Falconry Books

First off, a correction: Hal Webster and Frank Beebe put this book together initially in the 60's or 70's, in an earlier edition which is still largely the same. Since, chapters have been added about Harris' Hawks (which are an exception to the rules about non-social raptors,) to update veterinary aspects, etc. Joe Rotondo's name has no place in the credits for this book.

Though aspects of the legal system do not apply in countries other than the U.S., NAF&HH remains the single most comprehensive book written on modern falconry, and perhaps the second most comprehensive ever written on the subject. I'm a professional writer, author, and have been flying raptors for well over 30 years (nearly 40, now) and I have been unable to begin to put together a book on the subject, for fear that I'll miss one of the many facets that go into each decision made about the hawk while interacting with it. The sheer sum of all the information that comes into play at one time is daunting. Yet Hal and Frank managed to present that information to us in analog order, and produce a book which has guided many thousands of falconers to success over the past 4 decades.

If you could have only one book on raptors, this would have to be that book.

This book is a must have for falconers, especially those falconry apprentices seeking knowledge to pass state exams. Not only an excellent reference book but an enjoyable wealth of falconry background. Learn about the different kinds of birds of prey of the falconry world, obtaining, training and care of these magnificent birds.

The most comprehensive book printed on Falconry in North America. Now in it's 8th edition.

This is a book chock-full of great material. Overall organization of the content needs some tweeking as it is a bit scattered. Anyone wanting to get details on hawks and falconry will find the information they need somewhere in these pages. The authors clearly have a wealth of knowledge to share; it could be shared better. This book is in serious need of a competent editor. Nearly every page contains examples of the editor's silly habit of using capital letters to emphasize words. For example, "...the haggard Prairie is VERY difficult to train." Often this anachromism is employed several times per page and makes reading difficult. It is both annoying and so unneccesary.
Grammatical and spelling errors abound as well.

This is a must-have for anyone thinking of starting falconry or becoming an apprentice falconer. It is a primary reference book for practicing falconers. Most people will need to have read this book thoroughly as well as other reference material before being able to pass their state exam. We found the California Hawking Club Apprentice Study Guide as well as information from local Fish and Game Dept (in addition to this book) to be very helpful in passing the state exam. This book is used on a regular basis for us as practicing falconers.

I've never hunted before - game or fowl. I grew up in the city, and have never held a shotgun in my 40 years. I had no understanding of hunting - it's potential for beauty and forging a connection with nature - until I read Dan O'Brien's Equinox.

Dan's connection with nature through falconry is moving, and at times tangible throughout Equinox. He reveals hunting as a truly noble sport - if approached with reverence for nature and respect for predator and prey.

Dan's prose is straightforward, without frills or fancy, well-suited to the rustic life he describes, stalking grouse on the South Dakota plains with bird and dog.

I think most people will enjoy Equinox, regardless of background, but I especially recommend it to people who have negative feelings about hunting but are open to thinking about it in a new way.

I just finished reading the book in two settings, spending most of a Sunday afternoon and Monday evening enjoying this excellent novel. I was captivated by the people, dogs, birds, and environment. This is a must read. I loved it.

I liked this book. At times, there may have been too much emphasis on the dogs, or too much on just falcons (red-tailed hawk coverage would have been great, but the author caters to peregrine falcons, so it is obviously his choice). Regardless, the amount of detailed coverage is impressive and written very well. Fortunately, the author eases you into the detail and doesn't toss it in your lap like some books. Whenever a new falconry term is mentioned in the text, there is a small side-bar definition of that term.

Some have said that the author's attitude gets in the way. When I read the few pages from the website, I also got a little of that. However, when I read the rest of the book, I did not get that at all. Often, appearances can be deceiving.

I was surprised at how good this book was. I expected it to be a primer for my interest in falconry but found it to be so much more. It is a fantastic account of the training of a raptor and the relationship between man and bird. Obviously passionate about his undertaking the author describes the training process in vivid detail making a compelling story to the end. With an equally interesting personal story that parallels his bird of prey adventure this book makes for a very enjoyable read.

