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Kingdom Under Glass: A Tale of Obsession, Adventure, and One Man's Quest to Preserve the World's Great Animals Hardcover – October 26, 2010

by Jay Kirk (Author)

34 customer reviews

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A sweeping historical narrative of the life of Carl Akeley, the famed explorer and taxidermist who changed the way Americans viewed the conservation of the natural world

During the golden age of safaris in the early twentieth century, one man set out to preserve Africa's great beasts. In this epic account of an extraordinary life lived during remarkable times, Jay Kirk follows the adventures of the brooding genius who revolutionized taxidermy and created the famed African Hall we visit today at New York's Museum of Natural History. The Gilded Age was drawing to a close, and with it came the realization that men may have hunted certain species into oblivion. Renowned taxidermist Carl Akeley joined the hunters rushing to Africa, where he risked death time and again as he stalked animals for his dioramas and hobnobbed with outsized personalities of the era such as Theodore Roosevelt and P. T. Barnum. In a tale of art, science, courage, and romance, Jay Kirk resurrects a legend and illuminates a fateful turning point when Americans had to decide whether to save nature, to destroy it, or to just stare at it under glass.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.; 1St Edition edition (October 26, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 080509282X
ISBN-13: 978-0805092820
Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.4 x 9.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #375,445 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #153 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Zoology > Mammals
- #223 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > Africa
- #811 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Scientists

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Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars

5 star		71%
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3 star		9%
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

A Novelization of the life of a Great Man and his Era

By Bryan Newman VINE VOICE on October 4, 2010

Format: Hardcover Vine Customer Review of Free Product ( What's this? )

The author delivers this biography like a Victorian Romance set against a rich, historic backdrop. Unlike typical biographies, the author rarely, if ever, steps in as narrator, but rather lets the story flow like a work of fiction. This made the story flow wonderfully, but after a while I worried that he might be taking too much artistic license with the story. So, I checked his end notes and was happy to read that he consciously decided to pick a novelistic style but then backs up each of his scenes and dialogues with sources. By the time I finished the first 8-10 chapters of endnotes, I no longer doubted the veracity of this story.

Perhaps the strongest point of this book is the brilliant way it captures the spirit and culture of the era Carl Akely was born into. The book uses scenes like the Chicago World's Fair with its fascination with industrialization and innovation and its zeal for the strength and promise of a rising United States to paint a vivid illustration of the times. It enhances this with the cast of characters that surround Carl Akely, such as George Eastman, PT Barnum, and Theodore Roosevelt who anchor the place and time in history. Also, the book weaves in the issues of the late nineteenth - early twentieth century natural history, from the millinery trade to the acquisitive nature of Victorian Natural History to the spread of Darwinism to a rising awareness of extinction to Eugenics to the budding conservation movement. Especially startling is the era's perception of the dominance and supremecy of Victorian Gentleman over the primitive cultures of Asian and Africa, and even Eastern Europe.

Against this vibrant backdrop, the author places the story Carl Akely, an amazingly driven and focused man.Read more ›

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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Through the Eye of a Needle Perspective

By R. A. Barricklow VINE VOICE on October 4, 2010

Format: Hardcover Vine Customer Review of Free Product ( What's this? )

I started reading with Tarzan and have never quite gotten it out of my reading DNA. I enjoy historical literature. I want to be challenged with my perspectives when it comes to what are the causes & effects. Thus, when I came across this fine work, I just couldn't wait.
The story of Carl Akeley(THE taxidermist) is truly a gem. It not only takes place in the guilded age, but keenly focuses on the African safaris of the time, as that age nearly brings them, their big game, and native ways of life, & other entities toward extinction. The author has crafted, not only a wonderfully sensational gem of a story, but one that, unfortunately rhymes too well with today's guilded age, where there are no Carl Akely's, Theodore Roosevelts, and others(that grace these pages), who valiantly try to curb a growing & unsatiable form of destructive capitalism(that would be casino capitalism, in today's vernacular).
The evolution of the museums during this time is expressed in detail through the life span of Carl/But by the mid-1880s not only was the frontier conquered, it was closed. The world had become smaller. Yet inside the smaller world everything was in a fragile union.This ecumenical philosophy would ultimately become the model for all museums. The people of the time were well aware that the bison and passenger pigeon were not coming back.
There are so many stories within this book that are just amazing. For instance, there is the biggest animal of the time, the world famous Jumbo The Elephant. He is killed on railroad tracks by a locomtive! When they opened his stomach they found hatfuls of british pennies, nails, keys, rivets, metal screws, gold and siver coins, pebbles, gravel and one very well masticated police whistle.Read more ›

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

Reading Kingdom Again...

