Feather Thief — Kirk Wallace Johnson (Softcover)
On a cool June evening in 2009, after performing a concert at London’s Royal Academy of Music, twenty-year-old American flautist Edwin Rist boarded a train for a suburban outpost of the British Museum of Natural History. Home to one of the largest ornithological collections in the world, the Tring museum was full of rare bird specimens whose gorgeous feathers were worth staggering amounts of money to the men who shared Edwin’s obsession: the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying. Once inside the museum, the champion fly-tier grabbed hundreds of bird skins—some collected 150 years earlier by a contemporary of Darwin’s, Alfred Russel Wallace, who’d risked everything to gather them—and escaped into the darkness.
Two years later, Kirk Wallace Johnson was waist high in a river in northern England, researching the story of a young man who stole feathers from a museum, sparking a mystery that spans centuries of obsession with nature, art, and the ethics of collecting.
| Format | Softcover |
|---|---|
| Pages | 320 |
| Language | English |
| Publication Year | 2012 |
FAQ
What is the main theme of the book?
The book explores the obsession with bird feathers in Victorian fly-tying culture and the moral dilemmas surrounding the collection and theft of natural specimens.
Is the story based on a true event?
Yes, the story is inspired by a real incident involving Edwin Rist and the Tring Museum of Natural History.
Who is the author of the book?
Kirk Wallace Johnson is the author of ‘Feather Thief’.
Joshua Nash –
A compelling blend of historical detail and mystery. The narrative draws you into the world of fly-tying and the ethical questions behind collecting rare natural specimens. Well-researched and engaging.
Steven Ogden –
The story of Edwin Rist is fascinating. I was surprised by how much the book reveals about the cultural history of bird collecting. A thoughtful read for anyone interested in history or natural history.
Boris Reid –
This book offers a fresh perspective on a niche but rich historical topic. The writing is clear and the pacing is excellent. I found myself turning the pages without realizing how long I’d been reading.