The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America's Bird

This is a great read that discusses the plight of the Bald Eagle. It starts with how the bald eagle became the natonal bird. It discusses the heros and "villains" that determined eagle's fate, villains is my word. You may very well be surprised at some of the "birders" that almost helped annihilate this prestigous bird. Their near extermination was happening well before DDT. If you saw and liked Ken Burn's "American Buffalo," You will enjoy this book.

Everyone should read this book. I recommend purchasing hardcopy. Factual and enjoyable to readPictures are fantastic!

I am an accomplished wildlife photographer. Because of my geographic location I have the ability to see and photograph American Bald Eagles almost daily. Because of my interest in these majestic birds I made it a point to purchase this book and read it.Overall, the book is an interesting tale of how the bald eagle became our national symbol. It continues to tell of how man almost eradicated the Bald Eagle by hunting it as a varmint and threat to sheep, cows, and small children. Later, the book explains how man's obsession with DDT again almost eradicated the Bald Eagle.The book offers mini biographies of the key players involved in saving the Bald Eagle from eradication and also explains how the native Americans view and respect the bird.Frankly, I learned a lot about the bald eagle from this book. It can be a bit "slow" at times but I still recommend it if you want to learn about the history of the American Bald Eagle.

Given us a gift to my father, who is a big-time bird watcher. He says it’s a good book with lots of interesting information about the bald eagles he didn’t know. Highly recommend for anybody who likes birds.

Great historical non-fiction! Excellent read, highly recommend. Pulitzer Prize winning author, Jack E. Davis has a special way of presenting historical facts in a appealing and fascinating way. Davis’ use of creative prose transports the reader in to his research and is absolutely captivating!! 5 stars!! Also read his other book: The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea.

I'm just a hobbyist bird photographer who was curious about the raptor and early America's fascination with it. If you want to know all the minutia and trivia leading up to the importance of the bald eagle in early American history, including countless anecdotes and details about people in our history then this is your book. Yes, it's well researched but, in short, the amount of reading necessary to glean some interesting facts, background and historical context often get lost in the "weeds," making the read arguably not worth it. If you're into American history as much as the bald eagle, then you will probably enjoy it. Personally, I found it to be overkill and at times tiresome. This will appeal to a certain niche of readers. Would I buy it again, knowing what I know now? Probably not. I see there's currently a significant discount.

Davis' work is well done, well documented and a great read. History combined with science. If you admire eagles and their place in U.S. history, or otherwise just think you know all about them, this may come as a surprise. Highly recommended.

An excellent book. It is,well written. Very compelling. Certainly if it did that for Hahn maybe we all need to take some walks in the woods with eagles.