The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century

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The Feather Thief truly is a tale of obsession . . . A wonderfully assured writer, [Johnson] takes us on a curious journey into the past . . . Vivid and arresting. The Times Edwin Rist, amerikietis vaikinukas studijuojantis muziką Londone, 2009-iais įsilaužia į Londono Gamtos istorijos muziejaus padalinį Tring miestelyje ir pavagia 300 retų paukščių odelių. Vagystės ilgus mėnesius niekas net nepastebi. Author Kirk Wallace Johnson worked for USAID in Iraq, heading up the reconstruction of Fallujah, then founded a non-profit organization rehoming refugees in America. Plagued by PTSD, he turned to fly-fishing as therapy, and this was how he heard about the curious case of Edwin Rist, who stole the bird specimens from Tring to sell the bright feathers to fellow hobbyists who tie elaborate Victorian-style fishing flies.

There were twists and turns aplenty, although I have to say I really could have done without the twist where he was diagnosed as autistic and in a later interview he reveals that he basically copied what he knew were traits of autism because he knew he'd basically get off with no jail time if he were diagnosed as autistic. That...was pretty gross, tbh. But that's 100% on him and not the author. Author Kirk Wallace Johnson found his subject matter quite circuitously, as he was recovering from burnout; his efforts to resettle homeless Iraqis had resulted in a case of PTSD, and led to a fishing trip, and a quasi interest in fly fishing. There, he heard about Edwin Rist, a young flautist who had plundered one of the most revered collections of preserved birds, over a hundred years old - to tear apart to sell for the purpose of making fishing flies. Edwin Rist, a musician, also happened to be an expert Salmon tyer. To that end, in 2009, Edwin broke into the British Natural History Museum and stole 299 rare bird skins, including 37 Birds of Paradise. Once Kirk Wallace Johnson heard about this most unusual heist, he jumped down the rabbit hole with both feet, beginning a long journey for the truth, which culminated in this book.An online forum recently posted a list of true crime without murder or violence. The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century would fit the bill as no murder nor physical harm befalls any person. Yet is any crime without a victim? Each reader would come up with a different list of who or what was affected by the events that are related in this book. Perhaps not as disturbing as the loss of life or a brutal rape or abuse, but still a story of devastating loss. Kirk Wallace Johnson served in Iraq with the US Agency for International Development in Baghdad and Fallujah as the Agency’s first co-ordinator for reconstruction in the war-torn city. He went on to found The List Project to Resettle Iraqi Allies. His work on behalf of Iraqi refugees was profiled by This American Life, 60 Minutes, the Today Show, the subject of a feature-length documentary, The List, and a memoir, To Be a Friend is Fatal. Johnson’s narrative entertainingly recounts not just Rist’s strange story but that of the pioneering Victorian ornithologists too New Statesman An outstanding narrative. I felt alternatively appalled, indignant, furious and at times, I must admit was a bit squeamish... All of those lovely birds; I simply don’t understand the desire to kill a living being for DECORATION alone. Yes, we wear shoes, use wool, live lives using resources but... trophy hunting is another thing. And despoiling history... The Feather Thief is a compelling blend of mystery, quirky salmon flytiers, and dogged natural-history enthusiasts, and it highlights the obsessive lengths that people will go to destroy—and protect—some of the world’s most valuable treasures Outside

A stirring examination of the devastating effects of human greed on endangered birds, a powerful argument for protecting our environment—and, above all, a captivating crime story Peter Wohlleben, author of THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES This is the type of book I absolutely love – one that takes a seemingly obscure topic and shines a brilliant and bizarre and endlessly fascinating light upon it. Kirk Wallace Johnson’s portrayal of the crazy world of feather fanatics makes this an unforgettable read Michael Finkel, author of The Stranger in the Woods It's one of those non-fiction books that makes you reach out for Google countless times, or buy other books because you discovered things you didn't know existed, or you didn't know you were interested. I was definitely fascinated with this crime, as well as reading once more about the limitless human cruelty towards nature. While this may not sound like a book that would appeal to a broad audience, it should. Those familiar with the sport of fly-fishing will understand aspects and nuances many of us never will, about this case, but historians, true crime readers, mystery fans and even fans of legal dramas, will find this to be a very compelling story.This fascinating study of obsession begins by exploring the history of nineteenth-century British natural history collecting, the Anglo-American trade in feathers for women's hats, and Victorian salmon fly-tying, providing important context for the central, incredible tale of the 2009 theft of a million dollars worth of rare bird skins from the British Natural History Museum by Edwin Rist, an American student of the flute at the Royal Academy of Music in London. A third section of the book relates the author's quest to recover skins not confiscated by police during Rist's arrest in 2010. I highly recommend. I admit I still don’t fully understand fly fishing, or the obsession with Salmon fliers. I still don’t have any interest in the sport, and I never will- but one thing is for sure- I was never bored while reading this book! The story takes us to the times where explorers first started to travel overseas to discover and collect bird species for scientific research. It then explores how these discoveries lead bird feathers to be used brutally in fashion and hobbies like fly-tying. There's a lot of research and information without dumping it on us in a boring way. The book is written in a very engaging language, making the subject matter interesting somehow. Initially, the story of the Tring heist—filled with quirky and obsessive individuals, strange birds, curio-filled museums, archaic fly recipes, Victorian hats, plume smugglers, grave robbers, and, at the heart of it all, a flute-playing thief—had been a welcome diversion from the unrelenting pressure of my work with refugees.”