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Birdman's Wife
by Melissa AshleyInspired by a letter found tucked inside her famous husband's papers, The Birdman's Wife imagines the fascinating inner life of Elizabeth Gould, who was so much more than just the woman behind the man. Elizabeth was a woman ahead of her time, juggling the demands of her artistic life with her roles as wife, lover and helpmate to a passionate and demanding genius, and as a devoted mother who gave birth to eight children. In a society obsessed with natural history and the discovery of new species, the birdman's wife was at its glittering epicentre. Her artistry breathed life into hundreds of exotic finds, from her husband's celebrated collections to Charles Darwin's famous Galapagos finches. Fired by Darwin's discoveries, in 1838 Eliza defied convention by joining John on a trailblazing expedition to the untamed wilderness of Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales to collect and illustrate Australia's 'curious' birdlife. From a naïve and uncertain young girl to a bold adventurer determined to find her own voice and place in the world, The Birdman's Wife paints an indelible portrait of an extraordinary woman overlooked by history, until now.
Birdmen
by Lawrence GoldstoneFrom acclaimed historian Lawrence Goldstone comes a thrilling narrative of courage, determination, and competition: the story of the intense rivalry that fueled the rise of American aviation. The feud between this nation's great air pioneers, the Wright brothers and Glenn Curtiss, was a collision of unyielding and profoundly American personalities. On one side, a pair of tenacious siblings who together had solved the centuries-old riddle of powered, heavier-than-air flight. On the other, an audacious motorcycle racer whose innovative aircraft became synonymous in the public mind with death-defying stunts. For more than a decade, they battled each other in court, at air shows, and in the newspapers. The outcome of this contest of wills would shape the course of aviation history--and take a fearsome toll on the men involved. Birdmen sets the engrossing story of the Wrights' war with Curtiss against the thrilling backdrop of the early years of manned flight, and is rich with period detail and larger-than-life personalities: Thomas Scott Baldwin, or "Cap't Tom" as he styled himself, who invented the parachute and almost convinced the world that balloons were the future of aviation; John Moisant, the dapper daredevil who took to the skies after three failed attempts to overthrow the government of El Salvador, then quickly emerged as a celebrity flyer; and Harriet Quimby, the statuesque silent-film beauty who became the first woman to fly across the English Channel. And then there is Lincoln Beachey, perhaps the greatest aviator who ever lived, who dazzled crowds with an array of trademark twists and dives--and best embodied the romance with death that fueled so many of aviation's earliest heroes. A dramatic story of unimaginable bravery in the air and brutal competition on the ground, Birdmen is at once a thrill ride through flight's wild early years and a surprising look at the personal clash that fueled America's race to the skies. Advance praise for Birdmen "A riveting narrative about the pioneering era of aeronautics in America and beyond . . . a well-written, thoroughly researched work that is sure to compel readers interested in history, aviation, and invention. Goldstone raises questions of enduring importance regarding innovation and the indefinite exertion of control over ideas that go public."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Superbly crafted . . . strengthened by fresh perspectives, rigorous analyses, comprehensible science, and a driving narrative."--Library Journal (starred review)"Birdmen is so much more than the story of man's leap into the clouds. Exhilarating, exasperating, and inspiring in equal measure, the Wright brothers' tale is a parable for modern times, told in fascinating detail and gripping prose by Lawrence Goldstone."--Dr. Amanda Foreman, author A World on Fire "Meticulously researched and illuminating, Birdmen unveils the forgotten flyboys who gave America an invention to win wars, spread peace, and advance her destiny--air power."--Adam Makos, internationally bestselling author of A Higher Call"The history of human flight goes way beyond the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk. Lawrence Goldstone skillfully tells the rest of the story about the dreamers history has forgotten, and it's a helluva story superbly told. Birdmen is a wondrous journey from takeoff to landing."--Bill Griffeth, author of By Faith AloneFrom the Hardcover edition.
