Birdwatcher: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson | Elizabeth J. Rosenthal

Birdwatcher: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson | Elizabeth J. Rosenthal | She Brings Him to Life

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Birdwatcher: The L...

	Birdwatcher: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson Elizabeth J. Rosenthal The Lyons Press, 2008 - 464 pages average customer review:based on 4 reviews view larger image
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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.

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A great look into an extraordinary life

Roger Tory Peterson is the most famous birdwatcher in history. 2008 is the 100th anniversary of his birth, and what better way to celebrate it than by learning more about the man himself?

After reading this book, you will not only find out much about Peterson's life and accomplishments, but you will come to know the man personally. The biographer conducted extensive interviews with his relatives, friends, and disciples (or in some cases their spouses or children). Their voice, often in the form of direct quotes, permeates the book. This was a very effective technique, and contributed much to the reader's growing sense of familiarity with Peterson.

Instead of being organized in a stricly chronological order, Rosenthal instead organizes much of the book by topic. When Peterson's life started branching out in many directions, they are focused on seperately. Thus, there are chapters on conservation efforts, travels, the continuing saga of the field guides, and the people that he influenced. With the exception of that last one, which seemed very incongruously placed, the story still flows in a very understandable fashion. This organization, instead of being confusing, actually helped keep me engaged and interested.

Overall, Birdwatcher is a well-written and enjoyable look at the life of the most famous birder in history. After reading this biography, I certainly know much more about Roger Tory Peterson's life and accomplishments. But what's more, I feel like I got to know the man himself. If you would like to do the same, this book is a great way to do so.

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She Brings Him to Life

This is an accurate and vital portrait of Roger Tory Peterson. The author brings the visionary artist/conservationist back to life: She interviewed over 100 surviving colleagues and proteges, so the book is full of excellent quotes and great stories. She also quotes extensively from RTP's writings. The result feels alive, not dry or academic. It is a remarkable form of biography, and is also carefully accurate in my experience. One gets a sense of how environmental education and conservation were done: The field guides; the DDT story; restoration of endangered birds such as the Peregrine Falcon (and RTP's similar vision for the California Condor); and great land conservation campaigns such as the Coto Donana in Spain; are all carefully and colorfully documented. This is great reading, and it is an engaging book for students too.

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The Ornithology King

Finally, the most informative and honest account of the life of a man who galvanized the bird-watching revolution with his great art work. Peterson bird books are available for most of the world now, and this was the shy fellow who did them. I was part of the crowd who followed him even before he published his first book, on the birds of eastern North America. In retrospect, I realize it is not the most happy thing to become so very famous, but he weathered the life of a celebrity as well as he possibly could. This should be in every bird-watcher's library!

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Birds are the most eloquent expression of reality...

Rosenthal has produced an extremely readable and fascinating book about the life of a giant in the field of ornithology. Roger Tory Peterson is perhaps one of the most influential and most important figures in the world of birds. His name is just as recognizable as other giants, like Seton, Nuttall, Audubon, or Darwin. Upon the publication of his first bird field guide in 1934, with his famous field mark system, the public began to embrace birds, and for the first time, bird observation became an accessible pastime for the average person. Peterson's voluminous publishing efforts resulted in possibly the biggest ripple effect in wildlife conservation. Birds and wildlife became a tangible topic for the public to process, as well as a source of inspiration for generations of ecologists and biologists.

Rosenthal's book is divided into five parts spanning 19 chapters: Fledgling, Intercontinental Migration, Paradoxical Homo Sapiens, Conservation Stories, and Inspiring Flights. Near the center of the book is a collection of photo plates (color and B&W) focusing on Peterson and his close friends. The book is written such that Peterson becomes a living, breathing soul through the voices and comments of more than 100 interviewees who knew and loved Peterson. The diligent research conducted by Rosenthal illustrates a highly accurate and personal journey into the life of the "Great Man." Peterson was multi-faceted: he was an artist, photographer, writer, filmmaker, and scientist. But more than just birds interested him; he loved to talk about moths and butterflies and could think in terms of the bigger ecological picture. Rosenthal eloquently communicates just how important and influential Peterson was. He touched many lives, and enough cannot be said how he affected many naturalists and biologists, like Rachel Carson, Kenn Kaufman, David Sibley, and Scott Weidensaul.

Perhaps the biggest theme in the book is Peterson's constant interest in conservation. Nearly everything he wrote came from a conservation standpoint. Birds cannot survive without an intact ecosystem and are indicators of an unhealthy environment. Peterson could tell that something was wrong when the Ospreys quit producing viable eggs or when particular moth species stopped visiting his studio window. Birds are also a form of time. The appearance of a bird indicates a particular season and the absence of a bird where it should be opened the idea that not all is well. Peterson wanted his astute observation skills taught and passed along to future generations. As Peterson wrote in 1975:

Birds are far more than cardinals and jays to brighten the garden, ducks and grouse to fill the sportsman's bag, or warblers and rare shorebirds to be ticked off on the bird watcher's checklist. They are indicators of the environment - a sort of "ecological litmus paper." Because of their high rate of metabolism and furious pace of living, they reflect subtle changes in the environment rather quickly; they warn us of things out of balance. They send out signals when there is a deterioration of the ecosystem. It is inevitable that the intelligent person who watches birds (or mammals or fish or butterflies) becomes environmentally conscious. [Peterson 1975]

Rosenthal also delved into Peterson's personal life and his relationships with various people. His wives and children all had their unique influence on him and how he interacted with the world. Although Peterson may have been a difficult man to live with, he drew people to him for conversation and companionship; he was a good friend. All questions were fair game for lengthy discussions on the natural world. Peterson took many trips to distant places, which were great sources of inspiration and certainly allowed him to feel at ease in the element he loved the most: nature as nature should be.

Rosenthal's book is excellent. For anyone interested in nature, birding, or natural history, "Birdwatcher" is a must-read. Never before has the life of Roger Tory Peterson been so well documented, and as you read the book, you will undoubtedly come to realize that you knew Roger all along, at least in spirit, since everything is connected: "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe" (Muir 1911).

Muir, J. 1911. My First Summer in the Sierra. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Mass.

Peterson, R. T. 1975. Man's Role in Nature. The American Biology Teacher 37(2):90-93.

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