Customer Reviews:
If you have any interest in raptors, do yourself a favor..........2007-06-02
..and buy this book right now. A freind of mine showed me Floyd Scholz owl book and i was amazed. I found that he wrote another book , Birds of Prey, and ordered it. Just got it in today and it's fantastic. This book contains gorgeous photos of several species of raptors, but not just in outdoor shots or hard to reference flying poses. These are studio photos, close ups of spread and folded wings, details of the feet and head and a number of full body shots. There are also scientific line drawings of the birds, detailing the feather arrangement and body proportions. The back of the book has one the coolest sections ever...how to carve raptor statues! This mans carving skill is amazing to the point where it's almost ridiculous. His bird sculptures look 100% real and the clear step by step instructions make it look easy.
This book is perfect for artist's reference. It does have some text, such as the species profile at the start of each chapter which is awesome. However this book mostly photos, scientific drawings and artwork...which is also awesome.
Seriously, buy it.
Must have........2003-04-09
This book is an absolute must-have for anyone who wants to draw these birds... or simply appreciates their beauty. These aren't simply glamor-shots, they're close-up detailed images, from a number of different angles. Every one is well lit, in crisp focus, and shows wonderful detail.
Excellent Reference.......2001-07-16
This wonderfully photographed book is an excellent reference for anyone interested in carving birds of prey. An extremely thorough series of photographs is included for each bird covered in the book. Additionally, patterns and other carving consideration are included for each specimen. The book concludes with a chapter on creating acrylic eyes for carvings, a chapter on carving and painting a kestrel, and a chapter exhibiting some of the authors carvings. Incidentally, the author's carvings are great.
Scholtz's other book, Carving a Red Tailed Hawk, does not do this book justice. This book contains better photographs and better carving.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in carving birds of any type.
Gorgeous photos, facinating ifo.......1999-10-15
This is a gorgeous book packed with large color photos of many beautiful live birds. Its intended purpose is as a sourcebook for artists, but it will universally appeal to any bird lover.
The introductory chapter illustrates common features of raptor anatomy. Detailed chapters follow on 17 major North American species with numerous color photos and line drawings with dimensions.
A practical application is included with a step-by-step section on carving and painting a finely detailed kestrel in wood. There are even instructions for making remarkable lifelike eyes from acrylic plastic.
The book concludes with a gallery of the author's own fabulous museum quality carvings. This is a great combination of nature photography and fine art.
Terrific resource!.......1999-04-20
Not only bird artists, but any bird lover would enjoy this book. The pictures are excellent, in focus and from all angles.
This book is often in use at my lab table.
Book Description
After being paralyzed by the Joker, former Batgirl BarbaraGordon became Oracle and formed a crime-fighting team with other femaleheroes including the martial artist with a devastating sonic scream, BlackCanary, the vigilante known as the Huntress and the mysterious LadyBlackhawk!In this volume, the Secret Society of Super- Villains takes one of theBirds of Prey hostage and demands their leader's secret identity as ransom. The Birds will have to save their friend and battle the superhumanmercenary known as Deathstroke in order to defend the security of theirleader.
Customer Reviews:
Consistently good.......2007-10-08
I first started to like this book with Chuck Dixon. No disrespect to him but Gail Simone is very good. I recommend all the Birds of Prey titles with her writing. Too bad she has moved on to Wonder Woman. The art is also very good.
Gail Simone does it again!.......2007-08-04
Although I disliked previous TPB , I must admit this one has plot, humor and everything that made me start collecting Birds of Prey! Not many people can write like this, and art is good or great, like always.
"Perfect Pitch" review.......2007-05-13
This book collects yet more of writer Gail Simone's run on DC Comics' Birds of Prey series. Collects issues #86-90 & 92-95. Issue #91 was omitted,but doesn't hurt the collected storyline(as #91 was just a 'standalone' story).
review of "Perfect Pitch".......2007-03-29
(since some have apparently not found my review helpful, I have re-written it...!)