Having begun working with birds of prey (in a rehabilitation center) in the last couple of years I have searched for books that gave more personal insights into the practice of falconry. Mr.O'Brien certainly knows his subject and does a fine job of describing the sport and the birds themselves. His accounts of hacking (early training) young peregrines in particular are excellent. I found his descriptions of what can go wrong, as well as right, in the caring and training of these birds quite illuminating and engrossing. His use of falconers-speak is well balanced with the story and the annotations quite helpful for those unfamiliar with the sport.
I unfortunately found the overall concept of a man in midlife attempting to convince the reader that he is on a quest for some sort of middle age epiphany a bit trying. His relationship with his wife - an anesthesiologist who spends the majority of her time in a sleep deprived state, taking hospital call, and generally supporting his rather indulgent and self-centered lifestyle- frustrated me and was distracting from an otherwise interesting story about the training of a gifted young peregrine falcon.
I give much credit to Mr. O'Brien for being a man in touch with nature and clearly environmentally sensitive and conservation oriented. But, as my wife said after finishing the book, he comes across as something of a jerk in his personal life. Given that Mr. O'Brien's skills in describing the beauty of the land he lives on and the animals he has the great privilege of interacting with are most enviable, it's a shame that this aspect diminishes an otherwise excellent story.

This is the perfect book for whoever wants to learn about what falconry was like a long time ago. However, I would not reccommend it to anyone who wants to learn about present day falconry. After you get your license, I would reccommend it. The reason I say this is because it can confuse the apprentice. It confused me. It does teach a lot though, and can give insight to diff. ways of training hawks. Belongs in every falconers library!

Frederick II was one of the very few brilliant minds of the Middle Ages who opossed the Pope and the teachings of the Church, even, it is said, declaring Jesus, Moses and Muhammad [...]. Patron of arts and Science, warrior and writer, it is also said that he spoke nine toungues (in an era when most members of the highest nobility were unable even to read). He was known as Stupor Mundi (Astonishment of the World), a Pope declared him the Antichrist, was twice excommunicated, and Dante sent him to the fires of Hell in the Divine Comedy. This book, about one of his passions, hunting, should therefore be in the shelves of every learned reader of the world. It is a fantastic source of information for falconers, historians (both of the Middle Ages and of Science) and for everyone interested in the history or the life of this great King, who, when crowned, wore a robe with this inscription wrote in Arabic: "May the Emperor be received well, may he enjoy vast prosperity, great generosity and high splendor, fame and magnificent endowments, and the fulfillment of his wishes and hopes. May his days and nights go in pleasure without end or change". So be it.

Beisdes being an incredible tract on falconry (modern ornithology has yet to surpass it, really. Doubly impressive, considering Frederick was writing some three centuries before the scientific revolution). This book is a cross-section of one of the most profound minds in all of Western history. Frederick the Second was the most magnificient of all the latter day emperors. From nothing he raised the throne of the Roman Empire to transcendant limits, defied both God and the Church, and brought in the fabled "third age" for the superstitious people of medieval Europe, who believed that he was either the bringer of Peace before the apocalypse or the Anti-Christ himself. His memorable utterance "...I am tired of being the anvil. Now I shall be the hammer!" was the inspiration behind Nietszche's work 600 years later. The Empire died with the next brilliant generation of the Hohenstaufen.

In light of all this, his book of falconry is indespensible. It shows us Frederick the Renaissance man, engaging in Scientific method in an era of revealed truths, and it shows us Frederick the hunter: shrewd, catching every detail, and always for the love of the chase. This book will amaze you to no ends!

As a practical guide to modern falconry, I don't believe this book would be as helpful as some on the market, but as a primary source from the middle ages it is first rate. The intricacies and details of the hunt, the housing, the care given to the birds, hounds, etc. . . . for this, the book is priceless. If you are looking for summaries of the hunting practices in the middle ages, Marcelle Thiebeaux and Anne Rooney are among the best authors to seek. If you want the actual details of the way it was by someone living at the time it was practiced, there is no better source than Frederick II's book (and few even close).

