Falcon

Author: Helen Macdonald
Publisher: Reaktion Books
ISBN: 1780236891
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 225

Book Description
Before best-selling author Helen Macdonald told the story of the goshawk in H Is for Hawk, she told the story of the falcon, in a cultural history of the masterful creature that can “cut the sky in two” with the “perfectly aerodynamic profile of a raindrop,” as she so incisively puts it. In talon-sharp prose she explores the spell the falcon has had over her and, by extension, all of us, whether we’ve seen them “through binoculars, framed on gallery walls, versified by poets, flown as hunting birds, through Manhattan windows, sewn on flags, stamped on badges, or winnowing through the clouds over abandoned arctic radar stations.” Macdonald dives through centuries and careens around the globe to tell the story of the falcon as it has flown in the wild skies of the natural world and those of our imagination. Mixing history, myth, and legend, she explores the long history of the sport of falconry in many human cultures—from Japan to Abu Dhabi to Oxford; she analyzes the falcon’s talismanic power as a symbol in art, politics, and business; and she addresses the ways we have both endangered and protected it. Along the way we discover how falcons were mobilized in secret military projects; their links with espionage, the Third Reich, the Holy Roman Empire, and space programs; and how they have figured in countless stories of heroism and, of course, the erotic. Best of all, Macdonald has given us something fresh: a new introduction that draws on all her experience to even further invigorate her cherished subject. The result is a deeply informed book written with the same astonishing lyrical grace that has captivated readers and had everyone talking about this writer-cum-falconer.

ThePeregrine Falcon

Author: Derek Ratcliffe
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1408136848
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 494

Book Description
The first edition of The Peregrine Falcon was widely recognised as a classic of its kind, documenting not only the species' biology but also the sad tale of its decline due to the impact of pesticides. This extensively revised and enlarged second edition takes full account of important new developments in the story of this bird during the intervening 12 years. It reports one of the few notable successes in wildlife conservation: the full restoration of British and Irish Peregrine populations, and their appreciable recovery in other countries where numbers had also been greatly reduced by the impact of organochlorine pesticides. The pattern of increase in Britain has been extremely varied, from districts where numbers are now far higher than at any time in recorded history, to others where the bird is now at its lowest ebb. The examination of the reasons for these differences helps us to understand the most recent developments in the Peregrine saga. Particular attention has been paid to the recent major advances in our knowledge of Peregrine biology, such as its movements, population turnover, food and nesting habits. Many of the tables and figures have been revised and brought up to date so that this volume, like its predecessor, is once again by far the most detailed and readable reference on this most evocative of birds. Donald Watson's colour paintings, monochrome washes and line drawings, and the original photographs, illustrate the book as before. Cover illustration by Donald Watson

Falcon in the Glass

Author: Susan Fletcher
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1442429917
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
"Eleven-year-old Renzo must teach himself to blow glass with the help of a girl who has a mysterious connection to her falcon"--

The Falcon Thief

Author: Joshua Hammer
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 150119190X
Category : True Crime
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Book Description
A “well-written, engaging detective story” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about a rogue who trades in rare birds and their eggs—and the wildlife detective determined to stop him. On May 3, 2010, an Irish national named Jeffrey Lendrum was apprehended at Britain’s Birmingham International Airport with a suspicious parcel strapped to his stomach. Inside were fourteen rare peregrine falcon eggs snatched from a remote cliffside in Wales. So begins a “vivid tale of obsession and international derring-do” (Publishers Weekly), following the parallel lives of a globe-trotting smuggler who spent two decades capturing endangered raptors worth millions of dollars as race champions—and Detective Andy McWilliam of the United Kingdom’s National Wildlife Crime Unit, who’s hell bent on protecting the world’s birds of prey. “Masterfully constructed” (The New York Times) and “entertaining and illuminating” (The Washington Post), The Falcon Thief will whisk you away from the volcanoes of Patagonia to Zimbabwe’s Matobo National Park, and from the frigid tundra near the Arctic Circle to luxurious aviaries in the deserts of Dubai, all in pursuit of a man who is reckless, arrogant, and gripped by a destructive compulsion to make the most beautiful creatures in nature his own. It’s a story that’s part true-crime narrative, part epic adventure—and wholly unputdownable until the very last page.

