Ray Mears

“Pine Marten is a sheer joy that every naturalist will cherish. It is one of those rare books of natural history that can perhaps be best described as a labour of love. Dan Bagur has combined his superb fieldcraft and excellent photography to unlock the secret life of one of our most mysterious predators. More importantly, his detailed observations provide understanding that challenges and dispels much of the ill informed prejudice, which for centuries has been used as justification for the zealous destruction of these charismatic creatures.

I encountered my first wild pine marten while cycling in the Scottish Highlands in 1985, sadly it was dead, a road traffic victim. I remember the sadness I felt, knowing how precious that animal was at that time. Since then, through the concerted efforts of dedicated conservationists, Britain's pine marten numbers are at last increasing. It is still too soon to celebrate a success here, but Pine Marten will undoubtedly prove an important and timely publication that will help inform and reintroduce the pine marten to the wider public. Perhaps we will one day cherish the sight of pine martens in the wild and be able to celebrate it as a conservation success.” - Ray Mears, 31st March 2025 (personal correspondence).

Chris Packham

"All you want to know about the UK’s sexiest mammal. Enigmatic and elusive the Pine Marten is difficult to know, here its ecology is explained by Dan Bagur - a man who lives and breathes these wonderful animals" - Chris Packham 8th August 2025 (personal correspondence).

Dr Johnny Birks (Foreword)

“A productive combination of patient observation and careful interpretation underpins this remarkable book, which is illustrated by superb photographs spread throughout the text… Beyond these fresh insights Dan presents some new discoveries, like the Marten maze – a previously undescribed type of ground level den comprising a network of tunnels through dense vegetation; and the fact that male Pine Martens are retromingent, meaning they can urinate backwards - as females do - via muscular manipulation of the baculum or penis bone.” - Dr Johnny Birks - leading expert on European Pine Martens, 11th November 2024 (Book Foreword).

Mammal News

“This book is a revelation, explaining everything you ever wanted to know about pine martens, right down to the reason for the curly shape of the scat… crammed full of facts, references, and over 200 remarkable accompanying photographs, focusing on pine marten behaviour. The amount of detail is incredible.” - Rowena Millar (Editor) - Mammal News, (Issue 202, page 7) Spring 2025. (Magazine review and extended web review). Read the extended web review here.

Birdwatching Magazine

“The photography is a big seller here, but Dan has added to science with his study of them – you are going to gain a lot of knowledge by reading this book.” - John Miles - Birdwatching Magazine (page 83), June 2025 (in the magazine).

Scottish Wildlife Magazine

"Pine martens are a species that seem to captivate many of us despite most having never seen one in the wild... Dan's knowledge of their lives is extensive... with many useful photographs as well as QR codes linking to a series of audio recordings, this book is sure to leave readers with an even greater desire to see one of these incredible animals first hand." - Scottish Wildlife Magazine (issue 116) July 2025 (in the magazine).

Wild Ireland

"This is far more than a natural history book—it's an intimate portrait of one of our most elusive and enchanting Irish wild animals. More than an introduction to the pine marten, this is an empathetic connection with the Cat crainn and its life in the Celtic rainforest   Fascinating, beautifully written, and clearly a work of love and passion." - Killian McLaughlin, Director of Wild Ireland 15th August 2025 (personal correspondence).

Genuine Mustelids

“While Pine Marten boasts an impressive bibliography, the most valuable knowledge within comes from Bagur’s own time in the field. The outdoors is not just the realm of professional scientists with specific research objectives—it is humanity’s ancestral home, one that can be understood intimately by anyone with the curiosity and commitment to do so. Ultimately, Pine Marten is a source of inspiration for anyone seeking to reconnect with the natural world, and has a place on any naturalist’s shelf—professional and amateur alike.” - Genuine Mustelids, 19th March 2025. Read the full book review here. My Pine Marten film is also reviewed here.

Dartmoor Magazine

“Now, he has brought together his knowledge in a new book, Pine Marten, which offers a detailed look into the life and behaviour of this rarely seen mammal.” – Lucy Johnson - Dartmoor Magazine (issue 158, page 92), Summer 2025 (in the magazine).

Open Letters Review

"Dan Bagur, whose gorgeously-illustrated new book... is braided with an overt sense of wonder that makes the whole book an oddly wonderful reading experience" – Open Letters Review 4th July 2025. Read the full review here.

Country Life Magazine

“In his fascinating and immensely well-researched book… Dan Bagur chronicles the life of the pine marten… One of the great values of a book such as Dan’s is the intimate insight it provides into a creature that, although increasing in terms of its population, is actually quite hard to see… a testament to the immense value of spending time quietly watching the wild creatures with which we’re lucky enough to share this increasingly wildlife-depleted world” – Country Life Magazine 25th July 2025. Read the full review here.

Sunday Book Review

"This is a timely book… fills gaps in my knowledge that it would otherwise be very difficult to obtain” - Mark Avery - Sunday Book Review 20th April 2025. Read the full review here.