Description

In this Pulitzer Prizefinalist biography the author of Mad at the World examines the littleknown life of the man behind the wellknown bird survey

John James Audubon is renowned for his masterpiece of natural history and art The Birds of America the first nearly comprehensive survey of the continents birdlife And yet few people understand and many assume incorrectly what sort of man he was How did the illegitimate son of a French sea captain living in Haiti who lied both about his parentage and his training rise to become one of the greatest natural historians ever and the greatest name in ornithology In Under a Wild Sky this Pulitzer Prize finalist William Souder reveals that Audubon did not only compose the most famous depictions of birds the world has ever seen but he also composed a brilliant mythology of self In this dazzling work of biography Souder charts the life of a driven man who despite all odds became the historical figure we know today

A meticulous biography and a fascinating portrait of a young nation San Francisco Chronicle

As richly endowed and densely packed as the forests of Audubons day Minneapolis StarTribune