I have read and enjoyed all the previous BOP graphic novels. The art and writing have been consistently entertaining. Especially appealing was the penciling of Ed Benes. I was eagerly awaiting the current compilation, and pre-ordered it...
The cover features work by one of my favorite artists, Terry Dodson, so I was looking forward to his work inside. Unfortunately, I couldn't even manage to finish reading this book. The artwork is not by Benes, or Dodson, it's by Paulo Siqueira, a gentleman who seems to have no business penciling comic books at all. The artwork is amateur at best. The compositions and layouts are lifeless, and the rendering of the human form is crude. I am sorry to say this is a real fall from grace for a book that has enjoyed a several years as one of the best in the DC lineup. It is a shame that Ms. Simone's skillful writing has to be interpreted by this low-rent hack of a artist.
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03
Some undercover work here as the Birds split up. Black Canary goes to Singapore to look into some criminal activity, and takes her old compatriot, Wildcat, with her.
The Huntress is doing the control the mob from the inside trick in her other identiy.
This leads to a few clashes over methods.
Book Description
Huntress goes undercover to infiltrate a religious cult with a dangerous secret and a hidden operative, while Black Canary and Oracle uncover the true nature of Sovereign Brusaws organization. It all leads to the Huntresss battle against former Justice League member Vixen! Finally, the Birds must face the aftermath of the Gotham Gang War, leading to a decision that changes the teams fate forever!
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-04
This Birds of Prey trade contains stories that are a bit weaker than those that have come before, I think, and don't gel as well.
There is the undercover Huntress part, where she runs into Vixen. That is ok. Out of nowhere though, we have Brainiac interacting with Oracle, among other things.
It is still ok, just not as good as the rest.
Gail Simone Pens Another Winner!.......2006-10-08
Chuck Dixon created the mold when he delivered the first BIRDS OF PREY mini-series that later spawned a comic series that's about to pass 100 issues, and a short-lived television series that never quite found its wings. But I really think Gail Simone is the shining star of the series. She has the women's rap down, and she tech-savvy and seems to enjoy world-building, military hardware, politics, and history. All things that I gravitate to in storytelling. Simone is an absolute gem when it comes to creating captivating characterization.
In this last offering of issues rendered as a graphic novel, the Birds come into their own in many ways. Instead of the group just being Black Canary operating undercover with Barbara Gordon (Oracle) as backup, Huntress has been added in, as well as Lady Blackhawk. They work well as a group, and all of them are individuals with different triggers and goals.
This graphic novel concerns itself with a religious cult that has a surprise villain that I truly didn't see coming until X was on the page. Yet, X really fit. That's the magic that Simone brings to her work -- it's all a logical outgrowth of characters and situations. The later section of the book deals with the aftermath of the GANG WAR storyline that ran through the Bat books and ended in the loss of a major Robin-centric character that I still haven't agreed with.
As always, Ed Benes's artwork is lush and almost pure cheesecake -- except that he does action and body language and backgrounds so darn well. He's the perfect artist for a book like BIRDS OF PREY, and I hope he stays with the series forever.
If you haven't checked out a BIRDS OF PREY comic book/graphic novel and only have the television series to judge from, I'd suggest picking up any of Simone's graphic novels. Or any of Chuck Dixon's. But if you're wanting the deep emotion and women in turmoil, Gail Simone has definitely carved out territory of her own. I'm looking forward to more.
The Ret-Con begins.......2006-05-19
This is another complicated and finely woven story by author Gail Simone. This story involves BoP issues 68-75. And can be broken into four parts.
Part 1. involves the Birds investigating the disappearance of a bunch of kids. Oracle sends Huntress undercover to a cult in the woods of Oregon to investigate. While there she meets up with another undercover operative by the name of Vixen who is there to help her. Once again my biggest problem with this book comes down to Gail Simone's portrayal of Huntress. I am not certain whether Gail did her homework on Huntress or simply decided to arbitrarily ignore all the ground work laid out by other others such as Greg Rucka, Chuck Dixon and even Jeph Loeb did with her. But whatever the case, this is not the same Huntress. It's as if the character has been twisted and changed in order to suit the story the author wants to tell.
