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by Emma Ford It is after much mental strife that I force myself to critique the new Emma Ford book, Gyrfalcon. I am divided between the presentation of a beautifully-bound, superbly illustrated, well-told overall synopsis and the size, look, and feel of a good coffee table book – a volume that quickly interests, amazes, and eventually bedazzles and spellbinds the casual reader to the point that one cannot put it down until one perused the book all the way through. If one adds the attribute of the volume also being highly informative instead of merely entertaining, one has a really first-class, super fancy, drink coaster for the coffee table in prime residence. At $90 US a pop, I am praying the readership at large sees this volume as the first aforementioned quality and not the second interest and space filler. With a more meaningful and in-depth read of Gyrfalcon, it becomes crystal clear that this is truly more than a coffee table center attraction. I believe a comparison between this and Emma Ford’s earlier, like and similar volume, Peregrine, is in order. Both are almost the same size and shape, barring that Gyrfalcon is in a paper dust wrapper and Peregrine is in a cloth covered hard card slipcase. The format and presentation are nearly identical, with sewn-in bindings, complete with a ribbon page marker, cloth covers, and super high quality art, photo, and text reproduction. There are other differences though, some subtle and some not. Peregrine has a gold-embossed framed cover title plate that is most attractive and a top gilded edge, both missing from Gyrfalcon. The end papers in Peregrine are profusely illustrated with falcon and equipment vignettes, which are countered by plain deep green end papers in Gyrfalcon. On the flip side, Gyrfalcon has left very little white space within the text and Peregrine abounds with it. Gyrfalcon has 188 pages; Peregrine, 160 pages. So, all in all, it seems a quality toss-up between the two, sort of like the November 2000 Presidential election, one could say. The overall strength of either book of these or similar books is the lasting and final impression the reader is left with, no matter at what level the book is read. A cursory glance or a complete, thorough, word-for-word page-by-page study leaves the reader hungrily looking for more. This is as it should be for this style of book, and both live up to the style admirably. If one has no, or limited, experience about or with a gyr, then Gyrfalcon will quickly get the reader up to speed; the same with Peregrine. The short, detailed exposes on all the aspects one could be interested in concerning the subject of birds of prey are keenly and insightfully illuminated in pictures and text. Each is a complete tour-de-force. It must be said that Peregrine, published in 1993, is already out
of print. It has even been through the discount, cut out, remainder
market, which may mean only out-of-print copies are available. This
is the way of mass-market published books. I do think that Gyrfalcon
has been published differently and may be around for a while – or so
I’ve been told!! It is a ‘must have’ for anyone remotely interested
in gyrfalcons.
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