Categories

The Feather Thief

The Feather Thief

By Kirk Wallace Johnson

Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century. Penguin Books, 2018.

0.0 / 0

22 mins read

17 Key insights

A brief summary of The Feather Thief

A compulsive obsession to possess rare exotic birds leads to a most unusual robbery in this true crime story written by an equally obsessed journalist determined to reopen the closed case. Please be aware: The senseless deaths of birds, purely for greed and fashion, may be triggering for some readers.

Key insights in The Feather Thief

1
What do you get from this book? How a teenager’s obsession pre-empted a bizarre theft and a journalist’s compulsion for the truth
2
In the mid 19th century, Alfred Russell Wallace endured years of life-threatening conditions to gather specimens for scientific study
3
The feather fever prompted the killings of hundreds of millions of birds, largely for fashion
4
The masters of Victorian salmon fly-tying launched an obsession for exotic bird feathers that still exists today
5
Among novice and professional salmon fly-tiers was a talented young man who wanted to tie like the best
6
Edwin’s desire to tie salmon flies with priceless exotic bird feathers grew into an obsession that fueled a crime
7
A month after the theft, a museum curator finally discovered that many exotic birds were missing—time for an investigation
8
When Edwin’s name was mentioned at the Dutch Fly Fair, it was the lead that was needed to nab him
9
Edwin’s arrest angers the fly-tying community as he does whatever he can to avoid going to jail
10
The sentence Edwin would receive hovered on the judgement and diagnosis of an expert on Asperger’s syndrome
11
Although the case was closed, there were still over one hundred birds missing, and one man intent on finding them
12
The more he dug, the wider Johnson’s investigation spread, and the more determinedly he pursued justice
13
Edwin claims he’s not a thief, believes the birds were useless to science, and blames Long Nguyen for his arrest
14
Johnson’s five-year investigation comes to an end after no one wants to pursue the remaining missing birds
15
Summary of the key insights
16
Selected critiques in brief
17
Final word

Who should read The Feather Thief

Historians • bird lovers • fly-tiers • museum enthusiasts • ornithologists • fans of true crime

About the author of The Feather Thief

Kirk Wallace Johnson, journalist and author of several books including To Be a Friend is Fatal and The Fishermen and the Dragon, also founded the List Project to Resettle Iraqi Allies. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times publications.

author avatar

Kirk Wallace Johnson

Books similar to The Feather Thief

Related books that discuss topics similar to the book The Feather Thief

The Mosquito

The Mosquito

Timothy C. Winegard

A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator. Dutton, 2019.

15 mins read

4 reads

The Dark Heart

The Dark Heart

Joakim Palmkvist

A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator. AmazonCrossing. 2017.

20 mins read

0 reads

The Secret Lives of Color

The Secret Lives of Color

Kassia St. Clair

The Secret Lives of Color. Penguin Books, 2017.

19 mins read

1 reads

Two Wheels Good

Two Wheels Good

Jody Rosen

The History and Mystery of the Bicycle. Crown, 2022

21 mins read

0 reads

The Code Breaker

The Code Breaker

Walter Isaacson

Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race. Simon and Schuster, 2021.

21 mins read

1 reads

Midnight in Chernobyl

Midnight in Chernobyl

Adam Higginbotham

The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster. Transworld Digital, 2019.

16 mins read

1 reads

Related topics discussed in other books

Other books on similar topics in other fields and categories that may interest you

You might be interested in

Related books discuss other topics that are not necessarily similar to the topics of the book The Feather Thief

All Made Up

All Made Up

The Power and Pitfalls of Beauty Culture, from Cleopatra to Kim Kardashian. Beacon Press, 2021.

19 mins read

3 reads

How to Create a Mind

How to Create a Mind

The Secret of Human Thought Revealed. Viking Press, 2012.

19 mins read

2 reads

Why Is Sex Fun?

Why Is Sex Fun?

The Evolution of Human Sexuality. Basic Books, 1998.

12 mins read

3 reads

The Code

The Code

Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America. Penguin Press, 2019.

21 mins read

1 reads

The Man Who Knew Too Much

The Man Who Knew Too Much

Alan Turing and the Invention of the Computer. Atlas Books, 2006.

18 mins read

2 reads

How to Lie with Statistics

How to Lie with Statistics

How to Lie with Statistics. W.W. Norton & Company, 1982 edition.

14 mins read

2 reads

Childhood Disrupted

Childhood Disrupted

How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal. Atria Paperback, 2016.

14 mins read

6 reads

Fooling Houdini

Fooling Houdini

Magicians, Mentalists, Math Geeks, and the Hidden Powers of the Mind. HarperCollins, 2012.

13 mins read

0 reads

Shakespeare in a Divided America

Shakespeare in a Divided America

Shakespeare in a Divided America. Penguin Books, 2021.

13 mins read

0 reads

The Vegan Starter Kit

The Vegan Starter Kit

Everything You Need to Know About Plant-Based Eating. Grand Central Life and Style, 2018.

18 mins read

1 reads

See all books in Science & Technology

Explore more in these categories

Discover other books in various fields that contain the topics of The Feather Thief

What Lobab users are saying

Not sure if Lobab e-book and audiobook summaries are for you? Take a look at what a few of our satisfied users are saying about our powerful platform.

Ramogh

Lobab is a standout in the world of book summary apps, offering concise, insightful summaries of a wide range of books. Its user-friendly interface and well-crafted summaries allow users to quickly grasp the essence of complex works, making it an invaluable tool for those looking to learn more in less time. Whether for personal growth or professional development, Lobab is a game changer for anyone wanting to expand their knowledge efficiently. Highly recommended!

Benjamin Roche

Top quality app with plenty of brilliant summaries!

Nedal Ahmed

I found a really great book app that has made reading even more enjoyable ⭐️📚. It is super easy to use, has a lot of books to choose from, gives personalized recommendations, works well with e-readers, has an active community, and is accessible to everyone. I highly recommend it to all book enthusiasts!

Shaabi12A

I really liked the idea of the combination between the facts of the book and the issues of it in one summary. Well done.

iiMaan18ii

High quality and standards, the dark mode is good idea and good experience. So excited about the new books you’re going to add.

Eyad

Excellent experience, I can read and listen to a book within 15 mins. I appreciate the ease of use as well.

Fahad

Unique experience of book summaries delivering high quality, bestseller books, and very well-designed app. Highly recommend 👍👍

Understand books and audiobooks in 15 minutes - with Lobab!

books