An absolute must for anyone interested in the lore and history of falconry. Also a good primary source for historical research involving the middle ages. Here is truly an opportunity for an apprentice falconer to learn the basics, terminology, and philosophy of the sport. Frederick II practiced the art of falconry out of a profound love for the sport and for his birds. The modern falconer who reads this volume is inspired to do the same. I highly recommend that anyone who is at all interested in birds of prey obtain this book. It will quickly become one of your most treasured possessions.

I found this book to be an excellent overview of Falcony. It has a good section describing the different types of raptors suitable for the sport, and some interesting descriptions and drawings relating to training and equipment. However, I would not attempt to use this book as a "how-to" manual. It doesn't have nearly enough detail on any subject. In places it can be a little difficult to follow. I am pleased with my copy and will be happy to add it to my library.

This is a great little book. Frank Beebe packs all the essential information around hawk training into this book, drawing on decades of practical experience and research. Beebe writes with the authority of someone who has actually practised what he is preaching, rather than some authors who seem to have written a falconry book for the sake of personal aggrandizement. He also writes in excellent English, almost with an academic eloquence.

He deals with all three classes of falconry birds: buteos, accipiters and falcons, and draws very useful comparisons between them on temperament, character and hunting application.

Note however that the book is mostly a training manual, and with the exception of a very interesting chapter on the history of falconry regulation in the US, it about trapping, furniture and hunting. If you want a book with detail on hawk care, dog training, breeding and housing then choose another one (I recommend Emma Ford's for all except breeding and dogs, Nick Fox's for the former and Diana Durman-Walters' for the latter). Note also that its a North American text - the chapters on trapping and bagged quarry are of no use to a UK falconer.

This is an excellent book for people who are intrested in falconry. At one time falconry was the sport of the noble gentry. This book does a real service in describing these intelligent, beautiful birds of prey and how falconers work with them.

A must have for prospective falconers.

This book has very good information for beginners who are a little confused. A very good profiling on individual species. Also good section on equipment. I found it very informative and worthwhile the price.

I am relatively new to the world of falconry. As a result, I am reading just about everything I get my hands on. Frank Beebe is an undisputed master on the subject of falconry. I found that Mr. Beebe's style of writing, presents the information in a very easy to read & understand format. After having read this book, it convinced me that I should order his major work entitled "A Compleat Falconer". I am certain that it is most probably "The Bible" for falconry. An excellent book by an excellent author.

As a fan of The Once and Future King as well as falconry, I couldn't wait to start reading this book. It is an absolute gem. White's descriptions are extremely vivid. No one should be daunted by the fact that this book was penned in '51 or that it is about falconry; his story is immensely (and enjoyably) readable.

Mr. White describes his experiences with training a goshawk for falconry. He has no guidance beyond an ancient manuscript and things go horribly awry. An outstanding book, a pleasure to read. Also an example of why current US regulations require a falconry apprenticeship period.

"Sha-hou!" rang down the centuries for 3,000 years as the hawksman sent his bird aloft. In Arthurian times, every king had his eagles, every earl his peregrines, and even a knave might fly a kestrel. They brought pigeon and duck to the table, and sport to the afternoon.

In 1952 T. H. White was a young author of an Arthurian tale, The Sword in the Stone, and a short novel, Mistress Masham's Repose. White's researches for Sword inspired him to learn the ancient art of falconry for himself. He writes the attempt grew mostly out of an urge to pit himself against an exacting challenge, as another man might set out to climb a stubborn mountain. All that White knew about hawks to begin with he had learned from three tracts on the subject and from an exchange of letters with two of the few remaining hawk-masters left in Europe.

Gos was an untamed tiercel (male) of the largest European species of the short-winged hawks with a wing spread three inches shorter than a golden eagle. White lived in a cottage in Buckinghamshire wood, and he ordered the bird from a dealer in Germany.

