Audubon: Life and Art in the American Wilderness

by Shirley Streshinsky

Book Overview

John James Audubon--the dreamer, vagabond, romantic, and genius--was the archetype of the passionate and steadfast frontiersman. Combining meticulous scholarship with the dramatic life story of a naturalist and pioneer, Streshinsky reexamines the artist's journals and letters to tell the story of Audubon's quest, the origins of the American spirit, and the sacrifice that resulted in one of the world's greatest bodies of art: "The Birds of America"...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679408592
• ISBN13: 9780679408598
• Release Date: October 1993
• Publisher: Villard Books
• Length: 407 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.8" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Birdman of the 1800's

The author did alot of research on the subject and it shows in a great book on the life of James Audubon. It is a great story of American life in the early 1800's and Europe. The hardships this family went through to publish one of the worlds greatest books on birds. The love and support that a wife gave her husband and his sons that followed in his footsteps.

..an Albatross is funniest bird-see why--

For latest on ornithology- see her 8 page article in Apr. 2001 American Heritage Magazine...Shirley visited birds on Midway Island,now a refuge in Pacific. On the Wings of Victory..also memorial to sea battle won by US Navy.

enjoyable as a story even for the non bird-lover

I agree that this book is indeed over-written and reads at time like a class assignment; the author simply ticking off facts without much coherent thesis. However, this recital does bring off a charming story interesting enough to hold the attention of the casual historian with only a passing interest in wildlife. For anyone wishing to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the American wilderness and the struggles of the early settlers, it is a pleasure. Just skip over the boring bits!

Birder's delight

Reading this book is like living along side this great, self-made naturalist during his many ups and downs. Credit the author for taking us through his struggling ``mercantile'' years before he learned of his purpose. We meet the wife, Lucy, in full. We suffer her angst while he's off in Europe making a future. Any bird watcher naturally will be thrilled by the story but so too would any lover of the American dream, which is what Audubon lived. The one drawback was the lack of any of his portfolio drawings. Telling of the creation of Audubon's ``Birds of America'' without showing even a snippet of his magnificant drawings is almost evil. If this book is hard to find, it's well worth the search