Richard Sale is a physicist with a PhD in astrophysics who once worked as a glaciologist studying the flow of glacial ice. He has since been exploring the Arctic for 20 years, consistently fascinated by the animals that make their home there. The fascination led to studies on the area’s ecology and then, more recently, to research on the smallest Arctic-dwelling falcon. He is the author of The Merlin, Falcons and A Complete Guide to Arctic Wildlife.