Synopses & Reviews
and#147;Crows and people share similar traits and social strategies. To a surprising extent, to know the crow is to know ourselves.and#8221;and#151;from the Preface
From the cave walls at Lascaux to the last painting by Van Gogh, from the works of Shakespeare to those of Mark Twain, there is clear evidence that crows and ravens influence human culture. Yet this influence is not unidirectional, say the authorsand#160; of this fascinating book: people profoundly influence crow culture, ecology, and evolution as well.
John Marzluff and Tony Angell examine the often surprising ways that crows and humans interact. The authors contend that those interactions reflect a process of and#147;cultural coevolution.and#8221; They offer a challenging new view of the human-crow dynamicand#151;a view that may change our thinking not only about crows but also about ourselves.
Featuring more than 100 original drawings, the book takes a close look at the influences people have had on the lives of crows throughout history and at the significant ways crows have altered human lives. In the Company of Crows and Ravens illuminates the entwined histories of crows and people and concludes with an intriguing discussion of the crow-human relationship and how our attitudes toward crows may affect our cultural trajectory.
Review
and#8220;Crows and ravens stir up much interest, precisely for the reasons John Marzluff and Tony Angell give in this handsomely illustrated work.and#8221;and#8212;Bernd Heinrich, author of
Mind of the RavenReview
"With engaging prose and compelling art, the authors tell us how our interactions with other species, especially crows and ravens, have influenced both us and them over the ages . . . .andnbsp; If youandnbsp;believe that we have great impacts on other species but that they have influenced us relatively little, then you should read this delightfully written and illustrated book."and#8212;Gordon H. Orians, University of Washington
Review
"Throughout human history, crows have been reviled and revered in equal measure. Now the corvids of folklore and fable are living up to their reputation for cleverness, trickery and ingenuity. Marzluff and Angell's wonderful book is a user's guide to the biology and culture of these fascinating animals and a testament to man's affinity with nature."and#8212;Nathan Emery, University of Cambridge
Review
"Members of the crow family (corvids), which include ravens, jays and magpies, as well crows, have the reputation of being mischievous, machaevellian creatures, who steal other birds' eggs and raid agricultural crops. But these covids are also reknowned for their wisdom as well as their deceit. This fascinating book describes not only the role corvids have played in our folklore but more generally how corvids have influenced human culture and the impact of humans on corvids. I hope this book will afford corvids the respect they deserve."and#8212;Nicola Clayton, University of Cambridge
Review
"This is the most detailed account I know of concerning crows and their interaction with man. A very readable and thought-provoking book!"and#8212;Noble S. Proctor, Ph.D., author of
Manual of Ornithology and
A Field Guide to North Atlantic WildlifeReview
from the forewordPaul Ehrlichand#8220;This book is the first to produce a grand overview of the human-corvid complex and is truly something to crow about.With any luck
In the Company of Crows and Ravens will stimulate more people to connect with nature by enjoying the antics of these easily observed birds.and#8221;and#8212;from the foreword by Paul Ehrlich, coauthor of
Wild SolutionsReview
"[A] delightful blend of science, art, and anthropology."and#8212;
BooklistReview
"Sleek, evocative illustrationsand#8212;a mysterious light seems to come directly from the eyes and feathers of these birds."and#8212;Susan Salter Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times Book ReviewReview
"The authors' systematic exploration of this history is handsomely complemented by dozens of Angell's pen-and-ink drawings."and#8212;Roxana Robinson,
Wilson QuarterlyReview
andldquo;There is no other writer on birds today who so perfectly combines a life of observation with his own art and the kind of up-to-date information one gets from associating with researchers.andrdquo;andmdash;Stephen Bodio, contributing editor of Living Bird and author of Aloft, Querencia, and An Eternity of Eagles
Review
andldquo;Two worlds of wisdom meet in The House of Owls, natureand#39;s own in the survival of an owl family through the generations and the all-seeing eye of the artist who is their host and diarist. Tony Angell magnificently depicts this long mutual near-kinship and much more in words straight from the heart and illustrations masterfully true to life.andrdquo;andmdash;Ivan Doig, author of The Whistling Season
Review
andldquo;Few artists move us with both words and images. The vigor, unique adaptations and essential life-blood of North American Owls, propelled by powerful illustrations and intimate accounts, animate the pages ofandnbsp;The House of Owls, another masterful work by Tony Angell.andrdquo;andmdash;Paul Bannick, author of The Owl and The Woodpecker
Review
andldquo;
The House of Owls is, simply, a delight for a strigiphile like me. But it will also delight any birder or naturalist, and all those who care about the living world and its more remarkable manifestations.andrdquo;andmdash;From the Foreword by Robert Michael Pyle, author of
Chasing Monarchs and
Mariposa RoadReview
andldquo;A charming personal account, accompanied by nearly 100 illustrations, that underscores how owls and other birds enrich our lives.andrdquo;andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
