Eagle's Plume: The Struggle to Preserve the Life and Haunts of America's Bald Eagle [Paperback]

Bruce E. Beans (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 28, 1997

Symbol of power, strength, and freedom, the American bald eagle appears on coins, dollar bills, postage stamps, identification cards, and the presidential seal. It is seen everywhere except in the sky, although that is changing; nearly extinct in 1970, the bald eagle has made a modest comeback.

 

In Eagle’s Plume, Bruce E. Beans recounts the compelling, centuries-old story of the bald eagle’s place in American culture and landscape an its struggle for survival. Reviled by western stockmen as a killer of lambs and calves, the bald eagle has been deified by environmentalists as a reminder of America’s natural heritage. When the great national bird was robbed of its habitat and poisoned with pesticides, federal and environmental groups and local communities rallied to save it. Their heroic efforts are chronicled in the book, which also takes the measure and pulse of the bird that so impressed ancient storytellers.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Everyone likes a success story, and the bald eagle in recent years certainly qualifies as one. Environmental writer Bruce E. Beans finds enlightening stories of eagles thriving, from dozens of birds in former DDT-laden lands in New Jersey to 1,750 bald eagles counted in an hour in Alaska. But there's more than just counting birds in this work. Beans chronicles the story of some of those who have worked to save this national symbol, such as the retired banker who learned to scale 100-foot trees to band the birds. By the same token, not all the tales are happy. Beans tells of many who still act carelessly with the eagle and its habitat, showing that the story is not over. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Since 1970, action by government, organizations and individuals has brought the bald eagle from the brink of extinction to a measure of recovery; it is now listed as threatened instead of endangered. Environmental writer Beans here spins a captivating story of the eagle's significance in American culture and its current status in the American wilderness. In Florida, a retired Canadian banker spent more than 20 winters banding eaglets; in a New Jersey swamp, a biologist built an artificial nest to attract nesting birds; in the West, undercover agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pursued a widespread traffic in eagle parts and feathers. Beans charts the eagle's comeback in New Jersey, Virginia and Florida; problems of habitat destruction and pollution remain. In Alaska, he finds the nation's greatest congregation of eagles on the Chilkat River, now a bald eagle preserve. An inspiring volume for the environmental bookshelf.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 326 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (August 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080326142X
• ISBN-13: 978-0803261426
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,885,316 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling story of the saving of the Eagle, April 7, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: EAGLE'S PLUME: Preserving the Life and Habitat of America's Bald Eagle (Hardcover)

I found this book to be, much to my surprise, a very good read. Examples: The story of the college professor hoarding illegal poisons to sell to ranchers which are then used to kill eagles and coyotes; the retired man who learned to climb 100 ft trees to band eaglets; the Indians who kill, buy and sell eagles and eagle parts for profit; the western ranchers who live off government subsidies but who feel free to kill eagles as pests. There are many heros and bad guys in this book, including undercover agents risking their lives to catch the bad guys. But the good guys are winning and the eagles are going to make it back. A very good and readable book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well researched book on eagle's and their endangered habitat, August 30, 1996

By A Customer

This review is from: EAGLE'S PLUME: Preserving the Life and Habitat of America's Bald Eagle (Hardcover)

EagleÍs Plume, by naturalist Bruce E. Beans, is an ambitious book well rendered. In search of bald eagles and the reasons for their recent endangered status and remarkable ñcomeback,î Beans travels from threatened New Jersey wetlands to the wilds of Alaska and provides memorable portraits of heroes and villains as well as indelible images of this most majestic raptor. Readers (in all likelihood, the majority) who have never seen an eagle in the wild will not soon forget his descriptions of the bird in fl