Birdmen, Batmen, and Skyflyers: Wingsuits and the Pioneers Who Flew in Them, Fell in Them, and Perfected Them
by Michael AbramsThe Wright Brothers were wimps. Or so you might think after reading this account of their unsung but even more daring rivals--the men and women who strapped wings to their backs and took to the sky. If only for a few seconds. People have been dying to fly, quite literally, since the dawn of history. They've made wings of feather and bone, leather and wood, canvas and taffeta, and thrown themselves off the highest places they could find. Theirs is the world's first and still most dangerous extreme sport, and its full history has never been told. Birdmen, Batmen, and Skyflyers is a thrilling, hilarious, and often touching chronicle of these obsessive inventors and eccentric daredevils. It traces the story of winged flight from its doomed early pioneers to their glorious high-tech descendants, who've at last conquered gravity (sometimes, anyway). Michael Abrams gives us a brilliant bird's-eye view of what it's like to fly with wings. And then, inevitably, to fall. In the Immortal Words of Great Birdmen... "Someday I think that everyone will have wings and be able to soar from the housetops. But there must be a lot more experimenting before that can happen." --Clem Sohn, the world's first batman, who plummeted to his death at the Paris Air Show in 1937. "The trouble was that he went only halfway up the radio tower. If he had gone clear to the top it would have been different." --Amadeo Catao Lopes in 1946, explaining the broken legs of the man who tried his wings. "One day, a jump will be the last. The jump of death. But that idea does not hold me back." --Rudolf Richard Boehlen, who died of jump-related injuries in 1953. "It turned out that almost everyone from the thirties and forties had died. That just made me want to do it more." --Garth Taggart, stunt jumper for The Gypsy Moths, filmed in 1968. "You have to be the first one. The second one is the first loser." --Felix Baumgartner, who in 2003 became the first birdman to cross the English Channel.
The Birds
by AristophanesThis portrayal of a flawed utopia called Cloudcuckooland is an enchanting escape into the world of free-flying fantasy that explores the eternal dilemmas of man on earth.
The Birds: A Play
by AristophanesBirds rule the sky—and man—in this entertaining work by the Ancient Greek playwright known for Lysistrata and The Clouds. This award-winning comedy—first performed in Greece in 414 BC—remains a delightful read even after two millennia. As the birds of Athens express their frustration about sharing a realm with humans, they hatch a plan to build their own empire in the sky: Cloud-cuckoo-land. Soon they are exercising their power as they form a barrier between mortals and the Olympians—and declare themselves the new gods.
The Birds
by Aristophanes Jeffrey HendersonThis is an English translation of Aristophanes’ greatest comedy the Birds and is the story of birds taking control of the government. Includes background material on the historical and cultural context of this work, suggestions for further reading, and notes. Focus Classical Library provides close translations with notes and essays to provide access to understanding Greek culture.
Birds and Blooms of the 50 States
by Anna Branning Mara MurphyThis enchanting tour of America's most cherished birds and flowers is an intimate collection of lovely images from beloved letterpress studio Dutch Door Press. Each state's emblematic flora and fauna are paired in winsome vintage-inspired compositions and accompanied by fascinating facts about the states, the plant and animal species, and how they came to symbolize their regions. From the quail and poppy of California to the bluebird and rose of New York, every page of this volume offers a visual treat filled with charm and nostalgia. An exquisite tribute to a sweet tradition, Birds & Blooms of the 50 States is perfect for Mother's Day gifting and year-round good cheer.
