Lanz (international and environmental politics, U. of South Carolina, Columbia) has been studying the social and natural history of Indian tigers since 1998; he has traveled widely across the subcontinent in the past five-plus years, where he has visited and conducted field research at most of India's premier tiger sanctuaries. His text offers educated general readers a multifaceted look at India's endangered Bengal tigers, incorporating historical and cultural topics, conservation, and social theories with personal observations and analyses of places, people, and events from his field work. He also discusses global efforts at tiger conservation and suggests what must be done in the future to ensure the survival of this fascinating animal. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)