Falcon Wild

Author: Terry Lynn Johnson
Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing
ISBN: 163289601X
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 177

Book Description
An action-packed, contemporary novel about surviving in the wilderness. Thirteen-year-old Karma is desperate to become a certified falconer. At her dad's bird education center, she helps give demonstrations to guests and can fly the birds. But when her favorite rescued falcon, Stark, hurts Karma, her parents insist that they return the bird to its previous owner--in Canada. On the way to bring Stark back, a car accident in the middle of nowhere leaves Karma's dad trapped, and it's up to Karma to find a way to rescue him and her younger brother. When Karma loses her way trying to get help, she crosses paths with Cooper, a troubled teenaged boy. Lost for three days, the two figure out how to survive, and Karma teaches Stark to hunt like an actual bird of prey. Karma may be closer than she thinks to becoming a real falconer and having a real friend.

Wings of the Falcon

Author: Barbara Michaels
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061835714
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 308

Book Description
The death of her English father left Francesca alone and unprotected, with nowhere to turn but to the noble Italian family of her late mother. Adrift in a strange land, surrounded by cold and suspicious relatives who had disowned her mother on her wedding day, Francesca is determined to make the best of a bad situation. But nothing could have prepared her for the nest of dark secrets and oppressive cruelty she has been cast into. And her fate now rests in the hands of a mysterious horseman known as the Falcon, whose appearance will speed her salvation ... or hasten her doom.

Millennium Falcon

Author: Ryder Windham
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 0545210380
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 24

Book Description
A tribute to the favorite "Star Wars" ship provides layer-by-layer analyses of the Millennium Falcon's features, from laser cannons and cockpit controls to smuggling bays and Han Solo's speed modifications. On board pages.

Falcon vs. Hawk (Who Would Win?)

Author: Jerry Pallotta
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 1338717626
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 34

Book Description
What if a falcon and a hawk had a fight? Who do you think would win? This nonfiction reader compares and contrasts two ferocious birds. Readers will learn about each animal's anatomy, behavior, and more. Then compare and contrast the battling pair before finally discovering the winner!This nonfiction series is full of facts, photos, and realistic illustrations, and it includes a range of mammals, sea creatures, insects, and dinosaurs to satisfy all kinds of animal fans.

The Wandering Falcon

Author: Jamil Ahmad
Publisher: Penguin Books India
ISBN: 0670085332
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 187

Book Description
The boy known as Tor Baz—the black falcon —wanders between tribes. He meets men who fight under different flags, and women who risk everything if they break their society’s code of honour. Where has he come from, and where will destiny take him? Set in the decades before the rise of the Taliban, Jamil Ahmad’s stunning debut takes us to the essence of human life in the forbidden areas where the borders of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan meet. Today the ‘tribal areas’ are often spoken about as a remote region, a hotbed of conspiracies, drone attacks and conflict. In The Wandering Falcon, this highly traditional, honour-bound culture is revealed from the inside for the first time. With rare tenderness and perception, Jamil Ahmad describes a world of custom and cruelty, of love and gentleness, of hardship and survival; a fragile, unforgiving world that is changing as modern forces make themselves known. With the fate-defying story of Tor Baz, he has written an unforgettable novel of insight, compassion and timeless wisdom. It is true, I am neither a Mahsud nor a Wazir. But I can tell you as little about who I am as I can about who I shall be. Think of Tor Baz as your hunting falcon. That should be enough.

Maggie the One-Eyed Peregrine Falcon

Author: Christie Gove-Berg
Publisher: Adventure Publications
ISBN: 1591936306
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 33

Book Description
Maggie has just learned to fly when she crashes into the side of a building. She falls to the ground, alone and injured. Who will help her? As told with real photographs, this true story explains how wildlife hospitals rescue and treat injured animals. Their goal is to release the animals back into the wild. Sometimes, this isn't possible--but there can still be a happy ending. Maggie's story, written by Christie Gove-Berg, is just such a success!