The Feather Thief
The Natural History Heist of the Century
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Cornerstone
Published:4th Apr '19
Should be back in stock very soon
A page-turning story of a bizarre and shocking crime, and one man's relentless quest for justice.
vivid and arresting' The Times
One summer evening in 2009, twenty-year-old musical prodigy Edwin Rist broke into the Natural History Museum at Tring, home to one of the largest ornithological collections in the world. Once inside, Rist grabbed as many rare bird specimens as he was able to carry before escaping into the darkness.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE GOLD DAGGER AWARD
'A tale of obsession ... vivid and arresting' The Times
One summer evening in 2009, twenty-year-old musical prodigy Edwin Rist broke into the Natural History Museum at Tring, home to one of the largest ornithological collections in the world. Once inside, Rist grabbed as many rare bird specimens as he was able to carry before escaping into the darkness.
Kirk Wallace Johnson was waist-deep in a river in New Mexico when his fly-fishing guide first told him about the heist. But what would possess a person to steal dead birds? And had Rist paid for his crime? In search of answers, Johnson embarked upon a worldwide investigation, leading him into the fiercely secretive underground community obsessed with the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying.
Was Edwin Rist a genius or narcissist? Mastermind or pawn?
The Feather Thief truly is a tale of obsession . . . A wonderfully assured writer, [Johnson] takes us on a curious journey into the past . . . Vivid and arresting. * The Times *
A fascinating investigation of a seriously ridiculous crime * New Scientist *
Within pages I was hooked. This is a weird and wonderful book . . . Johnson is a master of pacing and suspense . . . it’s a tribute to Johnson’s storytelling gifts that when I turned the last page I felt bereft. * Spectator *
The Feather Thief is a riveting read. It also stands, I believe, as a reminder of how an obsession with the ornaments of nature — be they feathers, bird eggs or ivory — can wreak havoc on our scientific heritage * Nature *
Weird and wonderful * The Tablet *
The book is The Orchid Thief for the fly-fishing and birding set: worth its weight in exotic bird feathers, which you’ll learn are very expensive * The Paris Review *
The Feather Thief is not only a thrilling account of the crime and its aftermath but also a potted history of our relationship with the natural world * Mail on Sunday *
The questions [The Feather Thief] raises are more pertinent than ever. * Daily Mail *
A fascinating book… the kind of intelligent reported account that alerts us to a threat and that, one hopes, will never itself be endangered * Wall Street Journal *
Johnson’s narrative entertainingly recounts not just Rist’s strange story but that of the pioneering Victorian ornithologists too * New Statesman *
ISBN: 9780099510666
Dimensions: 198mm x 130mm x 20mm
Weight: 252g
320 pages