John James Audubon is renowned for his masterpiece of natural history and art, The Birds of America, the first nearly comprehensive survey of the continent's birdlife. And yet few people understand, and many assume incorrectly, what sort of man he was. How did the illegitimate son of a French sea captain living in Haiti, who lied both about his parentage and his training, rise to become one of the greatest natural historians ever and the greatest name in ornithology? In Under a Wild Sky this Pulitzer Prize finalist, William Souder reveals that Audubon did not only compose the most famous depictions of birds the world has ever seen, he also composed a brilliant mythology of self. In this dazzling work of biography, Souder charts the life of a driven man who, despite all odds, became the historical figure we know today.
A really engaging exploration of the protracted, stumbling process it took Audubon to amass his portfolio and see "The Birds of America" through its publication. The best parts are about the birds - what the world looked like to Audubon. The descriptions of the birds and lush landscape of Haiti that Audubon knew as a child are mind-boggling, knowing how deforested that country is today. Souder takes the time to explain the significance of the loss of the passenger pigeon - a bird that flew in flocks so massive that one once took three days to pass over Audubon in his travels. Souder puts Audubon's masterpiece into perspective not just as a work of American art but as a document of what the country looked like in the early 19th century.
"Under a Wild Sky" is a nice companion to the 2015 HistoryMiami exhibit showing every single plate from "The Birds of America" in order, all at once: http://apne.ws/1DOSOwN.