In the last book, Sensei & Student we saw Huntress--- a character who had previously portrayed as somewhat aloof proud and uptight---now reduced to a wanton who was predisposed to having sex with a man who just treated her abominably.
Now in this story we see a character,who had previously been portrayed as such a devout Catholic. That she incorporated the cross into her costume and took the time to pray for six slaughtered men. Now professing her discomfort with Churches, And who claims that she doesn't know the distinction between cults and churches! And Huntress' anger throughout the entire story is a real turn off. Gail Simone has made no secret of being an atheist and it's as if she's taken her own prejudices and foisted it onto the character.
Part 2. A subplot involving Oracle being taken over by Braniac, which is very interesting.
Part 3. A surprising stand alone story involving Canary finally confronting Savant, the man who kidnapped and humiliated her in the TPB `Of Like Minds'. I actually liked this story and consider it probably the best story that Gail has written. Because Canary is actually portrayed as a bit more human, and less `Pollyanaish' than she usually is. The story showed a woman who was suffered anger and resentment. Which would not be out of the norm considering what Savant had done to her.
Part 4. Involves a turning point for the Birds. Where after her clock tower being blown up and a fight with Batman. Oracle decides to re-locate to Metropolis. There is also a formal invitation for Huntress to join the team. And the introduction of a new character.
That being said. This probably is my favourite BoP arc, because of the darkness and intrigue.
Average customer rating:
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The Raptors of Arizona
Manufacturer: University of Arizona Press
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ASIN: 0816513228 |
Customer Reviews:
Gail Simone's Birds of Prey..........2007-08-06
... simply rocks.
Sensei and Student was the second major arc of Gail Simone's when she was writing Birds of Prey. Simply put, it is essentially everything good about comics. Great action, great pacing, great dialogue. it is all there. Not to mention that the series stars female characters... something you rarely see in comics, let alone done well. Gail makes her characters ones you can relate to, a hard task given the genre.
Birds of Prey at it's best.......2006-06-14
Lady Shiva, Cheshire, Huntress . . . guest stars galore in this collection. Lady Shiva is perhaps the most deadly martial artist in the DC universe and a well-known assassin. To make matters worse, Black Canary will have to team-up with her if she wants to find the answers she seeks!
And it bears mentioning that some of these guest stars become more than guest stars later down the road.
Did I mention the artwork by Ed Benes. It doesn't get much better than this.
Great Read.......2006-03-27
Sensi and Student was my first introduction into Birds of Prey. let me tell you, it has been a great series and a fantastic introduction to the characters.
This trade if filled with some fantastic character moments, action, thrills, and humor.
I could rehash the entire plot for you, but I think you've seen or read it before. I can tell you that I really enjoyed this trade, and it is a bright spot in my collection. I wasn't let down one bit by this series.
The only reason it doesn't get five stars, is I hoped the trade would offer more than the collection of comics. perhaps the writer and artists comments/sketches. Something more than the books recollected.
Birds rock!!!.......2006-01-19
I've just become a fan of the Birds two months back, but I really really admire the way Gail Simone writes the Birds. I just love the interactions between Dinah Lance and Barbara Gordon. Despite my note on the difference between the previous Huntress (e.g., the one I read in the Gods of Gotham story arc of Wonder Woman) and this Huntress in BoP, I still find that Birds of Prey really is the best heroine group of the DCU. Well, the only one, actually. Coz I don't count Wonder Woman and Catwoman as having a formal group affiliation with other female heroes, notwithstanding my love to both characters of Diana and Selina.
