Ebook This Strange Wilderness The Life and Art of John James Audubon Nancy Plain 9780803248847 Books
Ebook This Strange Wilderness The Life and Art of John James Audubon Nancy Plain 9780803248847 Books
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Birds were “the objects of my greatest delight,” wrote John James Audubon (1785–1851), founder of modern ornithology and one of the world’s greatest bird painters. His masterpiece, The Birds of America depicts almost five hundred North American bird species, each image—lifelike and life size—rendered in vibrant color. Audubon was also an explorer, a woodsman, a hunter, an entertaining and prolific writer, and an energetic self-promoter. Through talent and dogged determination, he rose from backwoods obscurity to international fame.
In This Strange Wilderness, award-winning author Nancy Plain brings together the amazing story of this American icon’s career and the beautiful images that are his legacy. Before Audubon, no one had seen, drawn, or written so much about the animals of this largely uncharted young country. Aware that the wilderness and its wildlife were changing even as he watched, Audubon remained committed almost to the end of his life “to search out the things which have been hidden since the creation of this wondrous world.” This Strange Wilderness details his art and writing, transporting the reader back to the frontiers of early nineteenth-century America.
Ebook This Strange Wilderness The Life and Art of John James Audubon Nancy Plain 9780803248847 Books
"I cannot really comment on this book because it was a gift for a person who enjoys birds and other forms of backyard nature."
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Tags : This Strange Wilderness The Life and Art of John James Audubon [Nancy Plain] on . <DIV><P>Birds were “the objects of my greatest delight, ” wrote John James Audubon (1785–1851),Nancy Plain,This Strange Wilderness The Life and Art of John James Audubon,University of Nebraska Press,0803248849,Animals - Birds,Biography Autobiography - Art,Biography Autobiography - Historical,Audubon, John James,Naturalists,Naturalists - United States,Naturalists;United States;Biography.,Ornithologists,Ornithologists - United States,Ornithologists;United States;Biography.,Art general interest (Children's / Teenage),Children Grades 4-6,JUVENILE NONFICTION / Animals / Birds,JUVENILE NONFICTION / Biography Autobiography / Art,JUVENILE NONFICTION / Biography Autobiography / Historical,Juvenile Nonfiction,Juvenile Nonfiction/Animals - Birds,Juvenile Nonfiction/Biography Autobiography - Historical
This Strange Wilderness The Life and Art of John James Audubon Nancy Plain 9780803248847 Books Reviews :
This Strange Wilderness The Life and Art of John James Audubon Nancy Plain 9780803248847 Books Reviews
- I think it was great. It had history and much detail I had not known. Enjoyed it very much.
- I cannot really comment on this book because it was a gift for a person who enjoys birds and other forms of backyard nature.
- One could argue that no one loved birds more than John James Audubon. He devoted his life to discovering and painting every North American species of birds. The book This Strange Wilderness is a biography of Audubon and also includes some of his artwork, which is stunning if you have never seen it. The book begins with Audubon's birth in Haiti and the death of his mother he never knew. His father, a French sea captain and plantation owner, took him back to France where he and his wife Anne raised James and his half-sister Rose. James' father was responsible for his love of birds and his passion for illustrating them. Audubon was never happy with his drawings. He was so disappointed with them that he burned the drawings every year on his birthday with a vow to do better.
The book then chronicles the horrors in France, including the French Revolution, and Audubon's engineered escape to America. It was here where Audubon met his wife. He had three children by her, two boys, and a girl who died at a very early age. Audubon had several failed business ventures and contributed much to the study of bird migration, ornithology, and taxonomy while attempting to provide for his family in these business ventures that failed. There are times in this book that Audubon didn't come off as a particularly great husband or father, as he left his wife (albeit with her blessing) to pursue his lifelong ambition of finding, painting, and cataloging every bird in North America. The book continues to trace Audubon's journey across America and his keen insight into birds and sadly their eventual extinction.
