Just be prepared for the late padding and feel free to miss out Chapter Twelve.
From now on, when I pick up a book in the bookshop that looks interesting, I am going to be tempted to look at the last chapter and the index and if it has a rant on either Trump or Brexit, then back it goes on the shelf. Life is too short. Publishers, please note!
January 26, 2023
How did the Yeti go from an important cultural figure in the Himalayas, to a worldwide phenomenon? This book tracks the evolution, and it's a tale of cultural misunderstandings, pranks, Nazis, Cold War shenanigans, and con artists aplenty. Fun read for those who love cryptozoology but are still a little skeptical.
April 5, 2021
Pentaksub alam misteri jangan baca buku ni! Graham Hoyland, seorang pengembara dan pendaki gunung yang tegar, membongkar misteri Yeti atau Abominable Snowman yang kununnya hidup di banjaran Himalaya. Menggunakan sains, akal logik, fikiran yang kritis dan juga bukti-bukti dari sumber sejarah dan biografi saksi-saksi yang mengaku melihat Yeti itu, Graham Hoyland berjaya membawa hujah yang menyakinkan bahawa Yeti itu tidak wujud. Ia semuanya bermula dari gurauan pendaki-pendaki gunung Everest dan juga kesilapan di dalam mengenal pasti tapak kaki spesis beruang dan haiwan-haiwan yang hidup di gunung tinggi itu. . Yang memulakan gurauan itu sendiri tidak menyangka gurauannya diambil serius sehinggalah menjadi legenda hingga ke hari ini.
Selain daripada Yeti, Graham Hoyland juga membongkar misteri Bigfoot (Yeti Amerika!), Loch Ness Monster, Mkole-Mbembe (dinosaur di Afrika!) dan beberapa lagi raksasa misteri menggunakan teknik yang serupa: setelah menyiasat dengan teliti beliau mendapati semua laporan-laporan mengenai haiwan-haiwan aneh ini selalunya bermula dengan sebuah gurauan. Termasuklah 'Patterson film', satu satunya rakaman filem yang memaparkan seekor Bigfoot sedang berjalan. Rupanya ia hanya seorang lelaki memakai kostum!
Tapi seperti puak konspirasi hari ini, puak yang mempercayai wujudnya haiwan-haiwan misteri ini tetap tidak akan menerima hakikat bahawa ini semua palsu. Mana tidaknya, kepercayaan ini sudah melahirkan sebuah industri pondok yang lumayan. Lihat sahaja program-program di dalam televisyen seperti Ancient Aliens dan Finding Bigfoot (yang sampai sekarang tak jumpa-jumpa lagi Bigfoot!)
Berfikiran secara rasional dan kritis adalah tabiat yang semakin jarang berlaku di zaman sekarang.
Selain daripada Yeti, Graham Hoyland juga membongkar misteri Bigfoot (Yeti Amerika!), Loch Ness Monster, Mkole-Mbembe (dinosaur di Afrika!) dan beberapa lagi raksasa misteri menggunakan teknik yang serupa: setelah menyiasat dengan teliti beliau mendapati semua laporan-laporan mengenai haiwan-haiwan aneh ini selalunya bermula dengan sebuah gurauan. Termasuklah 'Patterson film', satu satunya rakaman filem yang memaparkan seekor Bigfoot sedang berjalan. Rupanya ia hanya seorang lelaki memakai kostum!
Tapi seperti puak konspirasi hari ini, puak yang mempercayai wujudnya haiwan-haiwan misteri ini tetap tidak akan menerima hakikat bahawa ini semua palsu. Mana tidaknya, kepercayaan ini sudah melahirkan sebuah industri pondok yang lumayan. Lihat sahaja program-program di dalam televisyen seperti Ancient Aliens dan Finding Bigfoot (yang sampai sekarang tak jumpa-jumpa lagi Bigfoot!)
Berfikiran secara rasional dan kritis adalah tabiat yang semakin jarang berlaku di zaman sekarang.
July 22, 2022
For the first two thirds of Yeti: The Abominable History, Graham Hoyland delivers a compelling history of how the titular Yeti went from Himalayan folklore to one of the heavy hitters of the cryptozoology world. As a man with climbing experience himself, Hoyland offers a great perspective on the mentality of the various explorers and Sherpas who have helped perpetrate the popular notion of the Yeti, and I enjoyed the clear passion for mountain climbing and adventuring that's evident throughout this section of the book. I also always appreciate when these kind of books lean towards more rational explanations before jumping to cryptozoological conclusions.
