The Bird Man: A Biography of John Gould by Isabella Tree

Book Description

Secondhand. Good condition. Wear to book corners and edges, particularly tail edge. Tiny tear to one page due to two pages not cut properly by the publisher. Marks on front endpage. Light foxing to foredges. Dust jacket has light creasing at edges and spine. Body text and binding are still excellent.

This vibrant, fascinating account of Britain's most eminent bird illustrator was published to wonderful reviews over a decade ago. Beautifully repackaged as a classic biography of one of our most extraordinary Victorians, The Bird Man, by acclaimed writer Isabella Tree, will captivate a new audience.

John Gould (1804-1881 ), an ornithologist, was a genius and a cad. His volume of work eclipsed his American counterpart Audubon in accuracy and artistic value. However, John Gould's work was the result of sacrifice and alienation. Through the unacknowledged loyalty and handiwork of his wife and many other artists, in particular one young fellow called Edward Lear, Gould cemented his reputation as the first gentleman of birds.

Isabella Tree's lively biography reveals a story of discovery, ambition and betrayal - touching on some of the greatest wonders of the Victorian era, from the arrival of the first giraffe in London to Gould's crucial role in Darwin's theory of natural selection. (book flap)