Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird - Softcover

Blechman, Andrew D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0802143288 ISBN 13: 9780802143280

Publisher: Grove Press, 2007

Synopsis

Pigeons have been worshipped as fertility goddesses and revered as symbols of peace. Domesticated since the dawn of man, they’ve been used as crucial communicators in war by every major historical superpower from ancient Egypt to the United States and are credited with saving thousands of lives. Charles Darwin relied heavily on pigeons to help formulate and support his theory of evolution. Yet today they are reviled as “rats with wings.” Author Andrew D. Blechman traveled across the United States and Europe to meet with pigeon fanciers and pigeon haters in a quest to find out how we came to misunderstand one of mankind’s most helpful and steadfast companions. Pigeons captures a Brooklyn man’s quest to win the Main Event (the pigeon world’s equivalent of the Kentucky Derby), as well as a convention dedicated to breeding the perfect bird. Blechman participates in a live pigeon shoot where entrants pay $150; he tracks down Mike Tyson, the nation’s most famous pigeon lover; he spends time with Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Pigeon Handler; and he sheds light on a radical “pro-pigeon underground’ in New York City. In Pigeons, Blechman tells for the first time the remarkable story behind this seemingly unremarkable bird.

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

Many people consider the ubiquitous rock dove, better known as the pigeon, a "rat with wings." But as Blechman demonstrates in his enjoyable and informative book, this much maligned bird has served humans well for thousands of years, carrying messages informing the ancient Egyptians about flood levels along the Nile, bearing news of Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo and saving thousands of soldiers' lives during the two world wars. Today pigeons are found everywhere, from the queen of England's luxurious racing pigeon lofts to the garbage-strewn streets of every large city. Pigeons—gregarious, easily domesticated and capable of flying for hours at speeds of more than 100 mph—are interesting in their own right, but Blechman writes not so much about the birds themselves as about the people who either love or hate them. These include members of a Newe York City homing pigeon club who dedicate themselves to raising and racing pigeons; Queen Elizabeth's royal pigeon handler; breeders who spend years perfecting champion birds for show; gun enthusiasts who participate in brutal live pigeon shoots. Many of these people are eccentric, and while Blechman's book won't convert pigeon haters to pigeon lovers, it does make for entertaining reading. (Nov.)
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From Booklist

The humble rock dove, Columba livia, is so ubiquitous around human habitations that most people cease to notice them. Domesticated almost as long as the dog, pigeons have been a part of human lives for millennia and yet today have become mere hangers-on in modern society. When they are noticed, they are thought of as feathered rats, and yet there are enthusiastic clubs that race homing pigeons, breed fancy pigeons, and keep coops of birds on their roofs. From the Main Event (the Kentucky Derby of pigeon racing) to the Grand Nationals (think Westminster Kennel Club with pigeons), the author delves into the world of pigeon fanciers and learns from some of its gurus. Along the way, Blechman examines genetics and evolution (Darwin based much of his theory on his own pigeon breeding), history (carrier pigeons saved thousands of lives during the World Wars), natural history (how pigeons "home"), mythology (pigeons as symbols of peace and fertility), and pigeon control (both humane and lethal). Readers will never look at their cities' pigeons the same way again. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Grove Press
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802143288
• ISBN 13: 9780802143280
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256