Weaving together natural history and investigative reporting with mythological and cultural material, On Rare Birds tells the compelling stories of ten rare or extinct bird species - from the tragic demise of the once-abundant Passenger Pigeon to the shooting death of the last Carolina Parakeet in the wild, and from the startling natural defences of the wilful Nightjar to the diverse cultural significance of the Kingfisher. Some stories bear sad witness to precious species we have lost, but they are all fascinating and often heartwarming or humorous depictions of the unique lives and loves of birds. On Rare Birds is a visually stunning volume illustrated by author Anita Albus's own superb artwork and by images ranging over five centuries. It will delight anyone who loves birds, laments the depletion of their populations by human hands, and cares about the survival of those species that still stand a chance. With knowledge, devotion, and a true artist's eye, Albus explains in graceful, precise prose why the decline of these bird species is a great loss both to the natural world and, unavoidably, to culture. With each species lost, a world is lost to human understanding-to our arts, our mythology, and our environment.
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A twinkle of humour and a twist of wit illuminate the stories of these birds and the human figures that go with them. Life is really a series of stories, and Anita Albus is a superb storyteller. --Robert Bateman
THIS is a bookseller's nightmare: where is so ebulliently uncategorisable a title to be shelved? Science, art, literature, history ... ? Wherever it is, it's a reader's delight. It's also a joy for anyone who loves fine art, fine birds or both, bringing together plates from historic painters and engravers and, a real revelation, from Albus herself. The visual and the verbal are equally important to this German artist but then hers is a creativity for which everything interconnects; and for which, more specifically, a crisis in conservation is a crisis in human thought. She is among authors drawn to the work of the old natural scientists and their lack of drive to compartmentalise, to separate out the sciences from the humanities, or to develop a different sense of wonder. Albus quotes poet Paul Valéry: The more I look at you, animal, the more I become man in spirit. --The Scotsman
THIS is a bookseller's nightmare: where is so ebulliently uncategorisable a title to be shelved? Science, art, literature, history ... ? Wherever it is, it's a reader's delight. It's also a joy for anyone who loves fine art, fine birds or both, bringing together plates from historic painters and engravers and, a real revelation, from Albus herself. The visual and the verbal are equally important to this German artist but then hers is a creativity for which everything interconnects; and for which, more specifically, a crisis in conservation is a crisis in human thought. She is among authors drawn to the work of the old natural scientists and their lack of drive to compartmentalise, to separate out the sciences from the humanities, or to develop a different sense of wonder. Albus quotes poet Paul Valéry: The more I look at you, animal, the more I become man in spirit. --The Scotsman
About the Author
Anita Albus is a writer and artist based in Munich and Burgundy who can count Germany's highest essay prize amongst her many awards. Her books include The Art of Arts, The Botanical Drama, The Garden of Songs, and the translation into German of Flashlights by Jules and Edmond de Goncourt. She has illustrated The Passionate Gardener by Rudolf Borchardt and The Jealous Potter by Claude Levi-Strauss.
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60 pages in and thoroughly enjoying On Rare Birds
27 Dec 2011
By artistinmydreams
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
Each page of On Rare Birds has been for me an act of discovery. Whether learning about the life and struggle for existence of rare birds or gazing upon the many 19th c paintings depicting them, I have savored each page.
Originally written in German and translated by Gerald Chapple with input from the author, Anita Albus, as well as others, I have yet to feel like I'm reading a translation. Aside from the translation, the stories themselves have been captivating and truly give one a sense of what it was like to experience these wonderful creatures as many first hand accounts are included.
What is perhaps the true gem of the book is the collection of 19th c aviary artwork. The dust jacket depiction of "White-throated Kingfishers" is what captivated me from the start (props to Heather Pringle for the jacket design). If you like the work of John James Audobon you will enjoy this book. He has approximately a dozen paintings in the book, along with the artwork of 8 other painters including contemporary pieces by Albus. Out of 248 pages there are 76 illustrations which range from photos to drawings and paintings.
This has been a fascinating journey through the world of rare birds. I am so happy Anita Albus has taken me there!
Originally written in German and translated by Gerald Chapple with input from the author, Anita Albus, as well as others, I have yet to feel like I'm reading a translation. Aside from the translation, the stories themselves have been captivating and truly give one a sense of what it was like to experience these wonderful creatures as many first hand accounts are included.
What is perhaps the true gem of the book is the collection of 19th c aviary artwork. The dust jacket depiction of "White-throated Kingfishers" is what captivated me from the start (props to Heather Pringle for the jacket design). If you like the work of John James Audobon you will enjoy this book. He has approximately a dozen paintings in the book, along with the artwork of 8 other painters including contemporary pieces by Albus. Out of 248 pages there are 76 illustrations which range from photos to drawings and paintings.
This has been a fascinating journey through the world of rare birds. I am so happy Anita Albus has taken me there!
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