In this TPB, I was not only served with a great interaction between the three Birds, but also a rare treat of informal team of Black Canary and Lady Shiva, the world's most deadly assassin. As a fan of Wonder Woman, I was also very pleased to read the great interactions, albeit only 4-5 pages between Diana and Dinah while they were sparring at the JLA watchtower. Gail managed to catch the essence of Wonder Woman in such a short issue (i.e., Superman is the 'light' of human nature, Batman is the 'dark' side of human nature, while Diana encompasses both).
I was also excited to see Catwoman and Katana (and Gypsy) guest starring and helping Huntress and Black Canary to release Oracle from an 'illegal' prison. Again, Gail managed to grasp the essence of Catwoman in only several panels.
Way to go, Gail! Now, I have to save to buy some more BoP TPB...
Not the BEST Simone's work but EXTREMELY good.......2005-11-20
This trade paperback picks after Of Like Minds and is much better. Art is great like in OLM but story is MUCH denser. I guess I have soft spot for movies/books/comics that take reader to orient, but make no mistake, this is no Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee type of story. It looks like good old Master of Kung Fu in his best days combined with great oldies like Richard Chamberlain's Bourne's Identity. Anyway, villain Cheshire is everything but one dimensional and cast of characters is great.
PICK THIS UP! It can be compared to Morrison's X-men.
When is Marvel gonna publish Gail Simone's Deadpool and Agent X in one trade?
Book Description
This guide shows how to recognize hawks the way we recognize friends at a distance: by body shape, movements, and locale.
Customer Reviews:
Hawks in Flight Review.......2007-01-11
Excellent book. Great black and white drawings of adults and immatures of many species as well as different "phases" of the same species. No colour drawings are provided as hawks in flight are often seen in conditions that render them in shades of gray. Excellent text with even some humour thrown in. Highly recommended for those looking for a specific hawk book beyond the standard "all birds" guide.
First class.......2006-07-18
Of the dozen or so raptor identification books I own, I have learned the most from this book. The standard Peterson's guides work pretty well if you can get within 50 feet of a sitting bird, or if you use a gun as an accessory. However for most of us, you need to be able to work from a lot further away than that. Dunne takes you beyond plumage clues to descriptions of flight cadence, behaviour, posture, and relative body proportions. He discards the trivial details not visible from less than a hundred feet. He emphasizes what is still obvious in a backlit, soaring bird even miles away. On top of that he offers visual analogies that are cool 'sound bites' to help you remember features of the species. For example think of the flying 'stovepipe', the Northern Goshawk, or the 'arthritic' wingbeats of the Cooper's hawk. These clues offer the kind of practical wisdom that a seasoned birder will use.
The only minor point I would make is that I found a few of the sentences a little hard to understand. However, like most good teachers, he explains important details more than once in slightly different form, so that understanding of key points is clear. This book is definitely a winner.
Great companion book to other raptor field guides.......2005-08-19
"Hawks in Flight" is a different kind of ID field guide. Most guides feature many colored plates and or photographs of the birds. That is very useful if you are within a reasonable distance from the bird and the light is decent.
However, with birds of prey, you frequently see them from a considerable distance and from below. Most of the time you only get a good idea of their shape and flight characteristics. That is where this book comes in handy. Featuring nothing but B&W drawings (David Sibley) and B&W photos, "Hawks in Flight" shows you the bird as you will likely see it - a shape consisting of just a few colors (white, grey, black, brown) featuring some defining marks.
The authors also do a great job of describing what are the defining marks of each species and also telling you how to make a determination between similar birds (featuring B&W photos next to each other).
Highly Recommended
Good, not perfect, but good.......2004-12-28
Buteo identification has always been a challenge for me, but over the Christmas Day Birdcount I was able to get an identification I would have never gotten without the volume. The subtle parsing of the various colors, sizes, behaviors, etc. of raptors makes this more useful then a field guide for understanding on what you should be focusing when catching that 5 or 6 seconds of "flying away raptor".
Another reviewer mentioned the grainy photographs, which is dead-on. Unfortunately, I have to say that those photographs are (approximately) how I am seeing most of these birds. So, they are an odd bit of help, really.
