THE BIRDS THAT AUDUBON MISSED Discovery and Desire in the American Wilderness

Narrator Mack Sanderson balances several storylines in this jaw-dropping history of the race to identify native birds in early 1800s America. Patiently mounting the evidence, Kaufman recounts, or rather dismantles, the career of John James Audubon, who it seems stole, fudged, misidentified, and miscategorized many of his discoveries, along with shooting birds, owning and selling slaves, and pirating nearly everyone in his highly competitive field. Seamlessly, Sanderson weaves this crowded narrative into a history of species categorization and naming, a belated accreditation of Audubon's lesser-known contemporaries, and the author's own history as a bird enthusiast. Sanderson's smooth, mellow tones glide easily over the narrative's sprawling landscape and highlight its many insights and surprises. Of general as well as ornithological interest. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2024]