No Beast So Fierce: The Terrifying True Story of the Champawat Tiger, the Deadliest Animal in History

Historian Huckelbridge (The United States of Beer) showcases his storytelling skills effectively in this suspenseful look at “the most prolific serial killer... the world has ever seen,” a Royal Bengal tiger that purportedly killed more than 400 people in Nepal and India in the early 20th century. The narrative’s dramatic impact is lessened by endemic speculation, including attributing thoughts to the animal itself. The facts require no such embellishment to hold the reader’s attention: a single tiger, prevented by a mouth wound from subsisting on its normal, more agile prey, began hunting people in 1900, kicking off a reign of terror throughout the Himalayan foothills that was ended in 1907 by Jim Corbett, a railway employee and noted hunter retained by the British government to kill the beast. Huckelbridge conducted much of his research using Corbett’s own book, and corroboration of many details is lacking; Huckelbridge even presents an epilogue that attempts to validate the Champawat Tiger’s body count. He is more convincing, and intriguing, in contending that the bloody episode resulted from the British Empire’s “irresponsible forestry tactics, agricultural policies, and hunting practices,” and was thus an avoidable disaster. Despite its flaws, this is a gripping page-turner that also conveys broader lessons about humanity’s relationship with nature. (Feb.)