Hawks in Flight, great source.......2004-03-26
This book is a must have for any raptor fanatic. I used to be so confused on how to tell all those buteos apart, except when it was an obvious red tail. It is definatly worth the money, it is not meant to be a "ooh look at the pretty pictures kind of bird book", it is a holistic approach to identification, you learn about flight traits of each raptor, overall impression, plumage, etc. Read the whole thing so you really get whats going on. I am much more confident and knowledgeable after having studied this book. Buy it, worth it.
Book Description
This book presents the most complete and up-to-date guide for the recognition of the diurnal raptors of Europe and the Middle East. More than 700 high quality color photographs have been specifically chosen to demonstrate the plumage of each age and sex class of every species found in Europe and the Middle East. The photographs are complemented by almost 100 line drawings focusing on particular identification details, and are backed up by a detailed text enabling birdwatchers to recognize even the most difficult species. The latest information, much of it previously unpublished, describes the plumage and soft part coloration of each category of bird, and compares and contrasts with similar plumages of species which may cause confusion. The book discusses the difficulties caused by stage of moult, variation in light conditions, and changes in silhouette arising from different flight types. Fully referenced with a list of nearly 300 key papers and articles, this book is an essential reference to the field identification of every species, age, and sex class of raptors.
Key Features:
- The first comprehensive collection of photographs of European raptors showing all plumages of species in the field
- Descriptions of every age class of each sex
- More than 700 high quality color photographs and 100 line drawings
- Valuable notes comparing difficult-to-identify species
Species List:
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus). Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus). Red Kite (Milvus milvus). Black Kite (Milvus migrans). White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeeutus albicilla). Bearded Vulture or Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus). Egyptian Vulture (Neophron perenopterus). Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus). Black Vulture (Aegypius monachus). Lappet-faced Vulture (Torgos tracheliotus). Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus). Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus). Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus). Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus). Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus). Levant Sparrowhawk (Accipiter brevipes). Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus). Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis). Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo). Steppe Buzzard (Buteo buteo vulpinus). Long-legged Buzzard (Buteo rufinus). Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus). Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina). Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga). Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis). Spanish Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti). Eastern Imperial Eagle (Aquila heliaca). Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). Bonelli's Eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus). Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus). Lesser Kestrel (Falco naumanni). Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus). Red-footed Falcon (Falco vespertinus). Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae). Sooty Falcon (Falco concolor). Merlin (Falco columbarius). Hobby (Falco subbuteo). Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus). Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug). Gyr Falcon (Falco rusticolus). Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus). Barbary Falcon (Falco peregrinus pelegrinoides).
Customer Reviews:
All you need to identify raptors in Europe(almost!).......1999-03-09
When I heard about this book I knew that I'd end up buying it,as I am a raptor fanatic(unfortunately its use is limited here in Ireland, as only three raptor species are in any way common,and very few migrant raptors occur) All of the regular European species(plus Lappet-faced Vulture) are depicted,with the number of photos seemingly varying in proportion to difficulty of identification.The text is fairly technical,but readable enough,and there isn't an excess of jargon(thank God!)I first used it to age a Marsh Harrier this January as an adult female,and in this respect it was of great use. It also helped me to tentatively age a Buzzard in late Feb. as a 2nd-year bird.I have yet to be confronted by a raptor which I actually haven't identified to species before consulting this book, but if I do I would turn to this book straight away.Also,many of the photos are superb,and whet the appetite for species that I have yet to see (all but eight of them!)The section at the start about moult etc. is extremely interesting also.If you live in Europe and have an interest in raptors,buy this book.Now,about that trip to the continent.......
