The Feather Thief
Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century
Ratings24
Average rating3.9
15
Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century
Ratings24
Average rating3.9
On a cool June evening in 2009, twenty-year-old American flautist Edwin Rist grabbed hundreds of bird skins - some collected 150 years earlier - and escaped into the darkness. Two years later, Kirk Wallace Johnson was consumed by the strange case of the feather thief. What would possess a person to steal dead birds? This is the gripping story of a bizarre and shocking crime, and one man's relentless pursuit of justice.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was such a bizarre story, but super interesting!
I've recently listened to this podcast about the Victorian bird market, which is super interesting too: https://www.dressedpodcast.com/podcasts/murderous-millinery.htm
Also, guys, Edwin Rist does flute covers of pop songs and tv music! https://youtu.be/CKnEp5qdANQ
Educational, fun to read, and by the end of it I found myself genuinely invested in the story. The writing itself is compelling, and although I was intitially confused by the author's inclusion of personal details in the narrative, by the end it did make sense. I thought the author approached a sensitive topic with great care, and wrote with a lot of respect about the people involved in the story.
This story is bananas, and I'm so glad I read it. It's wonderfully written and engaging from start of finish. It has the pacing of a thriller but the subject matter ranges from Victorian hat fashions, rare birds, science and exploration, fly fishing, and museum heists. Highly recommend giving this book a try.
