The most detailed account of [Peterson's] three marriages, driven work habits, and strenuous activities as explorer, author, photographer, conservationist, and public figure.
Description
[2015 Reprint] Roger Tory Peterson—the Renaissance man who taught Americans the joy of watching birds—also invented the modern field guide. His 1934 landmark Field Guide to the Birds was the first book designed to go outdoors and help people identify the elements of nature. This self-proclaimed “student of nature” combined spectacular writing with detailed illustrations to ultimately publish many other books, winning every possible award and medal for natural science, ornithology, and conservation.
Birdwatcher is a comprehensive, illustrated biography of Roger Tory Peterson--a hero in the conservation world--including interviews with friends, family, and protégés.
Genres
Reviews
This fine biography breaks much new ground and contains abundant original material. . . . Peterson is one of those compelling figures for whom there cannot be too many biographies and tributes. Rosenthal's may be the best so far.
A brilliant, definitive biography of the man who made birdwatching the leading outdoor recreation in America.
A wonderful biography, bold and surprising and lively, crackling with the adventures of the man who did more than anyone else to create the modern popularity of birdwatching.
Birdwatcher is biographical alchemy, blending well researched detail, rich and varied anecdotes, and Roger in the first person with a writer's insight into the man who was, and remains, first among 'students of birds.'
Birdwatcher brings laughter, tears, profound admiration, and warm memories. To read it was to have Roger once again sitting in our kitchen, telling great tales, and every reader will feel that way too.
Birdwatcher is more than a window into the life and creative process of one of the world's great ornithologists and artists-it's an exploration, through the words and memories of dozens of people who knew Roger Tory Peterson best, of how this remarkable man changed the conservation landscape for the better, and for good.
Through interviews with more than a hundred of Peterson's colleagues and protégés, Rosenthal weaves an entertaining biography that helps us understand why Peterson ranks among the world's most celebrated naturalists.
With verve and elegance Elizabeth Rosenthal paints the life of our most important naturalist with all the field marks filled in and life ways fleshed out.
An affectionate look at the person who became known as the Audubon of the 20th century.