Reading through this book felt like reading a story, not a dry biography. The Audubon quotes demonstrated both his intelligence and his personality. The book also is full of photographs of the Audubons and Audubon's beautiful paintings. I also learned a lot about Audubon that I never knew, such as his early childhood and the fact that he drew mammals after he completed his book of birds. This was a fascinating read and one that I would recommend for middle-school and up. It contains a nice blend of science and history and would also make an excellent book for the homeschooling crowd! - A biography of artist and naturalist John James Audubon, famous for his research and painting of birds of North America.
I went into this familiar with Audubon's artwork but knowing very little about his life. I have mixed feelings about the man now. He flirted with disaster financially and family-wise more than once through his obsession, but it was good to know in the end it all worked out and his book became a family business and their financial salvation. It's a bit of a cautionary tale. It was very interesting to learn more about his artwork and why it was revolutionary. Nancy Plain's writing is fantastic. Clearly written and obviously well-researched. And samples of Audubon's artwork appears in full-color throughout. It's a well put together biography. Recommended for middle school and high school, and approachable for upper elementary too.
No content issues really. Animal deaths are mentioned, and Audubon was accused of being a flirt even while married. - BOOK REVIEW
THIS STRANGE WILDERNESS
The Life and Art of John James Audubon
Juvenile Nonfiction by Nancy Plain
Published by University of Nebraska Press
91 Pages, followed by an appendix of notes, glossary and index
ISBN 978-9-8032-4884-7
John James Audubon – the boring bird man, right?
In Nancy Plain’s well -researched book, the reader finds out that Audubon was much more than that boring birdman. John James Audubon’s life crossed international borders, reached levels of academic achievement on his own, enjoyed his family, and truly experienced the American pioneer years as they grew from its very rugged beginnings in the early 1800s until his death in 1851. He influenced the entire world of sciences with his observations, thoughts, and artwork.
The reader meets the young James in his birthplace of Haiti. Then off he goes to France, then to America, where he travels the outback of the new country – and his artwork brings him back to the larger cities in search of a publisher for his work – and even to England for more publishing opportunities before he returns home to an America that finally recognized his work for the excellence it held.
Ms. Plain takes us on the journeys that Audubon underwent, as he observed new species, as he added to the knowledge of already known birds. These trips included the frontiers of Kentucky, the bayous of Louisiana, and the far reaches of the remote north end of the Missouri River. Audubon meets a variety of folks on his travels – the roughnecks in the local taverns, other naturalists who question his skills and abilities, and some Native Americans, who leave quite an impression on the artist/scientist.
Ms. Plain includes a large selection of the artwork of Audubon – from the smallest sparrow to the egrets and eagles. These pictures became the basis of the definitive book on the birds of America – and that book and those colorful drawings are still the standard of anyone who calls himself a ‘naturalist’, as Audubon often chose to call himself.
The book is billed for juveniles – starting with ten-year-old readers. Even with the great amount of illustrations, the text is extensive and the vocabulary is not for the beginning reader. The color illustrations are interesting to explore for the features of the bird and the habitat that is favored by that bird. Some of the illustrations are quite graphic when it came to the meat eating birds – causing controversy even when they first appeared in print. To add to the bird art, there are also some pictures of John James Audubon himself, and of some of the homes he lived in. Maps of the Audubon excursions would have been a good plus to include – perhaps such will show up in future editions of the book.
There is a strong historical value in this book for the young reader seeking to learn more about the man and his times – not only does Ms. Plain deliver deeper details about Audubon, but she also includes a solid basis of the first half of the 19th century of American History.
You can’t ask for much more. - Nancy Plain’s This Strange Wilderness The Life and Art of John James Audubon joins her long list of masterpiece writing. Plain tells the life story of John James Audubon in a concise, lively manner. Her book is illustrated with the great artwork of America’s premier ornithologist. Together the smooth engaging prose and the excellent choice of images will keep young and old thoroughly engaged to the end and wanting to learn more about Audubon and his work.
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