By The Mountain on December 14, 2010

Format: Hardcover

I'm on my second read of Kingdom as it was impossible to put down the first time through. With so much detail and insight, Kingdom Under Glass reads like the best movie never filmed. It must have been amazing for Kirk to come across this treasure trove of truth (stranger than fiction) that has never really been told. Jay Kirk's style is truly gonzo, taking you on a journey through Akeley's soul, mind and body; almost as if Carl possessed Mr. Kirk for a time to complete his final epic work.

(After reading this book you'll realize that possession may have been another of Carl Akeley's superpowers).

Even though in his own right Carl was a bit of a superhero, I feel I need to comment on his struggle with being an artist or at least not being recognized as one. In my opinion a true artist would have realized much earlier on that there is no "perfect specimen" that can be caught, as perfection is subjective. His relentless pursuit of the most perfectly aligned creature made me (as an artist) cringe. A true artist would have crafted the perfect specimen from a lesser one or sculpted one from scratch. I think the guilt of not being the artist (the creator), is what turned Carl into the conservationist later in life. My 2¢ only.

Kingdom Under Glass inspired me to write my first book review. What more can be said?

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Kingdom Under Glass

By Stephen Balbach on October 6, 2010

Format: Hardcover Vine Customer Review of Free Product ( What's this? )

`Kingdom Under Glass` is about Carl Akeley (1864-1926), an American taxidermist who invented modern taxidermy and was famous for going on dangerous African safaris in the company of Teddy Roosevelt and George Eastman (Kodak) in search of specimens for the American Museum of Natural History, which can still been seen there displayed in diorama's. Killing the largest elephants and great apes was Akley's life-long single-minded obsession, his white whale.

It's tricky to present the mass slaughter of African wildlife by rich colonialists in a modern light without being judgmental. But like freedom-loving Thomas Jefferson who owned slaves, or Teddy Roosevelt who shot 8 endangered white rhino on a whim because he was bored, yet also created the National Park system to protect wildlife. Kirk doesn't directly make a judgment about Akeley, but the reader is left with the facts and can't help but see through the romanticism of the time for what it really was, the frivolous slaughter of wildlife as a passing fad and entertainment. Akeley's magnificent obsession to preserve animals by ironically killing them was not lost even on him, and he eventually became like a stuffed museum piece, cold and heartless and ultimately an extinct species of man.

Kingdom is Jay Kirk's first book and it's a winner, to say it "reads like a novel" is cliche in an era of creative non-fiction writing, but it really is true. It reminded me of works by Simon Winchester or David Grann, who also resurrect forgotten but interesting adventurer-scholar Indiana Jones types from the 19th century. Although 340 pages the reading is effortless and goes quickly, I found myself almost speed reading at times, which I attribute to Kirks delightfully smooth prose and compelling narrative.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Don't miss this book if you are interested in Taxidermy and Museum...

Great book about collecting for Museums. Also a good personal story of those involved and the hardships they faced doing Taxidermy.

Published 2 months ago by Carleen Lane

Wonderful adventure in a time machine reliving the history of man in a...

Extremely well written with the feel and voice of being there with Carl Akeley in his pursuits of discovery, perfection and adventure. Read more

Published 16 months ago by Edward C Vincent

I'd be careful who you recommend this book to.

I found this book easy to follow. It was a bit disturbing for the most part, but I understand where the author is coming from and chalk it up to the times and what was necessary to... Read more

Published on June 1, 2013 by Eddie Leach

A Great Biography of The Father of Wildlife Dioramas

I have loved the habitat dioramas in the American Museum of Natural History's Hall of African Mammals since childhood. Read more

Published on March 22, 2013 by Wayne Mones

Kingdom Under Glass

Interesting story about early safari expeditions and how they contributed to animal conservation. I found the information about Teddy Roosevelt particularly informative. Read more

Published on June 16, 2012 by displacedoutdoorsman

Who knew?

What a journey into an esoteric world! And that this book reads like an adventure novel and is a biography, without much, if any invented dialogue, is masterful. Read more

Published on March 2, 2012 by Horsekeeping

Fascinating, Very Well Written

I've seen a couple other reviews that say that Kingdom Under Glass should be made into a movie. I'd like to second that notion since the book has that rare ability to make you feel... Read more

Published on February 19, 2012 by Mr. Bey

Carl Akeley, famed explorer and taxidermist

Mr. Kirk's book is an extremely interesting story of an extraordinary man named Carl Akeley who revolutionized taxidermy and created the famous African Hall in New York's Museum of... Read more

Published on November 18, 2011 by David Pruette

a new perspective

As the Historian for the Town of Clarendon, the birthplace of Carl Akeley I was impressed by the way this book was written. Read more

Published on September 23, 2011 by Amazon Customer

The Title says it all: "obsession and adventure"

The life and work of Carl Akeley is so amazing, I am shocked (and a little ashamed of myself) for my ignorance. How many times have I wandered through the Field Museum in Chicago? Read more

Published on September 13, 2011 by C Wahlman