Birds and Other Creatures in Renaissance Literature: Shakespeare, Descartes, and Animal Studies (Perspectives on the Non-Human in Literature and Culture)
by Rebecca Ann BachThis book explores how humans in the Renaissance lived with, attended to, and considered the minds, feelings, and sociality of other creatures. It examines how Renaissance literature and natural history display an unequal creaturely world: all creatures were categorized hierarchically. However, post-Cartesian readings of Shakespeare and other Renaissance literature have misunderstood Renaissance hierarchical creaturely relations, including human relations. Using critical animal studies work and new materialist theory, Bach argues that attending closely to creatures and objects in texts by Shakespeare and other writers exposes this unequal world and the use and abuse of creatures, including people. The book also adds significantly to animal studies by showing how central bird sociality and voices were to Renaissance human culture, with many believing that birds were superior to some humans in song, caregiving, and companionship. Bach shows how Descartes, a central figure in the transition to modern ideas about creatures, lived isolated from humans and other creatures and denied ancient knowledge about other creatures’ minds, especially bird minds. As significantly, Bach shows how and why Descartes’ ideas appealed to human grandiosity. Asking how Renaissance categorizations of creatures differ so much from modern classifications, and why those modern classifications have shaped so much animal studies work, this book offers significant new readings of Shakespeare’s and other Renaissance texts. It will contribute to a range of fields, including Renaissance literature, history, animal studies, new materialism, and the environmental humanities.
The Birds and Other Plays
by AristophanesThe plays in this volume all contain Aristophanes' trademark bawdy comedy and dazzling verbal agility. In THE BIRDS, two frustrated Athenians join the birds to build the utopian city of 'Much Cuckoo in the Clouds'. THE KNIGHTS is a venomous satire on Cleon, a prominent Athenian demagogue, while THE ASSEMBLY WOMEN deals with the battle of the sexes as the women of Athens infiltrate the all-male Assembly in disguise. The lengthy conflict with Sparta is the subject of PEACE, inspired by the hope of a settlement in 421 BC, and WEALTH reflects on the economic catastrophe that hit Athens after the war.
Bird's Eye View
by Elinor FlorenceA Toronto Star Bestseller! Rose, a Canadian intelligence officer in Britain in World War II, struggles with conflicting feelings about the war and a superior’s attention. Rose Jolliffe is an idealistic young woman living on a farm with her family in Saskatchewan. After Canada declares war against Germany in World War II, she joins the British Women’s Auxiliary Air Force as an aerial photographic interpreter. Working with intelligence officers at RAF Medmenham in England, Rose spies on the enemy from the sky, watching the war unfold through her magnifying glass. When her commanding officer, Gideon Fowler, sets his sights on Rose, both professionally and personally, her prospects look bright. But can he be trusted? As she becomes increasingly disillusioned by the destruction of war and Gideon’s affections, tragedy strikes, and Rose’s world falls apart. Rose struggles to rebuild her shattered life, and finds that victory ultimately lies within herself. Her path to maturity is a painful one, paralleled by the slow, agonizing progress of the war and Canada’s emergence from Britain’s shadow.
The Birds Fall Down (Virago Modern Classics Ser.)
by Rebecca WestWest's gripping psychological mystery--now available as an ebookPart thriller, part historical novel, The Birds Fall Down takes readers inside the intrigue of revolutionaries preparing to overthrow an empireDuring early revolutionary stirrings in Russia, after an unexpected turn of events, Laura Rowan, the coddled granddaughter of an exiled British nobleman, becomes her grandfather's sole companion on a fateful train ride. In France, a young revolutionary approaches Laura and her grandfather with information that will turn her world upside down, and their travels become a thrilling journey into the heart of the struggle against Tsarist Russia. In this suspenseful novel, West brings to life a battle between entitled imperials and the passionate, savvy communist revolutionaries who dare to face them.
Birds in a Cage: Warburg, Germany, 1941- Four P. O. W. Birdwatchers - The Unlikely Beginning Of British Wildlife Conservation...
by Derek NiemannThis is the inspiring true story of how a passion for birds enabled four young men to escape the horror of internment in a German PoW camp... and brought about an extraordinary moment of cooperation and mutual understanding between them and their captors. Soon after their incarceration at Warburg in 1941, Peter Conder, John Buxton, John Barrett and George Waterston discovered a shared love of birdwatching. Before long, their obsessive quest for information on the nesting habits of chaffinches, redstarts and others took over the whole camp - including some of the German guards, who began to assist the PoWs in their observations at great risk to their own lives. In this tender, revelatory book, Derek Niemann draws on original diaries, letters and drawings, as well as the memories of those...