Book Description
Many raptors, the hawks, eagles, and falcons of the world, migrate over long distances, often in impressively large numbers. Many avoid crossing wide expanses of water and follow "flyways" to optimize soaring potential. Atmospheric conditions and landscape features, including waterways and mountain ranges, funnel these birds into predictable bottlenecks through which thousands of daytime birds of prey may pass in a short time. Birders and ornithologists also congregate at these locations to observe the river of raptors passing overhead (as did hunters in the United States in the past and in some countries even today). Keith L. Bildstein has studied migrating raptors on four continents and directs the conservation science program at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Pennsylvania, the world's first refuge for migratory birds of prey. In this book, he details the stories and successes of twelve of the world's most important raptor-viewing spots, among them Cape May Point, New Jersey; Veracruz, Mexico; Kéköldi, Costa Rica; the Strait of Gibralter, Spain; and Elat, Israel. During peak migration, when the weather is right, the skies at these sites, as at Hawk Mountain, can fill with thousands of birds in a single field of view.
Bildstein, whose knowledge of the phenomenon of raptor migration is comprehensive, provides an accessible account of the history, ecology, geography, science, and conservation aspects surrounding the migration of approximately two hundred species of raptors between their summer breeding sites and their wintering grounds. He summarizes current knowledge about how the birds' bodies handle the demands of long-distance migration and how they know where to go. Migrating Raptors of the World also includes the ecological and conservation stories of several intriguing raptor migrants, including the Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Western Honey Buzzard, Northern Harrier, Grey-faced Buzzard, Steppe Buzzard, and Amur Falcon.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive writing on raptor migration.......2007-08-01
One of the criticisms of science is that scientists are 'preaching to the choir', that is, there is difficulty in passing scientific findings outside of the scientific community and into the general public where important on-the-ground decisions are made. In this book, Keith demonstrates the ability to take the vast body of scientific literature, as it pertains to raptors, and organize it in a way which allows the reader to feel at ease with the subject matter. A true eloquence is evident considering it was all done without the need to 'dumb down' the science which remains the foundation of the book. Each chapter, heavily cited, will be entertaining and educational to anyone interested in raptors and their conservation.
Migrating Raptors of the World.......2007-01-09
In his role as Sarkis Acopian Director of Conservation Science at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Keith Bildstein has arguably studied raptors on a more global scale than any person alive, both in person and in the literature. He has put this experience to good effect in this excellent synthesis of the research on raptor migration ecology around the world. The inclusion of information from the tropics, Asia, Australia, Africa, and South America make this book a big advancement over its predecessors. Bildstein's concise and precise text uses words economically to explain scientific phenomena and details of raptor biology clearly in a way that is accessible to amateur ornithologists and conservationists, while still being of interest and value to professionals. The references alone form a valuable body of work for anyone doing research in the field. And the migration life histories of eight species are unique and interesting, showing how individual species apply the general ecological principles of migration ecology in varying ways. Every hawkwatcher and raptor researcher will definitely want to add this to their libraries; birders and naturalists of all interests will be enriched in their understanding of the natural world by this book; and ecologists and conservationists of all stripes should own this work since it is about some of the sentinel species of earth's environment. I give it my highest recommendation and it would make a great Christmas gift for any of the above.
Good read.......2006-10-31
To me, one of the most boring topics to read about is bird migration. This topic puts me to sleep, it is that boring. This book, however, is interesting. The information is presented in a very easy manner to understand and it makes the topic of migration interesting. This book sites particular species as they migrate and provides theories and other information about the reasons for migration. Very good and informative.
Average customer rating:
- Avast me hearties, a Pirates life
- Stereotypical adventure genre
- Fantasy, not history
- Great Start, Disappointing Finish!
- Brilliant
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Birds of Prey
Wilbur A. Smith
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0312157916 |
Amazon.com
Look up "classic adventure novel" in the dictionary and you'll find the strong and capable features of South Africa's own Wilbur Smith, who--in books as varied and enjoyable as River God, The Seventh Scroll, When the Lion Feeds, and The Diamond Hunters--displays an awesome storytelling ability. His latest is one of his best efforts: a richly detailed story of war and piracy on the high seas in 1667, 150 years before Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey and Maturin books.
