Originally published in 1972 this important falconry book is probably one of the best of its kind. The author was a respected falconer of many years experience and his sheer pleasure in the sport shines through his writing. Contents Include: The Mews - Weathering Enclosure, Bath, Blocks - Bells, Jesses, Clip Swivels, Lures, Hoods, Whistle - Hack Hut and Hack Ground - Eyasses, Treatment before Hack - Hack, its Advantages and Disadvantages - Eyasses compared with Passgers and Haggards - Food - Hooding and Manning - Taming - Flying to Lure and Use of the Lure - Hawking - Homing - The Moult - Health - Miscellany - The Gyrfalcon

The ornithologist and award-winning author of The Grail Bird shares his love of falconry in this “boundary-stretching memoir” (Kirkus Reviews). “To me, falconry at its highest level is an art form in which the canvas is the entire sky.” What is it about falconry that inspires such avid devotees? Tim Gallagher has pondered this question since he first became obsessed with the sport at the age of twelve. In Falcon Fever, he interweaves memoir, history, and travelogue as he takes us along on his many adventures—mallard hunting in upstate New York with his falcon MacDuff; traveling to Wyoming and the Scottish Highlands to visit and learn from other falconers; attending the annual field meet of the North American Falconers’ Association; and making his personal pilgrimage to the southern Italian lands and landmarks of his hero Frederick II, the thirteenth-century Holy Roman Emperor who wrote the classic text On the Art of Hunting with Birds. From his early use of falconry to escape a troubled childhood to the vibrant, modern community that continues to practice the centuries-old sport of kings, Gallagher offers both a knowledgeable introduction to these birds of prey and an inspiring personal story. “A series of exhilarating, often poignant stories. . . . He weaves an eloquent life story around his life with hawks and falcons.” —Houston Chronicle “The ideal tonic to reinvigorate a nation distracted by laptops from its love for its natural heritage.” —Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “A poignant, introspective volume.” —Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Arctic birds have long held a fascination for Richard Vaughan, whose trips to the region, watching and photographing birds, have provided the raw material for a number of previous publications. Here, he focuses on the historical aspects of Arctic ornithology, bringing to life not only the birds but the activities of those who have lived with them, or explored in search of them. A general introduction to the Arctic and the forces that shape its bird populations and their biology is followed by sections on native peoples, whaling and discovery ships, and the famous ornithologists who have investigated these often inhospitable habitats. Conservation, both of individual species and of habitats, is discussed against the background of threats to the Arctic environment. Since half the Arctic lies in Russia, detailed consideration is naturally given to Arctic bird studies in that country, as well as in North America and Greenland. Purely ornithological interludes look in detail at the Gyrfalcon, Knots, Ross's Gull, geese, divers, Snowy Owls and many more. The book includes practical advice on how to visit the Arctic and where and when to go. Richard Vaughan's own photographs and the drawings of Swedish artist Gunnar Brusewitz do real justice to the beauty of both the environment and its birds.