[TPM]⇒ [PDF] The Feather Thief Beauty Obsession and the Natural History Heist of the Century eBook Kirk Wallace Johnson

The Feather Thief Beauty Obsession and the Natural History Heist of the Century eBook Kirk Wallace Johnson

Download As PDF : The Feather Thief Beauty Obsession and the Natural History Heist of the Century eBook Kirk Wallace Johnson

The Feather Thief Beauty Obsession and the Natural History Heist of the Century eBook Kirk Wallace Johnson

I loved the crazy nature of the crime and the way it was reported, including the background about the small group of fly-tiers, most of whom don't even fish, whose obsession provided the raison-d'être for a very bizarre crime. The crime was wrapped up about half-way through the book, so I wondered what the rest would entail. It turns out that the author spent time, energy and money on the un-asked-for pursuit of the birds that had not been accounted for by the authorities or by the museum from which they were stolen, both of whom assumed that most had been dismembered and sold as "parts." This mission has its moments, as the thief himself is interviewed at length, but, overall, this section is less satisfying. I'd give the first half of the book five stars, but the second half just two. IMPORTANT: When reading this book on the Kindle its not clear that there are many plates and illustrations at the end of the book showing the birds and the flies, along with pictures of the principals.


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The Feather Thief Beauty Obsession and the Natural History Heist of the Century eBook Kirk Wallace Johnson Reviews

Wonderful well researched , well written book, could not put it down. As a lover of birds and nature it shows me again how wasteful and cruel humans can be in their search to make money. Thank God for all the people out there that support the and care for nature and remember to treat nature with reverence. Please buy this book, you will learn so much, it is money well spent , it is brain FOOD, thank you Daunn Munn
This book is sad and frustrating but fascinating at the same time. The National Geographic Article that accompanied the release of the book highlighted some of the major plot points of the book but it didn't stop me from buying it and diving into the obsession that drove a talented young man to rob the British Museum. The author also illustrates the importance of Museum collections and why institutions have more specimens than they could ever display.
Well written book, history part in the beginning is methodical and at times a bit dry but the story of the fly tiers and their obsession with exotic feathers is capivating, the author makes this into page turning true crime tale.
If you like odd stories of the strange things around us, you will enjoy this book.
As you read the book, you will want to see photos of these beautiful birds to better understand the obsession, he has photos at the end or just Google them.
This is a startling true story about the lengths a man will go to satisfy an obsession. The reader is introduced to the world of fly-tieing, the art of creating intricate fishing lures from bird feathers. What is remarkable about this activity is there is a subset of these tiers who collect extremely rare and valuable bird feathers and pay exorbitant prices for the most exotic ones. The subject of this book is such an individual. Edwin Rist is an accomplished student musician and avid fly-tier who steals hundreds of rare birds from the British Museum in 2009.

The book is a study in obsession as the author himself, an Iraqi war veteran, becomes fixated on the crime and the man who committed it. The story is immersive. Johnson, the author, has spent an incalculable amount of time researching the history of fly-tieing and the lure of exotic feathers to the point of even surreptitiously attending a fly-tiers convention undercover. He becomes a principal investigator in solving the details of Edwin's crime, identifying accomplices and tracking bird skins.

The book grabbed my interest from the first few pages. Johnson's book has all the pacing of a well-crafted mystery novel and manages to hold the suspense of exactly what happened and who was involved throughout the entire book. He covers this story with all the zeal of a professional investigative journalist. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes psychological character studies and true crime.
I read this book over one weekend as I could hardly bear to put it down. The true crime story of Edwin Rist and his ill-conceived but actually successful heist is a story that is too unlikely to be fiction. In the midst of telling his story, Johnson needs to share extensive obscure background information with readers and does so in a way that continues to drive the fascinating narrative forward. A hard to classify genre, it reminded me in turns of the best of well-researched literary nonfiction (think Seabiscuit An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand or The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot) mixed with a little self-deprecating narrator-turned-character in the vein of A.J. Jacobs, along with a too-crazy-to-be-true caper that even channels the Oceans 11 franchise. This is a unique and compelling book that should not be missed!
I read this well written book with tears. Being both an avid fly Fisher and birder, I found this book to be a timely epiteth to all those species that are vanishing before our eyes. The few who care and look upon these species with wonder are also vanishing. Soon, this earth will be decimated of its beauty. It is so difficult to go birding now and enjoy it as I once did because every bird I see now I realize will soon be gone. As for Kirk and his valiant efforts, thank you for shedding light on this weird, fanatical, useless hobby that has raped the world's jungles and forests all to glue shit on a hook to hang on a den wall. I just feel boiling anger after reading about this. Sad.
I loved the crazy nature of the crime and the way it was reported, including the background about the small group of fly-tiers, most of whom don't even fish, whose obsession provided the raison-d'être for a very bizarre crime. The crime was wrapped up about half-way through the book, so I wondered what the rest would entail. It turns out that the author spent time, energy and money on the un-asked-for pursuit of the birds that had not been accounted for by the authorities or by the museum from which they were stolen, both of whom assumed that most had been dismembered and sold as "parts." This mission has its moments, as the thief himself is interviewed at length, but, overall, this section is less satisfying. I'd give the first half of the book five stars, but the second half just two. IMPORTANT When reading this book on the its not clear that there are many plates and illustrations at the end of the book showing the birds and the flies, along with pictures of the principals.