Pigeons: the fascinating saga of the world's most revered and reviled bird
(Book)
Author:
Published:
New York : Grove Press, c2006.
Physical Desc:
239 pages ; 24 cm.
Accelerated Reader:
IL: UG - BL: 7.7 - AR Pts: 11
Status:
Rancho Cordova
598.65 B646 2006
Description
A “quirky, endlessly entertaining” look at the surprising history of the pigeon (Simon Winchester).
Domesticated since the dawn of man, pigeons have been used as crucial communicators in war by every major historical superpower from ancient Egypt to the United States and are credited with saving thousands of lives. They have been worshipped as fertility goddesses and revered as symbols of peace. Charles Darwin relied heavily on pigeons to help formulate and support his theory of evolution. Yet today they are reviled as “rats with wings.”
To research this lively history of the humble pigeon, the author traveled across the United States and Europe to meet with pigeon fanciers and pigeon haters in a quest to find out how we came to misunderstand one of mankind’s most helpful and steadfast companions. Pigeons captures a Brooklyn man’s quest to win the Main Event (the pigeon world’s equivalent of the Kentucky Derby), as well as a convention dedicated to breeding the perfect bird. The author participates in a live pigeon shoot where entrants pay $150; he tracks down Mike Tyson, the nation’s most famous pigeon lover; he spends time with Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Pigeon Handler; and he sheds light on a radical “pro-pigeon underground” in New York City. In Pigeons, Andrew D. Blechman reveals for the first time the remarkable story behind this seemingly unremarkable bird.
“A quick and thoroughly entertaining read, Pigeons will leave readers chuckling at the quirky characters and pondering surprising pigeon facts.” —Audubon Magazine
“Manages to illuminate not merely the ostensible subject of the book, but also something of the endearing, repellent, heroic, and dastardly nature of that most bizarre of breeds, Homo sapiens.” —Salon.com
Domesticated since the dawn of man, pigeons have been used as crucial communicators in war by every major historical superpower from ancient Egypt to the United States and are credited with saving thousands of lives. They have been worshipped as fertility goddesses and revered as symbols of peace. Charles Darwin relied heavily on pigeons to help formulate and support his theory of evolution. Yet today they are reviled as “rats with wings.”
To research this lively history of the humble pigeon, the author traveled across the United States and Europe to meet with pigeon fanciers and pigeon haters in a quest to find out how we came to misunderstand one of mankind’s most helpful and steadfast companions. Pigeons captures a Brooklyn man’s quest to win the Main Event (the pigeon world’s equivalent of the Kentucky Derby), as well as a convention dedicated to breeding the perfect bird. The author participates in a live pigeon shoot where entrants pay $150; he tracks down Mike Tyson, the nation’s most famous pigeon lover; he spends time with Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Pigeon Handler; and he sheds light on a radical “pro-pigeon underground” in New York City. In Pigeons, Andrew D. Blechman reveals for the first time the remarkable story behind this seemingly unremarkable bird.
“A quick and thoroughly entertaining read, Pigeons will leave readers chuckling at the quirky characters and pondering surprising pigeon facts.” —Audubon Magazine
“Manages to illuminate not merely the ostensible subject of the book, but also something of the endearing, repellent, heroic, and dastardly nature of that most bizarre of breeds, Homo sapiens.” —Salon.com
Copies
Location
Call Number
Status
Rancho Cordova
598.65 B646 2006
On Shelf
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More Details
Format:
Book
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780802118349 :, 0802118348
Accelerated Reader:
UG
Level 7.7, 11 Points
Level 7.7, 11 Points
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)
Blechman, A. D. (2006). Pigeons: the fascinating saga of the world's most revered and reviled bird. New York, Grove Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Blechman, Andrew D. 2006. Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird. New York, Grove Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Blechman, Andrew D, Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird. New York, Grove Press, 2006.
MLA Citation (style guide)Blechman, Andrew D. Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird. New York, Grove Press, 2006.
Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
74885a0e-8401-7b70-8801-eb71c024e175
Record Information
Last Sierra Extract Time | Mar 20, 2024 06:35:59 AM |
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Last File Modification Time | Mar 20, 2024 06:38:55 AM |
Last Grouped Work Modification Time | Mar 28, 2024 02:11:39 AM |
MARC Record
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---|---|---|---|
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003 | OCoLC | ||
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008 | 060519s2006 nyu 000 0 eng | ||
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