A charmingly personal account of biologist Houle's work with peregrine falcons. Because of its speed, power, and docility, the peregrine falcon has for centuries been favored by sporting falconers. The black market for peregrines (one can bring as much as $10,000) in combination with encroachments on the species' habitat, and the deadliness of DDT throughout the food chain, brought near- extinction by the 1970's. Sponsored by the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Houle's Chimney Rock study, begun in 1985, was designed to document the ``habitat requirements'' of nesting peregrines: primarily, the number of square miles essential for hunting the prey necessary to survival. Though ``Jenny,'' female half of only one of seven surviving pairs in the Rockies, inexplicably disappears, and three of the five nestlings have died, Houle and her teammate, Alex, using radios and a Forest Service garbage truck to track, learn that ``King Arthur,'' Jenny's mate, ranges up to 10 miles from the nest and hunts a 20-square-mile area to provide enough food for his two sons, ``Bold Leopold'' and ``Albert.'' The two fledglings take on distinct personalities as Houle describes their growth, initial ventures away from the nest, and spectacular if often clumsy flying lessons. Their first attempts at ``stooping,'' or diving, are both comical and harrowing. All is not tranquil, however, as Houle finds herself the target of irate residents who favor the tourism-hungry US Forest Service and developers who plan to build cabins, lookout stations, and a tramway to draw visitors to the area. In addition, the site is covered with Anasazi Indian ruins. The controversy culminates in harassment from some of the residents and construction workers and, finally, the destruction and theft of Houle's equipment and personal belongings. Loosely organized and occasionally sparse on detail, but an enlightening cautionary take nonetheless.
Pub Date: April 25, 1991
ISBN: 0-201-57706-2
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Addison-Wesley
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1991
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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