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Q&A | May 16, 2012

Mark Kurlansky: IMG Powell's Q&A: Mark Kurlansky

0 comments By Mark Kurlansky

Describe your latest book. It is titled Birdseye: The Adventures of a Curious Man, and it is coming out in May from Doubleday. This is the first... Continue »
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    Birdseye: The Adventures of a Curious Man

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1 Remote Warehouse Literature- A to Z

The Conjurer's Bird

by Martin Davies

The Conjurer's Bird Cover

ISBN13: 9781400097340
ISBN10: 1400097347
Condition: Standard
All Product Details

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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

In 1774, an unusual bird was spotted on Captain Cook's second expedition to the South Seas. This single specimen was captured, preserved, and brought back to England — and no other bird of its kind was ever seen again. The bird was given to naturalist Joseph Banks, who displayed it proudly in his collection until it too disappeared. Were it not for a colored drawing created by the ship's artist, it would seem that the Mysterious Bird of Ulieta had never existed.

Two hundred years later, naturalist John Fitzgerald gets a call from an old friend asking him to join the search for the bird's remains. He traces the bird's history, uncovering surprising details about the role of a woman known only as Miss B in Joseph Banks's life and career. Could she be the key to solving the mystery — to finally finding the lost Bird of Ulieta?

Seamlessly leaping between two time periods, The Conjurer's Bird is at once the story of Joseph Banks's secret life and of Fitz's thrilling and near-impossible race to find the elusive bird.

Review:

"An ambitious mystery...[Martin] slips in descriptions so deft, readers can smell and touch his scenes....As the novel's past and present begin to fuse amid unexpected twists — the book becomes increasingly compelling." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Review:

"Cunningly spins two stories....[An] absorbing mystery....The modern story's tension and its narrator's reticence contrast perfectly with Davies's assured depiction of eighteenth-century art, science, and exploration all intersecting on the shifting terrain of emotion." Boston Globe

Review:

"[An] enticing blend of fact and historical fiction....The Conjurer's Bird is in the end a perfect alternative to the plethora of routine, forgettable mystery novels." Pages

Synopsis:

At once a gripping mystery and rich love story set inn two time periods against a stunning naturalist backdrop, this novel tells the story of an 18th-century naturalist given a rare bird, and of a present-day conservationist who tries to relocate the species' only known remains.
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About the Author

Martin Davies, a television producer, is the author of two mysteries featuring Sherlock Holmes's housekeeper. He lives in London.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 2 comments:
Gregorio Roth, January 6, 2010 (view all comments by Gregorio Roth)
The book was sublimely stirring but I was not carried away by the streams the author conjured. I loved the subject matter; that of exploration of the beauty found in common misplaced things. However, I never got to that moment where I lost myself in the words of the author; moments of surprise were deadened. I wanted to really like this book, but found myself asleep on the coach.
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mgewrites, December 21, 2007 (view all comments by mgewrites)
The Conjurer’s Bird by Martin Davies is a fascinating story of taxidermist John Fitzpatrick’s search for the stuffed remains of the mysterious ulieta Bird. In the story there is a mystery surrounding not only the remains of the stuffed bird, but of some priceless paintings that were thought to be in its display box. Intercut with Fitzpatrick’s story of the search, is the story of Joseph Banks’ journey with Captain Cook; his engagement and then sudden cancellation of his engagement to be married; and his affair with a mysterious woman with startling green eyes and the birth of their daughter. Banks was an actual character in history and he reigned as president of the Royal Society for 42 years. This story is based on some true facts given in the back of the book. Martin has told a highly entertaining and intriguing tale following two time lines that are carefully woven together making this book unique among many you will read.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781400097340
Author:
Davies, Martin
Publisher:
Three Rivers Press (CA)
Subject:
Literary
Subject:
Biographical fiction
Subject:
Nature stories
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Edition Description:
Trade paper
Publication Date:
20060831
Binding:
TRADE PAPER
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
384
Dimensions:
8.06x5.28x.88 in. .66 lbs.
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Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Literature » A to Z

The Conjurer's Bird Used Trade Paper
0 stars - 0 reviews
$5.95 In Stock
Product details 384 pages Three Rivers Press (CA) - English 9781400097340 Reviews:
"Review" by , "An ambitious mystery...[Martin] slips in descriptions so deft, readers can smell and touch his scenes....As the novel's past and present begin to fuse amid unexpected twists — the book becomes increasingly compelling."
"Review" by , "Cunningly spins two stories....[An] absorbing mystery....The modern story's tension and its narrator's reticence contrast perfectly with Davies's assured depiction of eighteenth-century art, science, and exploration all intersecting on the shifting terrain of emotion."
"Review" by , "[An] enticing blend of fact and historical fiction....The Conjurer's Bird is in the end a perfect alternative to the plethora of routine, forgettable mystery novels."
"Synopsis" by , At once a gripping mystery and rich love story set inn two time periods against a stunning naturalist backdrop, this novel tells the story of an 18th-century naturalist given a rare bird, and of a present-day conservationist who tries to relocate the species' only known remains.
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