Mr. McCommons is a professor emeritus at Northern Michigan University ... He is a solid writer with an encyclopedic grasp of his subject. He occasionally overburdens the reader with minutiae of political and organizational rivalries and is more workman than stylist. But society’s realization that birds were a finite resource and worth saving makes for a hell of a story.
An exhaustive — and sometimes exhausting — history of the early conservation movement ... McCommons fills his tale with avian arcana ... This deep dive into minutiae can grow wearisome. The effort to codify protections was a noble pursuit, but McCommons’s recounting of negotiations over the 'daily bag limit' of ducks and geese is unlikely to interest more than the most ardent ornithologists ... McCommons’s fine book is a reminder that the chorus of wings and birdsong we still hear owes much to the unlikely pioneers who first fought to protect it.
Meticulously guides readers through the battles of the feather wars as politicians, socialites, artists, tycoons, gun makers, and game wardens collaborated to preserve birds and their habitats. The stories shared are truly awe-inspiring ... Timely ... Will have widespread appeal to bird lovers, nature enthusiasts, and readers interested in environmental conservation.
