|
|
|
 Quick Picks BooksNew BooksFalconry How-To BooksBooks for BeginnersGeneral FalconryNatural HistoryUsed BooksRare and Collectible BooksRehabilitatorsRaptor MedicineChildren's BooksAll Books DVDsNew DVDsHow-To DVDsDVDs for BeginnersNatural History DVDsAll DVDs VideosNew VideosHow-To VideosVideos for BeginnersFaraway FilmsNatural History VideosAll Videos Contact UsAbout FalconryBooks.com
|
By Beebe and Webster,
Seventh Edition, 1994 With all the options, choices, requirements, commitments, and just plain things to do in this modern world of today, when a person elects to make the practice of the art of falconry in North America a top priority, an introductive and descriptive guide book is a much valued addition to all the knowledge and trappings one needs to carry through with doing the sport. In this literary vein, a momentous attempt has been made by two entrepreneurial falconers and a group of supporting contributors to fulfill this need. Coinciding with a major modern revival of one of the world’s oldest field sports, a couple of good ol’ boys decided in 1955 that the formidable task of describing and illuminating within a book that the art of modern falconry as practiced in the United States and Canada could be done and have kept the book that is the result of their effort in print from 1964 through seven editions to 1994, which is the form it is currently available in. The book, North American Falconry & Hunting Hawks by Frank Lyman Beebe and Harold Melvin Webster, is a compilation of thoughts, experiences, reminisces, practical advise, and professional knowledge that puts a sampling of the basics needed to do falconry under one cover. After a detailed preface and introduction that give the reader some insight into the authors’ backgrounds and goals and style to be used in the book, the first chapters are set up to inform the reader on the broad ideas of what the sport of falconry is, the make up of the people involved in the sport, what it is to be one of those people involved, and how the sport is perceived by others, including game managers and regulations people. This is all very heady stuff and likely to be opinionated, but it is subjects that must be gotten out there and thought about before one tries on the sport. The following chapters discuss the birds employed in falconry, the equipment needed, and some of the specifics one needs to grasp to train a bird of prey to work in partnership with humans. The details are clear and concise, and the presentation most useful. The final chapters discuss specific asides that have occasion to arise, such as shipping and transport, diseases, ailments and their treatment, captive breeding, pigeons, ferrets, and balloon training for waiting-on high, as well as other future oriented subjects that will keep one looking forward. The strong physical structure of the book, the superb quality of the art illustrations, and the narrow topic coverage in each chapter make this an enduring book that can be referred to or enjoyed over and over again as I have. These attributes are also the qualities that make the book serve well as a guide to the motivated novice hungry for first hand knowledge to make up or fill in for one’s own lack of experience. Those of us with more experience find some of the book very thought provoking, if not controversial, which is sometimes necessary to shake one into activity – which brings me to my pitch! I believe the future of falconry truly rests in the hands of those of us that are actively practicing the art and sport today. It is our responsibility to direct and guide that future in the direction we, either collectively or individually, wish to see it go. This means that when an inquiring mind expresses an other than passing interest in taking up the gauntlet, the wise old sage falconer should not discourage or refuse to be responsible for directing said interested party towards a deeper understanding of the sport and what’s involved. Instead I, this reviewer, believes that proper guidance and direction should be given, which first and foremost is to a library to read about raptors, the birds of prey that falconry employs in the sport, and to read about falconry and what it truly is and is not. The pitch is this. I believe that for one single book that could be recommended as the initial reading experience with falconry, none is better suited than North American Falconry & Hunting Hawks ! When I was first starting out in falconry, before the current apprentice program was in effect, a mentor falconer told me I had to read all of this book and gave me a list of the chapters I should pay particular attention to and even ranked them as to how important he thought they were. In the late 60’s, this falconer and others believed it was perfect for initial, and in the late 90’s, I still believe it is the best to be had for an introduction into falconry. I also believe that it is each falconers responsibility to make sure that a book, as I have said preferably this book, is available to perusal. Since personal copies never seem to come back, at least not in the same condition they went out in, each falconer should see to it that a copy of a book, as I have said preferably this one, is in at least one recommendable local library to be managed by their library’s system. I know that my “compadre” in this column feels the same way about either having or putting a book in a recommended local library because he has said so in past columns within this publication at least on three different occasions. I am aware of his feelings about my particular choice for a book to fill this need, but I have not thought of a better one. I see a future review on his choice if it is different than mine! North American Falconry & Hunting Hawks has changed through the editions, not all of it for the better. Some really neat stories were left out, like the ones about trapping Prairies with Pete Asborno or Hal, Jr. or son, Bruce. Asborno also had written a chapter on bells, and it is gone. Gone too is Bunnell on Tame Hack , and Beebe’s owl chapter, although I’ll never fly an owl, probably from having read the old chapter! Also gone is the end of the chapter on conditioning on page 291, that has to be a proofing problem. Some things were rewritten or updated out of necessity, like the chapter on diseases and regulations, which shows that an attempt was made to keep details current with know-how. And the new stuff like Cade’s Status of the Peregrine and Sharpe’s Sky Trial Concept or Person on Imping , Quade on Passage Prairies , Smith on Harris’ Hawks , and the interesting and informative asides like NAFA Beginnings , or dogs, or ferrets, or balloon training all are necessary additions. I suppose for a book with this broad a subject field, it could be a case of “where do ya quit!?” when writing, selecting, and editing. With the increase in knowledge brought about by better communications, faster and cheaper travel, and other technological advances that have created larger, more informed experience pools, there is a greater chance of style conflict between old and new, my way and yours, too high or too low, etc. I still believe that for the attempted scope of this book and the multiple knowledge levels to which this book is trying to ascribe, it is the best general overview of falconry as practiced in the United States and Canada. I have to recommend it for a good read and for the book that any person or library in this country should have as a minimal resource book on falconry.
Read another Review of this book...
|
|
