Part scientific mystery, part cultural history, part intellectual archaeology, Who Killed the Great Auk? vividly tells the story of the extinction that helped launch the first conservation movement. The Great Auk was a large, flightless bird with tiny wings and an enormous beak. Its clumsy, erect gait on land made it an easy target for sailors and landsmen alike, who hunted it for its ample flesh and soft down, and eagerly gathered its eggs. Over time, the Great Auk began to appear less frequently; then rarely; then ...
Read More
Part scientific mystery, part cultural history, part intellectual archaeology, Who Killed the Great Auk? vividly tells the story of the extinction that helped launch the first conservation movement. The Great Auk was a large, flightless bird with tiny wings and an enormous beak. Its clumsy, erect gait on land made it an easy target for sailors and landsmen alike, who hunted it for its ample flesh and soft down, and eagerly gathered its eggs. Over time, the Great Auk began to appear less frequently; then rarely; then never again. By the end of the nineteenth century, even the most intrepid explorers could no longer find this once-common bird. Gaskell shows how the Great Auk's disappearance became a cause celebre. It sparked a frenzy among collectors, fascinated writers such as Charles Kingsley, and obsessed such influential ornithologists as John Wolley and John James Audubon, who helped push for the first legislation to protect seabirds. But as Gaskell shows, the extinction of the Great Auk was not a straightforward tale of overhunting. In this subtle, nuanced book, he reveals the ways in which its fate was inextricably bound up with the social, economic, and political history of the time. Who Killed the Great Auk? is nature writing at its best. From the journey of Audubon to Labrador to the hardships of life in early Newfoundland, it takes readers on a tour of some of the wildest and coldest places on earth. And at the end of the story, we understand a little more clearly how we came to value even the oddest inhabitants of the natural world.
Read Less
Add this copy of Who Killed the Great Auk? to cart. $5.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Oxford University Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Who Killed the Great Auk? to cart. $7.37, very good condition, Sold by Books From California rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Simi Valley, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Oxford University Press.
Add this copy of Who Killed the Great Auk? to cart. $12.00, like new condition, Sold by Grendel Books, ABAA/ILAB rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Springfield, MA, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Oxford University Press,.
Add this copy of Who Killed the Great Auk? to cart. $14.85, new condition, Sold by Books and More by the Rowe rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bella Vista, AR, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Oxford University Press, USA.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
New. New in new dust jacket. BRAND NEW. Never read or opened. May have remainder mark. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 242 p. Contains: Illustrations. Audience: General/trade.
Add this copy of Who Killed the Great Auk? to cart. $19.98, new condition, Sold by Cheezeburger's Media Mania rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Canton, GA, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Oxford University Press, USA.
Add this copy of Who Killed the Great Auk? to cart. $20.00, like new condition, Sold by Priceless Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Urbana, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Oxford Univ Pr.
Add this copy of Who Killed the Great Auk? to cart. $21.13, like new condition, Sold by Arapiles Mountain Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Castlemaine, VIC, AUSTRALIA, published 2000 by Oxford University Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
F in F- jacket. F-/F. 8vo. original black boards in dustwrapper (a trifle rubbed & marked); pp. [x (last blank)], 228 (last blank), with illustrations. A fine copy.
Add this copy of Who Killed the Great Auk? to cart. $22.00, like new condition, Sold by Sapsucker Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Grafton, VT, UNITED STATES, published 2000 by Oxford University Press, USA.
Add this copy of Who Killed the Great Auk? to cart. $22.99, like new condition, Sold by Robin Books rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Kingston, ON, CANADA, published 2001 by Oxford University Press, USA.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Fine. Hardcover Fine Published by Oxford University Press in 2000 Ex-library book with ink stamps, stickers, plastic cover etc, otheriwse like NEW Quality Books Because We Care-Shipped from Canada Usually ships within 1-2 business days If you buy this book from us, we will donate a book to a local school We donate 10, 000+ books to local schools every year.
Add this copy of Who Killed the Great Auk? to cart. $35.00, like new condition, Sold by Sutton Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Norwich, VT, UNITED STATES, published 2001 by Oxford University Press, 2001,.
