I found this book at my local library and am somewhat disappointed to discover that it is out of print. Durant and Harwood seem like good people, if a tad too serious about matching Audubon step for step on his collecting trips around the country more than 150 years ago. I was consistently amazed at their earnestness in seeking out a particular view or clearing or ditch that the artist might have stopped at.

Clearly this was a labor of love for them, and their dedication, not to mention their scholarship, is commendable. It has been said, however, that an author should resist the urge to tell the reader EVERYTHING he or she knows. I know that rule gets thrown out the window when what is being written is more academic than artistic, but this book was apparently intended as both, and I can't tell you how boring it was to read paragraphs that consisted of nothing more than the names of all the plants the author saw around her. The bird lists made for only slightly less dull reading, but only because I'm a birder.

The book is really a combination travelogue/biography/history. It succeeds best at the last two, and some passages and descriptions are quite poetic. But less minutia, no matter how fascinating to the author, would have been most welcome. The urge to record and relate everything (including a photograph of the authors' makeshift drying rack, moist socks included) kills some of the joy of this book.

But I learned a lot about Audubon and grew to respect the authors' experience and knowledge of natural history - Harwood seems to be a highly expert birder and ditto for Durant as botanist.

I will also be seeking out a permanent Audubon exhibit and the artist's grave, which I learned are nearby in New York.

Though the book often came across as a little too indulgent, the zeal and genuine love the Harwoods bring to their work (and they work very hard) is truly inspiring.

I couldn't disagree more with the last reviewer. I read this book more than ten years ago and it is still the best source of information on the life of Audubon, as well as the most enjoyable read in the large Audubon literature. It fired my interest in Audubon more than any other book. The fact that the authors contemplate the people, places, plants, and birds that they found in Audubon's path -- and the changes that have taken place over nearly 200 years -- only adds to the book's value. This is history (natural and biographical) in 3D, and brings Audubon to life like no other book about him.

This Cliffs Notes volume looks at four comedies by Aristophanes, but begins by looking at the three great Greek writers of tragedy, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, in order to put the work of the comic playwright in appropriate context. "Lysistrata," the celebrated anti-war play, is covered by providing a List of Characters, followed by Summaries and Commentaries on each scene of the play. However, the other three plays by Aristophanes are covered without breaking the plays into discrete units (although the authors do discuss the specific structure of Greek plays in their analysis of "The Birds"). For two of the plays, "The Birds" and "The Frogs," there are specific points of analysis signposted in the commentary section, but for the most part this little yellow book with the black stripes deals with these plays comprehensively. Those who like to find specific sections dealing with particular literary elements will find this volume to be a little less user-friendly. As always, the analysis is first rate, especially if you have read the plays are therefore able to absorb the additional insights.

"Audubon: American Birds" is a not only a wonderful introduction to Audubon's works but a portrait of the birds as seen through the eyes of a great American naturalist. The volume also serves as a good reference source though tempered with an romantic view giving the astute reader an additional insight into the times in which Audubon worked. I would definately recomment this book to both the birder and art lover.

Birds in Brazil is a big book, beautifully produced on quality paper. It is exhaustive but never exhausting on the topic of Brazilian birds . The color illustrations are beautiful, but unfortunately they are separate from the text about the birds. That is the book's only fault. The text is in smooth and enticing English, and where the same birds are to be found migrating to the United States, the information is quite comparable in completion and interest to the American field guides of Roger T. Peterson. That leads me to believe that the information about birds that we don't experience will be equally accurate. This book is captivating and well worth the price. It is a coffee-table style book that we will be proud to use and to display.

This book was very helpful when identifying birds of Hong Kong. The color photographs of each bird were clear and extremely helpful, and the descriptions helped me distinguish similar species if I was still in doubt after seeing the picture. The range maps seem accurate, and the book's small size makes it very portable and convenient to carry. The only drawback was that several species I saw, some fairly commonly, were not listed or pictured, so I was unable to identify them at the time. Overall, I would recommend this book for someone wanting to identify Hong Kong birds.

Finally, a complete, comphrensive FIELD guide to the birds of India! Gone are the days of hauling 2 or 3 hardcover bird books to the subcontinent just to be able to identify relatively common species. The drawings in this book are excellent, the descriptions very detailed, and the range maps very helpful. My two criticisms are that birders familiar with the common names in Salim Ali's "The Book of Indian Birds" will be confused with the revised nomenclature in this guide (based on the Inskipp's Indian Checklist); some changes are relatively minor, while others are so dramatically different (and frankly puzzling) that cross-referencing is a chore. The second involves the seperation of many of the range maps from the plates and descriptions, sometimes by many pages. This was due to the large number of species featured on some plates- there just wasn't enough room for the maps also. A better strategy might have been to put them all in the back of the book. But the benefits of this book far outweigh the shortcomings- my next trip to India promises to be more rewarding and productive bird-wise (as well as easier on my back)due to this excellent and overdue field guide.

This is a very handy guide, simply and clearly laid out, it includes sections for the non-ornathologist (like myslef) with titles like "red birds" and "small brown birds". It contains hints on attracting birds to your yard and feeder, and it has a wealth of clear colored illustrations. Being a "Teal" myself I appreciate this. My aunt gave me this book,then she wanted to get it's name again later, so I am returning the favor and ordering one for her:)

This is an excellent source of information, particularly for birds of the upper midwest. This book, first published by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, is intended for the novice...it's something to be taken along on walks in the country, or peeks out the kitchen window, and to be scribbled in. Well-organized, beautifully illustrated, and informative, the birds are described in entertaining prose by John Gillette, an inveterate birder, raconteur, and "real" human being. Much of what he writes is affective in nature, as well as cognitive-- this book will teach you but leave you wanting to learn more. It will confirm the excitement/feelings you have when you first discover the avian treasures encountered along the way. Dave Mohrhardt's superb illustrations are true works of art; not simple sketches but along the lines of Audubon.

First published in 1984, and republished in subsequent batches, I have been without my first copy for two years and I miss it! John Gillette was my uncle, and passed away as the book was finished. Spending time in this book is a good way for readers to meet a great man, a patient teacher, and a curious and studied birder.

I was looking for a somthing to help me train my dog when i saw this book. I read it cover to cover and didn't need it again. It was very helpful. It shows almost every single thing that you need to know how to train your Labradore Retreiver.(gun dog)

I have owned - and read - this book for many years. For anyone who has had an interest in delving in to the world of theatre which is on the very edge of discovery, read this book. Take a group of ethnically diverse actors, a carpet, a pair of boots, a very rough idea and a collection of small African villages, some of whom have never encountered anyone from outside their own small community, and you have the perfect mix for rediscovering the true meaning of theatre. At one and the same time massively amusing and wonderfully inspiring, enter into the world and the mind of the 20th century's most creative forces - Peter Brook.