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The Audubon Reader
The Audubon Reader
Oct 5, 2024 9:25 PM

Author:John James Audubon

The Audubon Reader

John James Audubon (1785-1851) was for half a century America's dominant wildlife artist. His seminal Birds of America, a collection of 435 life-size prints, is still a standard work, and the name Audubon remains synonymous with birds and bird conservation the world over. Born in Haiti, the illegitimate son of a French sea-captain, he was raised in France and sailed to America at the age of 18 where he went into business and began his study of birds. In 1819 he was briefly jailed for bankruptcy; with no other prospects, he set off on his epic quest to depict America's avifauna, with nothing but his gun, artist's materials, and a young assistant. Floating down the Mississippi, he lived a rugged hand-to-mouth existence while his devoted wife, Lucy, earned money as a tutor to wealthy plantation families. In 1826 he sailed with his partly finished collection to England. Lionized as the 'American woodsman', he hit just the right Romantic note for the era, and was an overnight success, finding printers for his book first in Edinburgh, then London. It was a classic American tale of triumph over adversity.

Here are vivid 'bird biographies', his correspondence with Lucy, journal accounts of his dramatic river journeys and hunting trips with the Osage Indians, and a generous sampling of brief stories that have long been out of print, 'The Burning of the Forests' and 'Kentucky Barbecue on the Fourth of July' among them. The Audubon Reader is an unforgettable encounter with early America: with its wildlife and birds, with its people and its primordial wilderness.

Reviews

Celebrate him for his wonderful birds; but recognise him as well as a characteristic American of the first generation - a man who literally made a name for himself.

—— Richard Rhodes , Introduction by Richard Rhodes

Written in splendidly elastic prose, each sentence a springboard for the next, it provides a concise, fair and highly readable biography of a singular genius

—— Nigel Hawkes , The Times

Beautifully written and engaging

—— Allan Chapman , BBC History

Ackroyd has a fine eye for the intimate, thorny details that breathe life into biographies

—— Herald

Ranging from sex to breast-feeding, fights to teenage girls, Brizendine communicates in a fresh, engaging style, explaining the structure of the brain, which determines women's thoughts, values and communication skills. A fantastic guide from a heavyweight academic.

—— Good Book Guide

Lloyd is one of the gurus of quantum and information theory, and in this accessible book he presents an insightful new perspective on the cosmos

—— Sir Martin Rees, University of Cambridge

Renowned for his innovative conflation of pure physics and computation, Lloyd is well positioned to hack his way into space-time and come back with answers

—— Seed

What an astonishing book! Lloyd is at the forefront of a revolution

—— Kevin Kelly, Editor-at-Large , Wired

While a theory for time travel is in itself extraordinary, Mallett's own story of how he became one of the first African-American PhDs is just as remarkable . . . There have been a number of time travel books published of late, but this is one of the more accomplished. His theory is the first serious and practical attempt at making the impossible possible. The Time Traveller is about far more than theory, however, and will undoubtedly serve as inspiration to budding scientists and the general reader alike.

—— Science Book Reviews

Physicist Mallett's theory that "space and time can be manipulated" to make time travel possible has gained national media attention. His research and theories flow nicely through this easy-to-read autobiography. Mallett's, one of the first African-American Ph.D.s in theoretical physics, (and bestselling author Henderson's) simple prose makes for clear and concise explanations of the science involved. The author comes across as a warm, inspired, driven, troubled man who is generous in his descriptions of others and must be an excellent teacher at the University of Connecticut, where he is a physics professor. Mallett describes the path of his education and research into black holes and circulating lasers, which he believes drag time into a closed loop suitable for time travel. Due to the basic level of the science content and the focus on Mallett's personal quest, this book is best suited for a general rather than a science-leaning audience, or as an inspirational text for aspiring young scientists. B&w photos.

—— Publisher's Weekly

Science and memoir combine in the story of a black boy from the Bronx who turned his dreams into reality.

—— Waterstones Quarterly

An engaging and, at times, moving read.

—— www.the-void.co.uk

A terrific book . . . once you start it you'll be hooked.

—— www.motorbar.co.uk

Brimming with excitement . . . This is a rewarding tale of courage, determination, and the possibilities of science.

—— The Star
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