On the first day, White caught Gos by the leather jesses tied to his feet, and set him on his gloved fist. "For an instant he stared upon me with a mad, marigold or dandelion eye, all his plumage flat to the body and his head crouched like a snake's in fear or hatred, then bated wildly from the fist." He hung, by his jesses, screaming with rage.

Thereafter, it is White against Gos. Gos bated for hours; each time White gently lifted Gos back to his fist, he bated again. All night long Gos bated and White lifted him back. Hawkmasters taught White that if he gave up or fell asleep, the hawk would know that it was the stronger, and could never be tamed.

"Oh, the agony of patience. At the thousandth bate in a day, on an arm that ached to the bone . . . merely to twitch him gently back to the glove . . . to reassure him with tranquillity, when one yearned ... to pound, pash, dismember!" After three days and three nights, the hawk fell asleep. The next day he was as wild as ever.

The rest of the story is thrilling, exhilarating, and finally tragic.

"Nothing is more certain than that Gos entangled his jesses in one of the myriad trees of The Ridings, and there, hanging upside down by the mildewed leathers, his bundle of green bones and ruined feathers may still be swinging in the winter wind."

Marie Winn has written the introduction to this book. She is a wonderful observer of wildlife, writes an excellent blog called "Marie Winn's Central Park Nature News", and is the author of the enchanting Red Tails In Love. I was delighted to find this new and well produced edition of White's classic book. I share other reviewers's concerns that Winn was not entirely fair to White. As an observer of wildlife I empathize with her point of view, but can "Sha-hou" ringing down the centuries be entirely wrong?

Thanks are due to New York Review Books for putting back in print this wonderful book. The edition is well produced. A quibble is that Marie Winn who writes the introduction is clearly not familiar with ,or comfortable with ,"field sports". T H White (and many modern writers and followers of fishing,falconry and related actities) would take issue with her distinction between being a natural history lover and a practioner of fishing,shooting,ferreting etc. More seriously, she writes that White "blithely snagged salmon". White fished for salmon and caught them fairly using a fly. He wrote many fine passages about his salmon fishing and the pieces are still found in anthologies of fishing literature. To "snag" a salmon means ,to those who fish ,that he took salmon illegally and unsportingly, by jerking a hook into the body of a salmon.There is no evidence that I have heard of that he would ever have done this.To suggest it does his memory a grave disservice. The introduction by Steve Bodio,himself a falconer, to the 1996 Wilder Places edition of The Goshawk is,to my mind, far better at exploring and explaining the reasons why this is a much loved book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone, even those with no interest at all in falconry. The author is so skilled and talented that I'd say that he could write an entertaining piece about paint drying. Enjoy!!

The Girlhood Journeys series, written in the late '90's, is something that I've long wanted to see -- a series of books about kids in different historical periods, that talks about what their life was really like. This book fits the bill perfectly: Juliet is a freeman's daughter in medieval England, and her friend is the manor-holder's daughter. There is an excellent contrast shown between Juliet's lifestyle and that of her friend Marguerite. The book also has an excellent lesson about honesty ... teaching the importance of this value without preaching about it is perfectly executed here.
I'm a reenactor by hobby, and wish that books like this had been available to me when I was a young girl growing up. Parents who want their daughters to have a sense of history while still being entertained by good story lines should definitely investigate the Girlhood Journeys books.

I really like this book! The old-english dialect was a little hard to understant though.Juliet must lead a really cool life!

Juliet is a young girl living in Medieval England. Her best friend is Marguerite, the young lady of the manor. But today is the worst day of Juliet's life. A thief steals Marguerite's lovely hankerchief from right under Juliet's nose. Marguerite is going to be sent away to court. And now, Juliet's little brother has released a valuabe falcon by mistake. Can Juliet save the day?

This story is very good.It is about a girl name Juliet. She is ten years old and she is also a falconer.She is also a peasent.But one day Marguerite leaves Juliet to go to court.After she leaves a stranger steals Marguerite's kerchief.Juliet doesn't want to blame herself for it.Her brother makes a mistake by releasing one of the falcons.Juliet needs to try to find the preious bird.She doesn't want to lose her job being a falconer.I gave this book five stars because this is a very good book.I want to encourge you to read so you can be a very good reader.You should really read this book.It is very awesome!