Birds in a Gilded Cage: The Sussex Quartet 4
by Judith Glover'She's only a bird in a gilded cage,A beautiful sight to see;You may think she's happy and free from care,She's not, tho' she seems to be'After Dinah Garland's husband died in the Boer War, she thought she would never be able to love again, until she meets the confident and daring Warwick Enderby. But those around her are not so disarmed by Warwick's charm and are determined to delve into Mr Enderby's secrets.Dinah's brother Francis has secrets of his own in the shape of Cecilia Desatti, a young headstrong Italian whose beauty torments him. And young Laura Bates, on the verge of womanhood, has to conceal her love for the boyish Algie from her stern father.Each becomes trapped by the demands of private emotion and social background. When their secrets are revealed, will it bring heartache or happiness?Set in the years immediately before the First World War, Birds in a Gilded Cage is the final novel in the Sussex Quarter that began with The Stallion Man.
Birds in Eighteenth-Century Literature: Reason, Emotion, and Ornithology, 1700–1840 (Palgrave Studies in Animals and Literature)
by Brycchan Carey Sayre Greenfield Anne MilneThis book examines literary representations of birds from across the world in anage of expanding European colonialism. It offers important new perspectives intothe ways birds populate and generate cultural meaning in a variety of literary andnon-literary genres from 1700–1840 as well as throughout a broad range ofecosystems and bioregions. It considers a wide range of authors, including someof the most celebrated figures in eighteenth-century literature such as John Gay,Henry Fielding, Laurence Sterne, Anna Letitia Barbauld, William Cowper, MaryWollstonecraft, Thomas Bewick, Charlotte Smith, William Wordsworth, andGilbert White. ignwogwog[p
Birds in the Ancient World from A to Z (The Ancient World from A to Z)
by W. Geoffrey ArnottBirds in the Ancient World from A to Z gathers together the ancient information available, listing all the names that ancient Greeks gave their birds and all their descriptions and analyses. W. Geoffrey Arnott identifies as many of them as possible in the light of modern ornithological studies. The ancient Greek bird names are transliterated into English script, and all that the ancients said about birds is presented in English. This book is accordingly the first complete discussion of ancient bird names that will be accessible to readers without ancient Greek. The only large-scale examination of ancient birds for seventy years, the book has an exhaustive bibliography (partly classical scholarship and partly ornithological) to encourage further study, and provides students and ornithologists with the definitive study of ancient birds.
Birds of a Feather: Would you open your heart to fate?
by Rhianna KingBeth doesn't feel like she belongs in her rambunctious, bohemian family. Apart from the special relationship she shares with her grandma, Elise. When Beth wins the lottery (on a ticket she bought to prove she could be spontaneous), she decides to spend it on treating Elise.But instead of anything material, Elise wants Beth to help her track down her first love, Gerry. It's a fun and uncomplicated little adventure, Beth thinks, until she discovers that her grandma's great love is actually a woman, and their romance was thwarted by the conservatism of the day. Grappling with her grandma's past spurs Beth to reconsider herself in the present.Birds of a Feather is a funny, poignant and utterly charming debut novel about questioning who you are and what you might become.
