Promotional Information
A definitive work on the history of bird art, ornithology, and
nature writing. Volumes have been written on Audubon as though he
were the dean of American ornithology, but Burtt and Davis reveal
Alexander Wilson as providing the foundation. -- Bernd Heinrich,
author of The Nesting Season
About the Author
Edward H. Burtt, Jr., was Cincinnati Conference Professor of
Zoology at Ohio Wesleyan University. William E. Davis, Jr. is
Professor Emeritus at Boston University.
Reviews
A definitive work on the history of bird art, ornithology, and
nature writing. Volumes have been written on Audubon as though he
were the dean of American ornithology, but Burtt and
Davis reveal Alexander Wilson as providing the foundation.
-- Bernd Heinrich, author of The Nesting Season
Our knowledge of New World birds stems deeply from the adventurous
spirit of a talented rebel poet, Alexander Wilson. This richly
illustrated, very special book brings him back to life as an
engaging and influential character whose passion for birds primed
ours. I couldn't put it down. -- Frank Gill, author of Ornithology,
3rd Edition
One of the objectives of this book is to publish all of Wilson's
previously unpublished illustrations...Wilson's artwork is
superb...The case Burtt and Davis make for Wilson
being the true father of American ornithology is overwhelming, and
in that sense they
have succeeded admirably.
-- Tim Birkhead * Times Higher Education *
Wilson has more birds named after him than any other American
ornithologist, including Audubon, and now, thanks to
Burtt
and
Davis, he has a superb modern-day biography and critical
assessment, one every scholarly birder should buy and read. It's
entirely right that we regularly remember to give Alexander Wilson
the credit for inventing the school and ethos of American
bird-study. -- Steve Donoghue * Open Letters Monthly *
Before Audubon and
Birds of America, there was Alexander
Wilson and
American Ornithology, a nine-volume work
published between 1808 and 1814 that single-handedly transformed
the study of birds in the wild and presaged the field guides of
today. In addition to being the first to adopt the Linnaean system
of binomial nomenclature to classify North American birds, Wilson
was also one of the first to base his findings primarily on the
'observation and description of live birds.' By 1812, the Scottish
poet had documented nearly 80% of bird species in the United
States, and developed the discipline of 'economic ornithology,'
whereby bird types are valued according to a kind of cost-benefit
analysis (i.e. one that takes into account whether a bird is prone
to destroy certain crops, whether they can be consumed,
etc.)...What makes this book of such great value is the third
chapter: 'Illustrating American Ornithology.' Composing over half
of the book, this section features every illustration from Wilson's
landmark publication. Alongside excerpts from Wilson's own
commentary, the authors painstakingly detail how each sketch
developed into its final iteration. A must-have for any serious
bird-watcher." * Publishers Weekly *
Wilson was first to describe 26 species of North American birds, he
has more birds named after him than any other American
ornithologist, and John James Audubon, Charles Lucien Bonaparte,
Thomas Nuttall, Spencer Fullerton Baird, and Elliot Coues all were
inspired by him, yet most people, when asked who the father of
American ornithology is, say, wrongly, Audubon. This
well-illustrated study, the first to reproduce many of Wilson's
drawings and draft plates from
American Ornithology, his
nine-volume masterwork, sets the record straight. -- Chuck Hagner
and Matt Mendenhall * Bird Watching *
It is as the author of
American Ornithology--a nine-volume
work that aimed to list every species in the U.S.--that Wilson will
be remembered. Wilson's books were revolutionary. He wrote his
descriptions of birds from observing them in the field, rather than
looking at stuffed birds in collections. It was an approach that
helped promote the adoption of the scientific method in the U.S. He
also penned his narrative so that readers would be able to identify
birds themselves, making it the first field guide...Wilson's life
and his struggle to publish
American Ornithology are
fascinating. -- Peter Ranscombe * The Scotsman *
Burtt and
Davis argue convincingly for Wilson's
contribution to modern scientific ornithology and celebrate Wilson
as the man who inspired John James Audubon...This book...give[s] us
Wilson's wonderful illustrations--and a sense of the spirit of an
extraordinary man whose curiosity reached far beyond the man-made
world. -- Karin Altenberg * Wall Street Journal *
A Scottish emigre, Alexander Wilson (1766-1813) became the
preeminent ornithologist of early America. His systematic approach
to the study of birds and his nine-volume
American
Ornithology (1808-14) greatly influenced John James Audubon, in
whose shadow Wilson has since remained...
Burtt and
Davis describe Wilson's mentoring by such prominent figures
as Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis, William Bartram, and the
Philadelphia family of artists, the Peales...The authors show that
it is Wilson, rather than Audubon, who deserves the sobriquet of
the father of American ornithology...This excellent work is highly
recommended for birders and for readers who appreciate American art
or natural history. -- Henry T. Armistead * Library Journal *
Alexander Wilson, the Scotsman who came to the United States in
1794, ...more than Audubon, deserves credit for having founded
American ornithology, as biographers Edward Burtt and William Davis
rightly insist.
-- Christoph Irmscher * Weekly Standard *
[
Burtt and
Davis] are in no doubt that their man is
the one to deserve the title of 'Father' [of American
ornithology]...And it is a strong case, convincingly made...This
will be a very valuable resource for scholars, and the drawings
themselves are attractive and persuasive evidence for the authors'
claims about Wilson's originality and importance. The authors and
publishers have done full justice to these illustrations in this
handsome volume and they are beautifully laid out and reproduced.
-- Jeremy Mynott * Times Literary Supplement *
Burtt and
Davis include brief essays on the
ornithologists whom Wilson read or corresponded with, providing a
valuable overview of the burgeoning natural sciences of the early
nineteenth century...They establish Wilson's stature as a bird
illustrator, and their handsome volume reproduces them
beautifully...Burtt and Davis successfully make clear Wilson's
importance in establishing American ornithology on two firm
pillars: international Linnaean binomial nomenclature and close
observation of living birds as well as specimens...Wilson's
position as the founder of American ornithology was won with
intense struggle from inauspicious beginnings, and it seems
secure.
-- Robert O. Paxton * New York Review of Books *
The book includes many letters to and from U.S. naturalists and
dozens of beautifully reproduced and previously unpublished line
drawings and paintings of birds that contributed to Wilson's
greatest tangible achievement, the encyclopedic nine-volume
American Ornithology. Unlike most of his contemporaries,
such as Audubon, Wilson argued for the need for field observation
to truly understand and illustrate the character of wild creatures,
and he traveled thousands of miles across a wild continent to
accomplish this. This book is full of delightful anecdotes and
excellent detailed drawings; it will do much to elevate the
reputation of Wilson among those with an interest in birds,
illustration, and history. -- D. Flaspohler * Choice *