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Chilton, Glen The Curse of the Labrador Duck: My Obsessive Quest to the Edge of Extinction
Simon & Schuster 2009 1439102473 / 9781439102473 Hard Cover As New As New
NEW book. Remainder mark on top. NO price clippings. Price inside dustcover: $25.00. Tight spine, bright pages. NO writing, marks or tears inside book. 305 pages. From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. For more than four years, ornithologist Chilton visited 30 cities to examine and document 55 stuffed ducks and 9 eggs, all that remains of the long-extinct Labrador Duck. Stuffed ducks might seem a dry topic, but Chilton finds humor in almost all situations, from cultural clashes to the idiosyncrasies of taxidermists, resulting in an entertaining and educational travelogue. Chilton traces the known history of the Labrador Duck by visiting breeding and migration grounds from Newfoundland to Long Island and reviewing the travel and bird study journals of John James Audubon (adding insights like, "I suspect that Audubon felt the need to get away from his creditors for a while, having long since given up all hope of a real income in order to study and paint birds"). Traveling through London, Paris, Dublin, Chicago, Dresden, Vienna, Prague, St. Petersburg and a host of other cities, Chilton shares astute observations while seamlessly interweaving tales of friends, crime, "bastard children, the richest man in Great Britain, and America's richest murderer." Anyone interested in travel, ecology, ornithology or a well-told story should find Chilton's quest a great read. Review "The Curse of the Labrador Duck is a fascinating wild goose chase (where the geese are all dead and aren't technically geese). Glen Chilton -- currently my favorite hard-drinking ornithologist -- is a wonderful guide, with prose that calls to mind James Herriot and Bill Bryson." -- A.J. Jacobs, author of The Guinea Pig Diaries and The Year of Living Biblically "I've seen my share of strange quests, and have even taken part in a few myself, but nothing matches Glen Chilton's galloping obsession to corner the market on rare stuffed ducks. A funny, fast-paced and oddly heroic tale." -- Will Ferguson, author of Happiness "From the wilds of Nova Scotia to the neglected bowels of decrepit museums, Glen Chilton is in relentless pursuit of evidence of the extinct Labrador Duck. And the curse? You'll have to read this engaging adventure to find out." -- Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers
Price:
5.00 USD
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