Birds of a Feather: A True Story of Hope and the Healing Power of Animals
by Lorin Lindner"This true story will twist your heart like a sponge and renew your faith in the world." —Lee Woodruff, co-author with Bob Woodruff of the New York Times bestseller In an Instant "A heartwarming book." —Vicki Myron, author of New York Times #1 Bestseller Dewey"Reminds us of the extraordinary ways caring people are helping the men and women who have served our country...and animals along with them." —Maxine Waters "I defy anyone to read it without shedding tears." —Rosemary Low, author of The Complete Book of Parrots"It left me smiling, full of hope, and wishing there were more Lorin Linders out there." —Mary GauthierAnimal lover though she was, Lorin Lindner was definitely not looking for a pet. Then came Sammy – a mischievous and extremely loud bright pink Moluccan cockatoo who had been abandoned. It was love at first sight. But Sammy needed a companion. Enter Mango, lover of humans ("Hewwo"), inveterate thief of precious objects. Realizing that there were many parrots in need of new homes, Dr. Lindner eventually founded a sanctuary for them.Meanwhile, she began to meet homeless veterans on the streets of Los Angeles. Before long she was a full time advocate for these former service members, who were often suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Ultimately, Dr. Lindner created a program for them, too.Eventually the two parts of her life came together when she founded Serenity Park, a unique sanctuary on the grounds of the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration Healthcare Center. She had noticed that the veterans she treated as a clinical psychologist and the parrots she had taken in as a rescuer quickly formed bonds. Men and women who had been silent in therapy would share their stories and their feelings more easily with animals. Birds of a Feather is ultimately a love story between veterans and the birds they nurse back to health and between Dr. Lindner and her husband, a veteran with PTSD, who healed at Serenity Park. Full of remarkable people and colorful birds, this book reminds us that we all have the power to make a difference.
Birds of a Feather: Maisie Dobbs Mystery 2 (Maisie Dobbs #2)
by Jacqueline WinspearPraise for Maisie Dobbs: "Maisie Dobbs is a quirky literary creation. If you cross-pollinated Vera Britain's classic World War I memoir, Testament of Youth, with Dorothy Sayers's Harriet Vane mysteries and a dash of the old PBS series 'Upstairs, Downstairs,' you'd approximate the peculiar range of topics and tones within this novel... Its intelligent eccentricity offers relief."-Maureen Corrigan, "Fresh Air" on NPR. "Deft... Prepare to be astonished at the sensitivity and wisdom with which Maisie resolves her first professional assignment... Winspear takes her through her ordeal with great compassion."-Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review. "Surprisingly fresh... Winspear does a fine job with the 'Upstairs, Downstairs' aspects of the story, depicting the class tensions that inevitably arise as Dobbs climbs to a new station in life. Her progression from domestic staff to college student to wartime nurse to private investigator is both believable and compelling."-San Francisco Chronicle. Maisie Dobbs is back and this time she has been hired to find a wealthy grocery magnate's daughter who has fled from home. What seems a simple case at first becomes complicated when Maisie learns of the recent violent deaths of three of the heiress's old friends. Is there a connection between her mysterious disappearance and the murders? Who would kill such charming young women? As Maisie investigates, she discovers that the answers to all her questions lie in the unforgettable agony of The Great War. Jacqueline Winspear was born and raised in England and later worked in publishing and as a marketing communications consultant in the U.K. before emigrating to the United States. She now lives in California and is a regular visitor to the United Kingdom. Birds of a Feather is her second novel featuring Maisie Dobbs.
Birds of Prey: The Courtney Series 9 (The Courtney Series: The Birds of Prey Trilogy #1)
by Wilbur SmithA Courtney series adventure - Book 1 in the Birds of Prey trilogy"Africa!" The sound of that mysterious name on his own lips raised goose pimples along his arms and made the thick dark hair prickle on the back of his neck.' A simple mission. A battle for their lives. It is 1667 and the war between the Dutch and the English continues apace. Sir Francis Courtney, his son Hal, and their crew are carried around the southern tip of the African colonies by the good ship Lady Edwinna, licensed to attack and seize the treasure-laden ships of the Dutch East India company. When they capture a Dutch trader and hold the passengers to ransom, Sir Francis hopes only for a good price and a small sense of satisfaction. But this is unlawful territory they sail in.An unexpected betrayal will mean the men on board will afce greater peril than they have ever faced before - and many good men may never see home again...
The Birds of Tanglewood
by Karle Wilson Baker Sarah Ragland Jackson Charlotte Baker MontgomeryIn the intimate language of one who watched birds daily, Karle Wilson Baker brought readers face to face with the wonders of the East Texas woods in the 1930s. She wrote about tiny warblers, industrious chickadees, and purple finches; the aery trills and tantalizing color flashes of the hummingbirds; the bell tones of the woodthrush; the daily visits and rare drop-ins of the prolific bird life of the region. In a daily diary she kept throughout her life, Baker recorded her observations of the many birds that lived in the heavily wooded setting of her Nacogdoches home, called Tanglewood. When her family moved from the house, she collected her essays on bird life into this volume, illustrated by her daughter Charlotte and published in 1930. Her little classic speaks with the voice of her times to readers today who enjoy their avian companions.
