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The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America's Bird

The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America's Bird

by Jack Emerson Davis

Liveright ·2022 ·432 pages
Near the Top
Near the Top
I Index
58/99
Top of the Pile

77/99

Critics' Rating Index

Maybe Someday

40/99

Readers' Rating Index

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Scholars' Citation Index

94/99

Volume of Reviews

53/99

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About This Book

The bald eagle is regal but fearless, a bird you're not inclined to argue with. For centuries, Americans have celebrated it as "majestic" and "noble," yet savaged the living bird behind their national symbol as a malicious predator of livestock and, falsely, a snatcher of babies. Taking us from before the nation's founding through inconceivable resurgences of this enduring all-American species, Jack E. Davis contrasts the age when native peoples lived beside it peacefully with that when others, whether through hunting bounties or DDT pesticides, twice pushed Haliaeetus leucocephalus to the brink of extinction. Filled with spectacular stories of Founding Fathers, rapacious hunters, heroic bird rescuers, and the lives of bald eagles themselves—monogamous creatures, considered among the animal world's finest parents—The Bald Eagle is a much-awaited cultural and natural history that demonstrates how this bird's wondrous journey may provide inspiration today, as we grapple with environmental peril on a larger scale.


Reviews

"But if you have any questions about our national bird, Mr."

Bill Heavey· The Wall Street Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

"With eagle numbers now estimated at levels they were before 'America became America,' their comeback is astonishing."

Vicki Constantine Croke· The New York Times Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"[an] engaging and highly detailed cultural and natural history of the unofficial national bird ..."

Matt Jaffe· San Francisco Chronicle Read review ↗ Near the Top

"This fascinating and readable work will appeal to fans of the majestic bald eagle and to those interested in the natural, cultural, and political history of the United States."

Dave Pugl· Library Journal Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Davis conveys the breathtaking splendor of the most famous American bird in The Bald Eagle ..."

Henry Carrigan· BookPage Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Though the organization of the book is puzzling, The Bald Eagle is compelling and paints a dignified portrait of the famous bird, within and outside of American culture."

Olive Fellows· The Christian Science Monitor Read review ↗ Near the Top

"It proceeds by the principles of accretion, with no eagle fact, or eagle-adjacent fact, left behind ..."

Nathaniel Rich· The Atlantic Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"A rousing tale of a species' survival."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Davis' unique look at a bird we all thought we were familiar with is well-researched and chock-full of fascinating historical and nature-oriented vignettes."

Nancy Bent· Booklist Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Combining natural, political, and cultural histories, Davis offers a wealth of surprising information and demolishes popular misconception ..."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

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