A quirky, “lively and illuminating” account of bird-watching’s history, including “rivalries, controversies, [and] bad behavior” (The Washington Post Book World).

“A book that deserves to become a classic of natural history.” —Parade

The biggest names in birding dispense advice to birders of every level—on topics ranging from feeding birds and cleaning binoculars to pishing and pelagic birding—in these lighthearted essays accompanied by illustrations.

“The book is a delight to read and will generate new enthusiasm for the hobby.” —Booklist

Scholarly, authoritative and above all supremely readable, Stephen Moss’s book is the first to trace the fascinating history of how and why people have watched birds for pleasure.

The ornithologist and award-winning author of The Grail Bird shares his love of falconry in this “boundary-stretching memoir” (Kirkus Reviews).

“A series of exhilarating, often poignant stories...He weaves an eloquent life story around his life with hawks and falcons.” —Houston Chronicle