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Alexander Wilson, expatriate Scotsman, poet, & reformer, has been called “the Father of American Ornithology.” This collection of his letters, many of them new & many complete for the first time, captures a splendid & stimulating time in American history. Wilson was a confidant of William Bartram, a correspondent of Thomas Jefferson, a sensitive personality who set out as he said to make “a collection of all our finest birds.” In pursuit of this goal he traveled through much of the eastern part of the U.S., often on foot. His letters well document the joy he felt at each new discovery as well as the terrible physical harships he endured. Though later overshadowed by J.J. Audubon, Wilson deserves much credit for being one of the pioneers in American ornithology. Includes an intro. by Clark Hunter, ed. of the letters.
Price: $49.99
Pages: 456
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
Imprint: The American Philosophical Society Press
Series: Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society
Publication Date:
01 January 1983
Trim Size: 10.00 X 7.00 in
ISBN: 9780871691545
Format: Hardcover
BISACs:
BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Historical
"This is a splendid book…To have such a succinct account of Wilson’s life in the same volume as his letters, brings alive the personality of the man. The letters are gripping, full of vivid descriptions and memorable phrases."
— F.G.T. Holliday
"A most remarkable book."
"A better monument than any gravestone."
— Eric Wishart
"Clark Hunter has honored Alexander Wilson…It is no wonder the book has been entered for a number of literary awards in the United States."
— Norman Buchan
"Anyone interested in Wilson or the history of American ornithology will find this work a must."
— Alan Feduccia
"This fascinating, elegant volume is a testimony of fine historical research by a dedicated author-editor."
— Ian Durance Pennie
"Wilson’s eager personality, his appetite for work in his chosen path, his ability to rough it, his honest endeavor—they all shine through."
— Colin Gibson
"This book gives us a glimpse into one more facet of early American natural history of which we can…be truly proud."
— M.T. Steiber
"A collector’s item for the historian, ornithologist, and bibliophile alike."
— Dan Tallman
— F.G.T. Holliday
"A most remarkable book."
"A better monument than any gravestone."
— Eric Wishart
"Clark Hunter has honored Alexander Wilson…It is no wonder the book has been entered for a number of literary awards in the United States."
— Norman Buchan
"Anyone interested in Wilson or the history of American ornithology will find this work a must."
— Alan Feduccia
"This fascinating, elegant volume is a testimony of fine historical research by a dedicated author-editor."
— Ian Durance Pennie
"Wilson’s eager personality, his appetite for work in his chosen path, his ability to rough it, his honest endeavor—they all shine through."
— Colin Gibson
"This book gives us a glimpse into one more facet of early American natural history of which we can…be truly proud."
— M.T. Steiber
"A collector’s item for the historian, ornithologist, and bibliophile alike."
— Dan Tallman
Clark Hunter is a scholar and historian specializing in American ornithology during the Early American Republic. His publications include Life and Letters of Alexander Wilson (1983).