-
Your next favorite book
is waiting.
and the Great Crusade to Save America's Birds
by James H. McCommons
From the time the country was founded, early Americans assumed that the land's natural resources were infinite, including its birds, which were zealously hunted for food, game, and fashion.
With the rapid extinction of the passenger pigeon―a bird once so numerous that its flocks darkened the sky in flight―many realized actions needed to be taken if other birds were to be saved. What followed was both a spiritual awakening and a great crusade to save birds and their habitat. The campaign took place on many battlefields: society teas in Boston, hunt clubs on the East Coast, the mangroves in the Everglades, and in the editorial pages of newspapers and periodicals. From many corners of the country the bird protection movement was born and brought together a remarkable coalition of people and organizations to save America's birds.
The Feather Wars is an entertaining and expansive work of American history, an incredible story about how disparate characters―progressive politicians, free-thinking society belles, nature writers and artists, bird-loving U.S. presidents, gunmakers, business titans, and brave game wardens―came together to save hundreds of species of birds. Heroes, martyrs, villains, and conflicted do-gooders―the early bird conservation movement had them all. Together they transformed how Americans thought and cared about birds, forever altering the American landscape.
"[The Feather Wars] can be read as a history of the U.S. through birds, as, oddly enough, one can't fully be told without the other….[McCommons's] prose shines…. A definitive history of bird conservation in America." ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Dazzling … McCommons adorns his narrative with colorful characters that bring fascinating depth to the historical period … the result is an immersive saga of a shift in both public conscience and everyday practice." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The stories shared are truly awe-inspiring, as the bird crusade brought together the unlikeliest of allies who triumphed against overwhelming odds….A timely message." ―Library Journal (starred review)
"Lively and detailed … Looking to the past at what bird champions of a century ago accomplished will inspire contemporary readers … A well-researched and compelling example of nature writing." ―Booklist
"When food, fashion, market forces, and even scientific inquiry demanded the deaths of birds, a colorful cast of turn-of-the-century Americans rose up in protest. James H. McCommons' insightful history chronicles battles for bird protection in every corner of the country, waged with words and images and sometimes with guns. The Feather Wars is a reminder of the power of grassroots conservation and a plea to continue the fight." ―Melissa L. Sevigny, author of Brave the Wild River
"A unique and valuable historical journey highlighting the efforts of the men and women who labored to conserve the birds of this country." ―Joel Greenberg, author of A Feathered River across the Sky: The Passenger Pigeon's Flight to Extinction and To Life: Jews Exploring Nature
This information about The Feather Wars was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
James H. McCommons is a professor emeritus at Northern Michigan University and a veteran journalist, specializing in ecology, environmental and travel topics. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Audubon, Discover among other publications. He is the author of Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service, and Camera Hunter: George Shiras III and the Birth of Wildlife Photography.
If you liked The Feather Wars, try these:
by Adam Nicolson
Published 2025
An intimate exploration of the lives of birds and their interactions with man, by a preeminent naturalist.
by Caroline Van Hemert
Published 2020
The gripping story of a biologist's journey from Washington State to high above the Arctic Circle - traveling across remote and rugged terrain solely by human power - to rediscover birds, the natural world, and her own love of science.
Why Did the Chicken Cross the World?
by Andrew Lawler
Published 2016
From ancient empires to modern economics, veteran journalist Andrew Lawler delivers a sweeping history of the animal that has been most crucial to the spread of civilization across the globe - the chicken.
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come from…or why…
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