Birds of the Salton Sea: Status, Biogeography, and Ecology
by Michael A. Patten Guy Mccaskie Philip Unitt.Describes the birds of Salton Sea, more than 450 species and subspecies in all and discusses each bird's abundance, seasonal status, movement patterns, biogeographic affinities, habitat associations, and more.
The Birds That Audubon Missed: Discovery and Desire in the American Wilderness
by Kenn KaufmanRenowned naturalist Kenn Kaufman examines the scientific discoveries of John James Audubon and his artistic and ornithologist peers to show how what they saw (and what they missed) reflects how we perceive and understand the natural world.Raging ambition. Towering egos. Competition under a veneer of courtesy. Heroic effort combined with plagiarism, theft, exaggeration, and fraud. This was the state of bird study in eastern North America during the early 1800s, as a handful of intrepid men raced to find the last few birds that were still unknown to science. The most famous name in the bird world was John James Audubon, who painted spectacular portraits of birds. But although his images were beautiful, creating great art was not his main goal. Instead, he aimed to illustrate (and write about) as many different species as possible, obsessed with trying to outdo his rival, Alexander Wilson. George Ord, a fan and protégé of Wilson, held a bitter grudge against Audubon for years, claiming he had faked much of his information and his scientific claims. A few of Audubon&’s birds were pure fiction, and some of his writing was invented or plagiarized. Other naturalists of the era, including Charles Bonaparte (nephew of Napoleon), John Townsend, and Thomas Nuttall, also became entangled in the scientific derby, as they stumbled toward an understanding of the natural world—an endeavor that continues to this day. Despite this intense competition, a few species—including some surprisingly common songbirds, hawks, sandpipers, and more—managed to evade discovery for years. Here, renowned bird expert and artist Kenn Kaufman explores this period in history from a new angle, by considering the birds these people discovered and, especially, the ones they missed. Kaufman has created portraits of the birds that Audubon never saw, attempting to paint them in that artist&’s own stunning style, as a way of examining the history of natural sciences and nature art. He shows how our understanding of birds continues to gain clarity, even as some mysteries persist from Audubon&’s time until ours.
Birds Without Wings
by Louis De BernieresIn his first novel since Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernières creates a world, populates it with characters as real as our best friends, and launches it into the maelstrom of twentieth-century history. The setting is a small village in southwestern Anatolia in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. Everyone there speaks Turkish, though they write it in Greek letters. It's a place that has room for a professional blasphemer; where a brokenhearted aga finds solace in the arms of a Circassian courtesan who isn't Circassian at all; where a beautiful Christian girl named Philothei is engaged to a Muslim boy named Ibrahim. But all of this will change when Turkey enters the modern world. Epic in sweep, intoxicating in its sensual detail, Birds Without Wings is an enchantment.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Birdseye: The Adventures of a Curious Man
by Mark KurlanskyBreak out the TV dinners! From the author who gave us Cod, Salt, and other informative bestsellers, the first biography of Clarence Birdseye, the eccentric genius inventor whose fast-freezing process revolutionized the food industry and American agriculture.
Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War (Vintage International)
by Sebastian FaulksPublished to international critical and popular acclaim, this intensely romantic yet stunningly realistic novel spans three generations and the unimaginable gulf between the First World War and the present. As the young Englishman Stephen Wraysford passes through a tempestuous love affair with Isabelle Azaire in France and enters the dark, surreal world beneath the trenches of No Man's Land, Sebastian Faulks creates a world of fiction that is as tragic as A Farewell to Arms and as sensuous as The English Patient. Crafted from the ruins of war and the indestructibility of love, Birdsong is a novel that will be read and marveled at for years to come.