Book Description
Rocketing onto bestseller lists with his two majestic novels,
River God and
The Seventh Scroll, Wilbur Smith captivated readers with tales full of passion, rage, and glory. With BIRDS OF PREY, a tale of high seas and high adventure, Smith will enthrall readers once again.
The year is 1667; Sir Francis Courteney and his son Hal are on patrol in their fighting caravel off the Agulhas Cape of South Africa. They are lying in wait for one of the treasure-laden galleons of the Dutch East India Company returning from the Orient. So begins a quest for adventure and the spoils of war that sweeps them from the settlement of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa to the Great Horn of Ethiopia far to the north -- at a time when international maritime law permitted acts of piracy, rape, and murder otherwise punishable by death. Wilbur Smith introduces a generation of the indomitable Courteneys and thrillingly re-creates their part in the struggle for supremacy and riches on the high seas.
From the very first pages, Wilbur Smith spins a colorful and exciting tale, crackling with tension and drama, that builds and builds to a stunning climax. Packed with vivid descriptive passages of the open seas, breathless pacing, and an extraordinary cast of characters,
Birds of Prey is a masterpiece from a storyteller at the height of his powers.
Customer Reviews:
Avast me hearties, a Pirates life .......2007-05-12
An exciting read that is a kind of cross between Treasure IslandTreasure Island: The Graphic Novel (Puffin Graphics) and Anthony Adverse in Africa
Anthony Adverse in Africa. It has a little too much sexual content for even an high school level
but not very exceptional for popular novels today.
Details of sea life and the hardships of prisoners is vivid
and realistic, but the compounding of gun powder in the African wilderness is very unlikely.
Some suspension of credibility is to be expected with such fiction.
That there were wars between the colonial powers:
Belgium
France
Holland ( Netherlands)
England
Germany
Portugal
Spain
in Africa is not to be doubted. That the wars were this
extensive, this early is somewhat doubtful.
The matchlocks used match the ones in the film The Seven SamuraiSeven Samurai - Criterion Collection - 3-Disc Remastered Edition
as a Dutch weapon. The English of this period actually used Flintlocks
which needed no slow match from what I have read.
Stereotypical adventure genre.......2007-01-05
This was my first Wilbur Smith book. I thought it was all right for an adventure genre. There is enough historical research to add color. And it certainly moves along well. Many of the events are not believable, but you can say the same for James Bond. The book jumps between history and legend easily and superficially. Boys grow into manhood overnight. Women fall deeply in love by seeing someone from afar. Crocodiles are much more aggressive than in real life. But it is easy reading for passing a few hours.
Fantasy, not history.......2006-10-30
I was disappointed in this one because I was expecting something as well-researched and based in history as the old Hornblower novels. Suffice to say this one ain't.
It is riddled with historical inaccuracies. There was no war between the Moghuls and the kingdom of "Prester John" at that time. And there are so many little details which a modicum of research would have revealed, such as the (Urdu speaking) Moghul Maharaja speaking Arabic, or a description of what is obviously a hummingbird (which lives only in the Americas) -- small points but when I say this sort of thing was repeated ad nauseum you get the message.
Smith even borrows an incident from "Hornblower and the Atropos" in which someone is shot in the chest but the bullet travels around the rib to the back, where it lodges and causes fever and inflammation. Forster uses the incident for character development (the wound is the result of a duel between two cantankerous individuals; the wounded man is absolutely vital to Hornblower's mission and the other duelist is the doctor who has to save him while Hornblower is all but tearing his hair out). In Smith's hands, however, the wound is simply part of a battle and the extraction of the bullet the excuse for as much gore, pus, agony, etc., as he can lay on.
Also, I HAVE to ask: is anyone out there familiar with fencing or swordfighting? I've done a little fencing, and the climactic fight in which Hal kills the evil Colonel Schreuder turns on a trick of swordfighting which simply doesn't make sense to me. It sounded odd when I read it, then I tried to visualize it, then it seemed like nonsense. I even got a couple sticks and tried it out with aanother friend of mine who's a better fencer than I. It just doesn't work.