It's a shame then, that the final third runs out of steam and instead focuses more on cryptozoology as a general theme and becomes a commentary of the post-truth era and "fake news/alternative facts" - essentially making a criticism on the rampant "bullsh*ttery" from witnesses, hoaxers and cryptid hunters that makes cryptozoology a laughing stock. Some of it does at least circle back to the core Yeti concept, other parts feel like pure padding. That said, even the parts that feel completely irrelevant are interesting enough to read in their own right and are important themes to discuss (climate change, overpopulation, mass extinction events), but it certainly doesn't feel like a book about an elusive hairy Himalayan hominid is the right place for them.
It's somewhat ironic that one of the core themes of the book is how the idea of the Yeti has been appropriated to sell other ideas and progress other personal interests, as it kind of feels like Hoyland has done that very thing himself. On the whole, I enjoyed the book, but I feel it's about 100 pages longer than it needed to be.
It's a shame then, that the final third runs out of steam and instead focuses more on cryptozoology as a general theme and becomes a commentary of the post-truth era and "fake news/alternative facts" - essentially making a criticism on the rampant "bullsh*ttery" from witnesses, hoaxers and cryptid hunters that makes cryptozoology a laughing stock. Some of it does at least circle back to the core Yeti concept, other parts feel like pure padding. That said, even the parts that feel completely irrelevant are interesting enough to read in their own right and are important themes to discuss (climate change, overpopulation, mass extinction events), but it certainly doesn't feel like a book about an elusive hairy Himalayan hominid is the right place for them.
It's somewhat ironic that one of the core themes of the book is how the idea of the Yeti has been appropriated to sell other ideas and progress other personal interests, as it kind of feels like Hoyland has done that very thing himself. On the whole, I enjoyed the book, but I feel it's about 100 pages longer than it needed to be.
March 10, 2024
Marvelous book for anyone who is interested in phenomena, such as Yeti, but would like a 'real' examination of the evidence - not a load of stories all biased in support of the mysterious creature be it Yeti, Bigfoot, etc. I suppose I should warn you of a pretty important spoiler in that this book totally demolishes the idea of Yetis and so many other pseudo-science 'things' but what is most amusing, and also interesting and enlightening, is the way he goes about gathering the information in support of Yetis, particularly reports of sightings of creatures and footprints and quietly, but authoritatively, shows how they have developed from nothing into a vast edifice supporting an imaginary creature.
I can not recommend this highly enough because it is not an out-and-out denunciation or demolition job - but an inquiry and investigation into how myths and legends can come about - even in the 20th century and from apparently reputable sources like Himalayan mountain climbers. But it also shows how a rumor can become a fact which when replicated goes to support a vast edifice of, ultimately, nothing but wishful thinking.
Well written, amusing and utterly convincing - a good read for anyone who is interested in the unknown, but wants to be sure that what is unknown is at least real, in some sense, and not a fantasy.
I can not recommend this highly enough because it is not an out-and-out denunciation or demolition job - but an inquiry and investigation into how myths and legends can come about - even in the 20th century and from apparently reputable sources like Himalayan mountain climbers. But it also shows how a rumor can become a fact which when replicated goes to support a vast edifice of, ultimately, nothing but wishful thinking.
Well written, amusing and utterly convincing - a good read for anyone who is interested in the unknown, but wants to be sure that what is unknown is at least real, in some sense, and not a fantasy.
August 19, 2024
When I saw this on the shelves a few years ago I couldn’t resist. Out on a mountain, in a forest or by a lake somewhere hunting a mythical creature always sparked a romantic feeling inside me, some notion of Indiana Jones, or The Goonies, even Jaws, which were my favourite movies growing up, and still are. Even to this day more contemporary films like ‘Troll Hunter’, and ‘Super 8’ spark that same feeling of adventure and comfort within it.
So this book sang out to me from the shelves. I only read the first third and for whatever reason put it down. So this week I re-read it and loved it.
It’s extremely well researched with the author admitting to reading 100 books to draw sources and information from.
It’s light hearted and fun, and funny too. It tells of the origin of the Yeti myth, backed up by the first stories which hit the western world’s newspapers about a mysterious bipedal hood ape half man living in the caves of the Himalayas.
After plenty of expedition stories, stories of well know hoaxes and almost religious level belief in and worship of the yeti we take a turn to Scotland and Nessie. And then the Congo.
All excellent before perhaps ending on a sour and triggering note about the prolificness of fake news as it’s now known, heightened by shysters like Trump, Farage, Johnson, Gove and the likes. I can see the link to this final chapter and why it’s there - people will believe anything of it suits their narrative, but it slightly sucks the fun out of believing in harmless mythical creatures.
The book’s bibliography is 5 pages long so if you are stuck for further reading there is an absolute yeti sized amount there.
So this book sang out to me from the shelves. I only read the first third and for whatever reason put it down. So this week I re-read it and loved it.
It’s extremely well researched with the author admitting to reading 100 books to draw sources and information from.
It’s light hearted and fun, and funny too. It tells of the origin of the Yeti myth, backed up by the first stories which hit the western world’s newspapers about a mysterious bipedal hood ape half man living in the caves of the Himalayas.
