Pros: Beautifully written biography that also serves as a wonderful American history text
Cons: References to illustrations don't actually mention when they are in the book
The Bottom Line: Great for birders, American history buffs and general biography fans, Rhodes manages to capture the life of Audubon AND the world around him.
martytdx's Full Review: Richard Rhodes et al - John James Audubon: The Mak...
As a birder, I've always known that we owed a lot to John James Audubon. But until I read this biography, I hadn't realized quite how much American ornithological history owes to one man's quest to document the species of birds found in this country (or at least, once did).
This book was given to me by a friend almost a year ago, and it took me this long to give it the attention it deserved. The biography covers the life - and times - of John James Audubon, author and illustrator of the "Birds of America" book that would define the species that existed in the times that a new country was forming.
&149; life and times of a BIRDER •
Author Richard Rhodes does a good job at telling us where Audubon came from, from his childhood to his coming to America and his early days trying to find his place in this new country.
I had thought the book would focus mostly on Audubon's life as a naturalist, but this book touches on the situations and experiences that took him down the path that would lead him to publishing the pre-eminent work on American birds until the late 20th century.
I had never realized that Audubon had tried his hand at being a store owner and a mill owner, with his bird illustrations being a sideline. Nor had I known that for a good part of his career, he actually supported his family by doing portraiture and art lessons. Rhodes narrative does a really nice job of telling us the tale of Audubon's early life and his trials making his way in early America.
Even better, not only does this book give us a detailed look at Audubon's life - French ex-patriot, store owner, husband, adventurer, father, writer, ornithologist and artist - but it gives us a good look at the time period in which he lived, framing it in his quest to produce the massive tome of illustrations, but still giving us valuable insight into how the world was - particularly the fledgling United States - in those early years.
Perhaps just as important as the story of Audubon's own life is the story of the world around him at the time, and his views on that world. We learn what it was like in the late 1700s in America, as the populace struggled to define themselves and survive the frontier they were trying to tame; we see the world of the expanding U.S., seeing the territories of Kentucky, Louisiana and the rest through the stories and records of a remarkable man. And interestingly, we get to see what might have been the first conservationist, as Audubon looked upon the 'advancement' of the American peoples at the expense of the natural settings and creatures he loved so much.
Additionally, through his own words, we get to learn much of how Audubon viewed the world he lived in, and how that world was evolving around him. For example, his chronicle of the natives of this country with respect and admiration for their skills and the way that they lived their lives - an interesting contemporary observation of a lifestyle long since removed.
Author Richard Rhodes does a remarkable job at giving the reader a solid and thorough accounting of Audubon's remarkable life story, starting with his illegitimate birth to his rise to become the most famous birder in the world. Through a combination of thorough research and remarkable records of letters, journals and thoughts from contemporaries, we get to see into the mind of this artist as he took a remarkable habit and turned it into an art and then into a lifestyle.
&149; a few small issues •
To be honest, the book seemed a little slow at the start, and difficult to get into; it wasn't until later that I realized how this early history would prove valuable to his later life. The other small issue I had was that there were many cases where they referenced his drawings/paintings, but never mentioned where they were in the book. I know that the book does not have all of the illustrations from Birds of America, but it seems that if the illustration WAS in the text, that it would be referenced.
• final thoughts •
No review in this space can truly grasp the enormity of the information captured in this book. Part biography, part natural history and part world history, "JJA: The Making of an American" is a book that will appeal to birders, obviously, but will also find a special place with anyone who loves to learn about where we came from as an American people.
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