This is a well-researched - if slightly repetitive - account of the 19th century European discovery of the moa. It really is interesting to learn about how the bird was accepted and theorised about from a quite small scrap of bone... in that sense, it's something of a detective story. While I would have liked some more focus on the bird itself, the back cover makes it clear that it's about "scientific intrigue and personality clashes" so I don't really feel that I can use that as a point of complaint: the book does what it says on the tin.

It is rewarding as a historical study, and its focus an unusual approach to take regarding the discovery of the moa. That being said, the research can get bogged down a little: while much of this book is a fun, enjoyable read there are places where I do think it gets weighted down with minutiae and wanders a bit. Could have been a bit more concise, is what I'm trying to say.