When I first became interested in falconry, I, like most people, wanted to learn everything I could on the subject. This book covers several aspects of falconry, such as the history and the raptors used in it, and moves on to many personal stories. This is NOT a "how-to" book. Bodio has delivered a wonderfully entertaining and quite creatively written book that I highly recommend to any aspiring or long-time falconer. You won't be disappointed!
--Lauren

Mr. Bodio has written an outstanding overview of modern falconry. He manages to convey what it is about falconry that makes falconers put up with the heartache of hunting with raptors. As a bonus, Mr. Bodio's writing is a joy to read. It is both funny and informative. This is definitely *not* a how-to book, but instead gives a good overview of what falconry is like, and what a prospective falconer can expect.

Stephen Bodio is one of my favorite writers--definitely my favorite nature writer--and this books captures the essence of the ancient sport of falconry. This is not a manual; it's an essay that helps to explain why anyone would go through so much effort just to share in the privilege of hunting in partnership with a wild animal. (No other modern sport allows one to do this.)This is a book that can be read and enjoyed by anyone, falconer or not, but the falconer will appreciate some of the insights Bodio has--for instance, when he describes the infamous goshawk. I recommend this to anyone who wants to learn what falconry is, or who is seriously considering taking up hawks. It is fun, it is informative, and it will stay with you for a long time.

Helen Macdonald opens `Falcon' with a photo of a peregrine and a human skydiver in freefall together, separated by about an arm-span of open sky. It's sure to astound anyone who has ever held such a bird on their fist, or gotten close enough to really look one in the eye. An ambitious gambit, but one lived up to by the balance of the book. Scholar, scientist and falconer, Macdonald is unapologetically smitten with the birds and her knowledge of both falcons and the traditions surrounding them is immense. Passionate expertise does not guarantee readability, but Macdonald deftly achieves an engaging and witty tone throughout the volume. The natural history and conservation status of various species are covered to a degree that should more than satisfy any well-informed general reader. Chapters on falconry, myth and the military may surprise those accustomed to the ecological game American ecologist and writer Marston Bates wryly labeled "let's pretend man doesn't exist", but real falcons live in the real world. Human history and cultural attitudes are key elements in their stories, too. `Falcon' is both thoughtfully and attractively illustrated. Five minutes spent sampling the pictures and skimming captions can easily incite an hour of reading. If the rest of the books in Reaktion's `Animal' series are all this good, I'll be building another bookcase.

I'm too late to say the first nice thing about Helen Macdonald. Doubtless her writing----scholarly work, essays, and erudite poetry----have made heads nod and shake in amazement for years. Author Steve Bodio recently raved of this fellow writer and falconer: "Her blog posts are better than most essays published for money today. I just went through the latest New Yorker and there was nothing to compare with her best."

Agreed. With Falcon, her first book on birds, Helen Macdonald manages to make a lesser work of everyone else's treatment of the topic. That's a big claim: Many remarkable writers and scientists cover the field, but none I know have yet produced a book as smart, insightful, literate or original.

Billed by the publisher as a "cultural and natural history of the falcon," Falcon simply could not have been written by anyone else. Listed among Macdonald's fields of study at Jesus College, Cambridge (where she is a Research Fellow), are: "History of ecology, amateur natural history, biological field-sciences and field-sports/hunting in 20th Century cultures; history of conservation and ethology; history of biological warfare; war and nature." War and nature! There's depth of interest for you. I could add military aviation to the list, an area of expertise that finds its way often and effectively into the text:

"What of flight, the single most celebrated falcon characteristic? Falcon bodies are heavy in relation to their wing area...Their wings have a high aspect ratio----the ratio between the wingspan and the wing width----and their low-camber wings are long and pointed. The result is a low-drag confirmation more suited to active, flapping flight and fast gliding than soaring."

