[close] Hawks in the Hand is an American treasure. First published in 1939 when the authors, Frank and John Craighead - pioneers of American conservation - were just nineteen years old, this chronicle of their early adventures in falconry and wild-bird photography was a groundbreaking book that propelled the identical twins to long-lasting international fame as ecologists.

Hawks in the Hand is full of the boundless energy and charming honesty of boys becoming intelligent young men, discovering that the natural world that had been their playground could yield fascinating insights about animal behavior, particularly that of the noble birds of prey. While their discoveries are worthy of any budding scientist, their stories and breathtaking adventures are skillfully rendered and wonderfully entertaining.

These two ingenuous storytellers introduce a cast of unforgettable characters: their friends and partners in adventure - human, canine, and avian - including Comet, the Cooper's hawk, one of their first birds trained to the fist; Bad Boy, the friendly American kestrel; Ulysses, a peregrine falcon; Cactus, the adorable burrowing owl; and Handsome, the osprey, who takes up a surprising friendship with a little skimmer.

In this edition, the first since its original publication, the authors have included dozens of additional photographs as well as excerpts from the log notes that provided the material for their book. Today, Hawks in the Hand is as relevant as ever: an important reminder of how much there is to learn from all wild things and how vital is the connection to the natural world for people of all ages. [close]