- Hardcover: 64 pages
- Publisher: University of California Press (12 May 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1578051312
- ISBN-13: 978-1578051311
- Product Dimensions: 16.1 x 13.1 x 1.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 904,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
A US Army soldier describes in journal form how he spent his one-year deployment in Iraq birdwatching, escaping the politics of war through the study of natural life in a ruined country.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I had expected a great deal from Birding Babylon, but unfortunately this (much too) little book is extremely disappointing. Jonathan Trouern-Trend just is not a very gifted writer. He gives very few clear descriptions of his locations, the Iraqi countryside or the people he meets, nor does he write much about his personal experiences or feelings. Also the birds are left with very little commentary and only receive extremely brief descriptions. For anyone without any knowledge of birds, it is totally useless. There are no photographs of the birds, and the little drawings are randomly divided over the pages. All in all this book is not an interesting read - it is more of an extended list of sightings, than a book.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
7 reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Inspiration and hope from a soldier's birding journal
10 April 2006
Format:Hardcover
This is a lovely book--What inspired me about Jonathan's observations was that they brought home the reality that those whom we send to war take all their human passions and loves with them. Too often we think of soldiers as 'just' soldiers--and this book reminds us how wrong we are when we do that. The author's journal entries show us a world full of nature's resilience, and we don't only learn about the birds of Iraq, we see another side of a soldier's life overseas. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in birding, or who wants a view of Iraq that is different from what we see on the nightly news. And for anyone who needs a healthy dose of inspiration, this is a great read too--when was the last time you read something about Iraq that made you hopeful?
And you can't beat the price--I'm buying a couple copies as gifts for friends, and definitely one for my dad for Father's Day.
And you can't beat the price--I'm buying a couple copies as gifts for friends, and definitely one for my dad for Father's Day.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Birding Babylon-Simple Beauty in Wartime
17 Aug 2006
Format:Hardcover
This is a small, beautiful book. The natural phenonomena and bird-life that Jonathan Trouern-Trend desribes with such simple elegance in Birding Babylon is both comforting and poignent as it all takes place in Iraq near the beginning of our most recent conflict there.
I salute Mr. Trouern-Trend, both as a fellow "birder" as well as a poet. His writing is spare and unembelished, yet the warm sentiment he awakens in the naturalist' heart is undeniable. Here, again, poignance was the feeling he inspired, as well as admiration for a job well-done.
I love this little book. I bought 3 more copies as soon as I read it to give to friends.
Thank you, Sergeant Trouern-Trend. I salute you! Beth Hall, San Diego, CA
I salute Mr. Trouern-Trend, both as a fellow "birder" as well as a poet. His writing is spare and unembelished, yet the warm sentiment he awakens in the naturalist' heart is undeniable. Here, again, poignance was the feeling he inspired, as well as admiration for a job well-done.
I love this little book. I bought 3 more copies as soon as I read it to give to friends.
Thank you, Sergeant Trouern-Trend. I salute you! Beth Hall, San Diego, CA
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
I love this book
4 May 2006
Format:Hardcover
This book is great! Part birding journal, part soldier's diary, and fully a reminder that Iraq isn't just a place on a map or in the newspaper. It's a quick read and you really get the feeling that you are just reading the author's notebook that he had in his back pocket while on patrol--really interesting. There's also a list of the 122 species that he saw while in Iraq, which was very enlightening--it's not just a desolate war-torn area over there--there are real signs of life! And the book itself is a really pretty hardcover book; there are even illustrations of all the different birds he saw.
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