After plenty of expedition stories, stories of well know hoaxes and almost religious level belief in and worship of the yeti we take a turn to Scotland and Nessie. And then the Congo.
All excellent before perhaps ending on a sour and triggering note about the prolificness of fake news as it’s now known, heightened by shysters like Trump, Farage, Johnson, Gove and the likes. I can see the link to this final chapter and why it’s there - people will believe anything of it suits their narrative, but it slightly sucks the fun out of believing in harmless mythical creatures.
The book’s bibliography is 5 pages long so if you are stuck for further reading there is an absolute yeti sized amount there.
May 14, 2025
Heard about this author and book while Graham Hoyland was a guest on the Blurry Creatures podcast. For the first 2/3rds of the book I was engaged, it's a very well-researched book and I am enthralled with the idea of Sasquatch, enough so that the Yeti is interesting to me as well, it is a short book and should have been 80 pages or so shorter because we suddenly abandon the Yeti topic and jump to the Loch Ness monster, reasons WWII started, cloning, creationist wanting dinosaurs in Africa to be real I had no idea why the author completely lost the focus near the end, word count maybe? I speed-read the last 3 chapters because I just didn't care about any of that other stuff. Worth the read if you like the topic and find used or at the library or if you're like me and collected Bigfoot/Yeti books. ps the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin footage is real!
January 31, 2022
What a strange time we live in - nothing, absolutely nothing is exempt from politicking. This book, Yeti, stays true to the title for the first 150 pages before the author pivots and rails against Trump, populism, and "fake news." This is the worst example I've seen of shoehorning political opinions into something so apolitical as the Yeti phenomenon. Mr Hoyland must have been a riot on those lonely alpine slopes.
Oh, and like someone who, blank-faced, stares you in the eye while letting out a long loud wet fart Hoyland concludes that the Yeti is really just a bear.
Oh, and like someone who, blank-faced, stares you in the eye while letting out a long loud wet fart Hoyland concludes that the Yeti is really just a bear.
June 3, 2025
Excellent, interesting, well-written book.
But it loses a star because of one witheringly supercilious sentence where the author compares belief in the Yeti to a vote for Brexit. (!!!)
Looking at the publication date, it was written around the time of the infamous referendum, so clearly the author had not yet processed the result, and was - like many others - fixating on it. So much that even his book about a cryptid had to mention it.
Incidentally, I voted Remain.
I just thought, and continue to think, that my fellow Remainers went rather nuts for a few years.
But it loses a star because of one witheringly supercilious sentence where the author compares belief in the Yeti to a vote for Brexit. (!!!)
Looking at the publication date, it was written around the time of the infamous referendum, so clearly the author had not yet processed the result, and was - like many others - fixating on it. So much that even his book about a cryptid had to mention it.
Incidentally, I voted Remain.
I just thought, and continue to think, that my fellow Remainers went rather nuts for a few years.
February 14, 2020
An entertaining and informative read about the history of the yeti myth, let down by the last few chapters which dealt with other cryptozoological creatures such as the Loch Ness Monster (if you want to read an excellent history of that myth then I highly recommend 'A Monstrous Commotion'), which I didn't really want to read about in a book about the Yeti. Apart from that, I enjoyed this.
3 and-a-half stars.
3 and-a-half stars.
August 21, 2020
Really interesting. This wasn't what I expected, the author talks about the history of yeti sightings and the many many hoaxes as well as the expeditions to try to find the yeti. He also looks at other cryptozoological 'animals' such as Bigfoot, Nessie etc. Funny, informative and very readable. If you're interested in cryptozoology and all the nutcases involved, the pranksters, the believers then this is the book for you.
July 1, 2018
A fascinating assortment of adventurers, rogues, charlatans and eccentrics populate this entertaining account of the search for the yeti and miscellaneous other such elusive animals.
October 10, 2018
A wonderful study of legend and myth, charged with a great respect for the natural world. To paraphrase Reinhold Messner, If a brown bear isn't itself a monster, what is?
February 24, 2020
Started very well - first half informative and interesting. Shame the last few chapters meander through a bunch of other mythical creatures and the work loses direction.
December 16, 2021
Well sourced and well written, but disappointing
May 25, 2022
A solid read into the reality of modern monsters.
March 17, 2024
Erudite and lots of fun. Very well researched.
December 30, 2024
Quite good, though the author is perhaps a bit too cynical for my taste. Lots of information and not a heavy read.
April 14, 2023
A clear example of why you should avoid mainstream books dealing with the subject of cryptozoology. Started off promising but soon devolved into an unbearably condescending rant about the authors disbelief in this particular topic, nose diving towards the end with a god awful political chapter. You are meant to be talking about an ape man in the Himalayas not brexit, sir.
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