The Falcon Thief

By Joshua Hammer,

Book cover of The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird

Book description

A "well-written, engaging detective story" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about a rogue who trades in rare birds and their eggs-and the wildlife detective determined to stop him.

On May 3, 2010, an Irish national named Jeffrey Lendrum was apprehended at Britain's Birmingham International Airport with a suspicious parcel strapped to…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked The Falcon Thief as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

In this non-fiction piece that unfolds like a novel, Hammer takes the reader around the globe, providing much detail on the terrain, flora, and fauna of many disparate biomes.

The reason for the detail and the varied settings is the pursuit of a thief, always quick to dart off to the next deal, to the next domain, wherein a prize might be claimed, smuggled, and sold. Without knowing each other, a relationship develops between the investigator and his elusive perp.

I’ve always wondered how an obsession can turn criminal. The lure of the illegal wildlife trade can be very lucrative for those with a penchant for adventure and who are willing to take significant risks. This is the story of how a birder from southern Africa became an international wildlife criminal and rare-bird smuggler. The author wraps the story with the challenges that law enforcement officials face to apprehend and convict. This is a great introduction into the wildlife trade and the efforts people will take to acquire endangered species.

If you love The Falcon Thief...

Ad

Book cover of Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor's Unlikely Adventure

Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman,

Tap Dancing on Everest, part coming-of-age memoir, part true-survival adventure story, is about a young medical student, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor raised in N.Y.C., who battles self-doubt to serve as the doctor—and only woman—on a remote Everest climb in Tibet.

The team attempts a new route up…

Want books like The Falcon Thief?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Falcon Thief.

Browse books like The Falcon Thief

Book cover of Between Man and Beast: An Unlikely Explorer and the African Adventure the Victorian World by Storm
Book cover of West with the Night: A Memoir
Book cover of Kingdom Under Glass: A Tale of Obsession, Adventure, and One Man's Quest to Preserve the World's Great Animals

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

2,007

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like The Falcon Thief, you might also like...

Book cover of Diary of a Citizen Scientist: Chasing Tiger Beetles and Other New Ways of Engaging the World

Diary of a Citizen Scientist by Sharman Apt Russell,

Citizen Scientist begins with this extraordinary statement by the Keeper of Entomology at the London Museum of Natural History, “Study any obscure insect for a week and you will then know more than anyone else on the planet.”

As the author chases the obscure Western red-bellied tiger beetle across New…

Book cover of This Animal Body

This Animal Body by Meredith Walters,

Neuroscience PhD student Frankie Conner has finally gotten her life together—she’s determined to discover the cause of her depression and find a cure for herself and everyone like her. But the first day of her program, she meets a group of talking animals who have an urgent message they refuse…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in birds, birdwatching, and friendships?

Birds 177 books
Birdwatching 38 books
Friendships 1,535 books