The fastest animal alive, the falcon deserves attention not just for the combina
tion of speed, power, beauty and ferocity that has made it an object of fascinat
ion for thousands of years, but for the light it sheds on the cultures through w
hich it has flown. This book, bridging science and cultural history, surveys the
practical and symbolic uses of falcons in human culture in new and exciting way
s. Bestselling natural history writer Helen Macdonald follows the movements of t
he falcon, her personal experience and knowledge of falconry enriching the histo
ry and lore of this bird of prey.