I gave it two stars because if you like gore, sex, and fantasy in a historical cloak, this is OK.
Great Start, Disappointing Finish!.......2006-07-21
Birds of Prey was my first Wilbur Smith Novel. Being a person that makes a living on the ocean I am attracted to novels about the great sailing ships of the past. Everything I had read about Wilbur Smith led me to believe that this would be a novel that I couldn't put down. In the beginning that was true. The main characters were interesting. I didn't expect the explicit sex scenes that are scattered throughout the novel. Mr. Smith's main hero throughout the book is young Hal Courteney. His sexual exploits are described in vivid detail in the first half of the book, but then as the book progresses become more like what I would expect from an adventure novel. I am not sure that the earlier sex scenes really added to the book. The St. Martin's Paperback version that I have is over 660 pages. It was a long read and you could actually divide the book into two halves. The first is while Sir Frances Courteney (Hal's Father) is driving the action in the story. The second is when Hal is the lead. The first half of the book is filled with intrigue and vivid battles scenes (and sex scenes). The second half of the book seems to have been an after thought. All the vivid drawn out scenes from the first half become a few paragraphs of quick victories for young Hal. You wait and entire 600 pages for Hal to face his Dutch antagonist. When it finally happens I can call it at best anti-climactic. He defeat's another ship easily and his other foil dies pretty unceremoniously. Forgive me, but when I put 600 + pages of time into a novel waiting for these two show downs (which you know at page 300 are coming) I expected more! Much more. Cut out the pages of Hal's sexual exploits and make the final scenes of the book worth the time I invested in this novel.
Having said all this the book was okay. The book's strength was the early vivid descriptions of Europeans seeing Africa for the first time. You could imagine what they must have been seeing. What a crocodile must be like for someone who has never seen nor heard of one. The fear they felt when the crocodile's got a hold of someone in the water. The book's weakness was the quick tidy ending. I am not upset that the good guys win; I expect that in an adventure novel. I was just disappointed that this was an after thought and wrapped up cleanly with a lot of luck.
I am not sure that I for one will invest another 600+ pages in a Wilbur Smith Novel in the future.
Brilliant.......2006-05-20
An exciting and fast paced books which is definitely up there with the other Wilbur Smith,s classics wonderfully researched and well written
Books:
- Birthdays, She Believed Birthday Book: Dates to Remember Year After Year (Tainted Ladies)
- Brain-compatible Dance Education
- Breaking Robert's Rules: The New Way to Run Your Meeting, Build Consensus, and Get Results
- Carpe Diem - Seize the Day (Sayings, Quotations, Proverbs)
- Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone
- Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone
- Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil
- DAISY COOKS!: LATIN FLAVORS THAT WILL ROCK YOUR WORLD
- Dancing in the Shadows of the Moon
- Debunking 9/11 Debunking: An Answer to Popular Mechanics and Other Defenders of the Official Conspiracy Theory
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Devil at My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War
- The Meaning of Life: Reflections in Words and Pictures on Why We Are Here
- Rumpole Rests His Case
- Ruskin's Rose: A Venetian Love Story
- Shadowed Lives: Undocumented Immigrants in American Society
- Spatial Information and the Environment
- The First Man-Made Man: The Story of Two Sex Changes, One Love Affair, and a Twentieth-Century Medic
- Paleontology and Geology of the Western Salton Through Detachment, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, C
- Princess Sultana's Circle
- Managing Export Entry and Expansion: Concepts and Practice
Owls
Carving & Painting the American Kestrel (Carving & Painting)
Carving and Painting a Red-Tailed Hawk With Floyd Scholz
The Raptor Almanac: A Comprehensive Guide to Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, and Vultures
The Illustrated Birds of Prey: Red-Tailed Hawk, American Kestrel & Peregrine Falcon: The Ultimate Reference Guide for Bird Lovers, Artists, and Woodcarvers (The Denny Rogers Visual Reference series)
