Author: Kirk Wallace Johnson
Published: 2018
Language: English
Pages: 308
Rating: 5/5
Summary:
In this true crime book, we take a look at the case of a young man who broke into a Natural History museum and stole close to 300 rare birds, as well as the development of evolutionary theory, endangered birds and the obsessives of the fly-tying community of the world.
Review:
The description of this book sounds completely bonkers, but there is a very good reason this book has gotten so many positive reviews; somehow, it's just incredible.
There are a lot of themes in this book that I'm already interested in; true crime, the beginning of evolutionary theory with Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, the Victorian era and the preservation of nature. But there's also themes in it that I'm not (or at least, didn't think I was) interested in like... well, the art of fly-tying. Somehow though, the author weaves all of these things together and it sucked me right in. I don't think I've read something as engrossing all year.
It's an incredibly exciting story and it's so enjoyable to read. The writing is good, concise and never felt boring or dry, even though it easily could have been. There's also a discussions throughout the book about obsession, in particular humans obsession with beauty and owning it, which I thought was fascinating.
I can't say enough good things about this book. It's an electrifying and thrilling tale that I think anyone could enjoy. It's just so much fun!
You can read more about it on Goodreads