Adding poetry to physics, Macdonald describes a stooping falcon this way:

"At speeds of over 100 miles an hour, the minutest alterations to her body shape gave punishingly exaggerated effects; she looked, as Franklin later described, shrink-wrapped, mummified. And just as it seemed impossible for her to fall any faster, she'd change her shape again."

The military deployment (that's right: deployment) of trained falcons gets its own chapter in this uniquely well-rounded falcon book. Other sections examine the raptors' biology, conservation, and successful adaptations to urban life. Macdonald reserves one chapter for the looming mythical status of falcons throughout history. And of course, falconry receives special treatment. Our sport takes pride of place in the center of the book, skillfully tying its wide-ranging topics together.

Throughout the text you'll find surprising revelations (no "trivia") that could only result from extensive and enthusiastic study. For example, did you know?

"Falconry techniques and knowledges have been traded between disparate cultures for millennia. European knights took falcons with them on the Crusades, and learned how to hood falcons from their foes...Falconry's symbolic system was largely shared between both sides, and so it was able to articulate power-struggles in ways immediately comprehensible to either."

Then, typically Macdonald, a wry anecdote illustrates the point: "A besieged Richard I sent an envoy to Saladin to request food for his starving falcons; Saladin immediately delivered baskets of his best poultry for the falcons alone."

What Macdonald does with Falcon is bring all of herself to the subject. She breathes life into the work; pulls the lives of falcons and people together into a rare three-dimensional portrait. The effect is illuminating.

it is an honestly written book that tells of the authors experiences-- her disappointments, her hopes and how she was introduced to falconry. it contains a variation of experiences, and there are more instances not related to falconry than expected.

I made the mistake of cracking this book's spine just before dinner & everyone wandering in, drooling to be fed, found me gone into the wilds of Kent in England where a young woman discovers her heart's desire in the form of falcons. I relished Emma Ford's memoirs of her early days with owls, falcons, eagles & a hilarious assortment of four legged friends & foes.

The only child of divorced parents, Emma Ford labored to fulfill her mother's kind expectations of a proper profession for herself; eagerly taking on her school assignments the quicker to take off to the castle & continue her training in falconry. Sounds like something out of medieval times?

Yes & no, this is one thoroughly modern young person who follows her heart & finds herself a player in medieval recreations, her eagles starring in films & dashing off to Arabia to hob knob with a sheik. All the while her sense of honor & dedication is developing even as a charming, self-possessed Heroine emerges. This is one fresh, focused young women who has garnered for herself & her beloved menagerie a unique & fascinating niche. A fabulous gift idea! Do check out my full review at [my website]

"A Hawk for the bush" is a timeless classic on the training and keeping of the short-winged Hawks known as Accipiters. A must read for any falconer interested in trying his/her hand at these delicate and temperamental raptors. Jack Mavrogordato was truly a pioneer at managing and breeding, at a time when captive breeding of raptors was in it's infancy.

I highly recommend this book to the apprentice falconer considering flying a Accipiter upon turning General class. And to the Master falconer wanting to explore and glean knowledge from a man who truly had a passion for Accipiters.

As a bonus, there is a wonderful series of templates for hood making at the end of the book. Having made some of them myself, I can vouch for the great fit, and accuracy of these patterns. I keep returning to them year after year, when I want to make a good fitting Indian hood. That in itself is worth the price of the book!

Connie S.
Idaho

As a young falconer of 13 myself, I found this book extremly interesting, with a lot of useful information. The book covers every aspect of Falconry Management and Practise, from choosing the right bird for you, caring for and training of your bird, through to invaluable help on health problems (particularly how to avoid them!). Although the book is mainly aimed at Sparrow-Hawk Keepers, much of the content is universal to all birds of Prey Enthusiasts. Advice and Information on keeping Birds of Prey varies considerably from book to book and person to person, so it is always a good idea to read as many books as possible about the subject. You can then make up your own mind on which methods suit you. Other good books a have read on the subject include:- Falconry Art & Practice - Emma Fords O for a Falconers voice - Roger Upton Hakwing Ground Quarry - Martin Hollinshead