Review
andquot;Tony Angell writes (and draws) with the absolute authority of one who has studied, rehabilitated, lived with and loved the animals his whole life. . . . This book is alive with his chiaroscuro depictions of owls in every imaginable pursuit. . . . It is rare and becoming rarer to find books so well illustrated by their authors.andquot;andmdash;Wall Street Journal
Review
andquot;[Angelland#39;s] accounts of owlsand#39; lives and habits, along with his intimate, detailed illustrations, manage to make the creatures seem both more familiar and more mysterious . . . A tale well-told, beautifully illustrated, and imparted by just the right voice.andquot;andmdash;American Scientist
Review
andlsquo;The House of Owls is the apotheosis of a life-timeandrsquo;s engagement with owls. Steeped in the tradition of Alexander Wilson and John James Audubon, it blends taxonomy, ornithology, biogeography and autobiography.andrsquo;andmdash;Janette Currie, TLS.andnbsp;andnbsp;
Synopsis
Tony Angell, master artist and naturalist, offers an intimate account of owls he has observed, admired, and depicted for decades
For a quarter century, Tony Angell and his family shared the remarkable experience of closely observing pairs of western screech owls that occupied a nesting box outside their forest home. The journals the author recorded his observations in, and the captivating drawings he created, form the heart of this compelling book a personal account of an artist-naturalist s life with owls. Angell s extensive illustrations show owls engaged in what owls do hunting, courting, raising families, and exercising their inquisitive natures and reveal his immeasurable respect for their secret lives and daunting challenges.
Angell discusses the unique characteristics that distinguish owls from other bird species and provides a fascinating overview of the impact owls have had on human culture and thought. He also offers detailed scientific descriptions of the nineteen species of owls found in North America, as well as their close relatives elsewhere. Always emphasizing the interaction of humans and owls, the author affirms by his own example the power of these birds both to beguile and to inspire."
Synopsis
A master naturalist offers an intimate account of owls he has observed, admired, and depicted for decades
Synopsis
For a quarter of a century, Tony Angell and his family shared the remarkable experience of closely observing pairs of western screech owls that occupied a nesting box outside the window of their forest home. The journals in which the author recorded his observations, and the captivating drawings he created, form the heart of this compelling bookandmdash;a personal account of an artist-naturalistandrsquo;s life with owls. Angellandrsquo;s extensive illustrations show owls engaged in what owls doandmdash;hunting, courting, raising families, and exercising their inquisitive naturesandmdash;and reveal his immeasurable respect for their secret lives and daunting challenges.
and#160;
Angell discusses the unique characteristics that distinguish owls from other bird species and provides a fascinating overview of the impact owls have had on human culture and thought. He also offers detailed scientific descriptions of the nineteen species of owls found in North America, as well as their close relatives elsewhere. Always emphasizing the interaction of humans and owls, the author affirms by his own example the power of these birds both to beguile and to inspire.
About the Author
Q: How did you come to write this book?A: Seven years ago we set out to write a natural history of the American crow, but a much different book emergedand#151;a natural and cultural history of crows and ravens worldwide. Discovering the joint history of people and crows opened our eyes to the close and continuing relationship evolving between people and elements of the natural world. We hope others can experience our discovery. Crows are elegant without benefit of fancy and colorful plumage; they are animated and physically imposing, the fuel for artistic inspiration.Q: Youand#8217;ve studied crows and ravens extensively. Does it seem that they in turn study you?A: (Marzluff) I particularly remember a raven who carefully approached one of myb traps, stopped short of stepping into it, and reached over to pull the grass camouflage off the trapand#8217;s trigger. He turned to look down the road at me before emphatically throwing the grass into the road and deftly reaching over the trap to grab the bread I used as bait. He didnand#8217;t have to look at me, but he didand#151;like a celebratory football player who just scored!A: (Angell) My raven Macaw employed my and#147;greetingand#8221; each morning as a vocal initiation of each day. After a few months of my saying and#147;Hello, Macaw,and#8221; to him as a young bird, he would say and#147;Hello, Macaw,and#8221; sometimes before I spoke, rather like a and#147;Good morningand#8221; greeting. He always used it in this context during his time with me.Q: What might your readers be most surprised to learn about these birds?A: Our conclusion that crows have culture, and that it affects and is affected byand#160; human culture, makes us realize that we share more than some would like to think with other animals. The tales from people who have witnessed apparent crow murders, funerals, and visitations from dead relatives will certainly shake readers. We hope that by bringing up such controversial crow traits, others will study them and help us all understand the actions of these powerful birds. That crows and their kin possess culture that in some ways parallels our own is a consideration not easily addressed.