‘Nice book, nice story.’ — Margriet van der Linden in M

‘An unforgettable adventure.’ — Metronieuws.nl

‘Special trip.’ — Boekenkrant

‘Read his compelling journey through forty countries.’ — Zin

‘Ornithological highlights. Arjan knows how to generate a lot of enthusiasm for birds.’   — Vogelbescherming Nederland

‘His report is not only a compelling adventure, it also provides a staggering look at the loss of nature.’ — Alles over boeken en schrijvers

When Arjan Dwarshuis first heard of the Big Year, the legendary record for birdwatching, he was twenty years old – it was midnight and he was sitting on the roof of a truck in the Andean Mountains. He promised himself, then and there, that someday he would become a world record holder. For most people, such a promise remains just that – a promise and nothing more. But Dwarshuis persisted: ten years later, he began a journey that took him through forty countries and five continents in the timespan of a year. Would he stay healthy? Would his relationship last? Would he be able to bring this mental and physical challenge to a successful ending? Would he be able to break the record?

A year that flew by is about the journey of a lifetime; an extraordinary and absurd adventure that takes us on a 24/7 search for birds. From the Philippine eagle to the horned guan in the misty forests of Guatemala: Arjan Dwarshuis has seen them all. His story is not only a compelling adventure, it also offers a shocking insight into nature’s decline.

• An extraordinary story about the man who holds the world record for most bird species seen in a year
• For a year, Arjan Dwarshuis travelled the world
• He still holds the world record for spotting a total of 6833 species
• A documentary about his travels – Arjan’s Big Year – showed in cinemas around the Netherlands. The rights were sold to the Dutch TV network NCRV and it won the Newcomer Award on the Wildlife Film Festival. An English version is coming soon!
• Arjan Dwarshuis is a welcome guest in popular Dutch television programmes such as BinnensteBuiten and the talkshow RTL Late Night.