This book is fascinating! It tells the story of the heist of priceless specimens from the British Natural History Museum by a young man obsessed with collecting beautiful – and rare – feathers. The Feather Thief is as much about the history of science as it is a heist book, and wholeheartedly recommend to anyone interested in either topic!
Megan, Library Assistant
Synopsis
“Alfred Russel Wallace stood on the quarterdeck of a burning ship, seven hundred miles off the coast of Bermuda, the planks heating beneath his fee, yellow smoke curling up through the cracks.” – first line
Documents the astonishing 2009 theft of an invaluable collection of ornithological displays from the British Museum of Natural History by a talented American musician, tracing the author’s years-long investigation to track down the culprit and understand his motives, which were possibly linked to an obsession with the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying.
About the Author
Kirk Wallace Johnson is the author of non-fiction and his writing has been in The New Yorker, New York Times, and more. His third book, The Fishermen and the Dragon: Two Dreams at War off the Texas Coast will be published in 2021. He is also the founder of the List Project to Resettle Iraqi Allies.
Read-a-Likes
Appeal Terms
How do you describe the books you love to read? Appeal terms help us describe what it is about a book that would make us recommend it to others. These come from the NoveList database, which librarians love! You, too, can use and explore this database free with your library card.
Genre
Life stories; Nature Writing; True Crime
Tone
Dramatic
Writing Style
Accessible; Compelling; Well-researched
Awards and More
Oprah’s list of 25 Best True Crime Books That’ll Make You Want to Sleep With the Lights On
American Library Association’s Notable Nonfiction Books of 2019
2019 Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award Nominee
This American Life Episode #654, aired August 10, 2018
This blog post was created by librarians from Park City Library with help of information found in NoveList – a database which is free with your library card. NoveList is a comprehensive reading recommendation resource.