The Rites of Autumn: A Falconer's Journey Across the American West [Paperback]

Dan O'Brien (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author tells here of traveling in the company of his two hunting dogs and Dolly, a young peregrine falcon, from the Montana Rocky Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. "This is an engaging story, one to be savored by animal lovers and those interested in falconry," commented PW.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Dan O'Brien spent the summer of 1986 in the Rocky Mountains releasing young peregrine falcons on the mountain cliffs. When one of his release sites was raided by a golden eagle, he managed to save a peregrine chick, and decided to make an improbable two-thousand-mile trip with the surviving young falcon, Dolly. From the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, following the autumnal migration of waterfowl, O'Brien taught her to hunt as a wild falcon would, in the hopes of releasing her into the natural world. The Rites of Autumn is the riveting account of their incredible journey. (51/2 X 81/4, 208 pages, map)

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; 1st edition (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558214577
• ISBN-13: 978-1558214576
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,902,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!, June 15, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Winchester, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rites of Autumn: A Falconer's Journey Across the American West (Paperback)

If you are interested in falconry at all, this is a MUST READ! The story takes you from the hack site to the beaches of Texas. I ordered this book for my boyfriend (now husband!) many years ago based on a review that I read in Sports Illustrated. I recently read it again and it was better the second time around (maybe because I know more about falcons, falconry and especially falconers than I did before!). It is a great story, it wont take you long to read and anyone who has ever loved a bird and let it go will really appreciate it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Rites of Autumn - Engaging!, April 22, 2002

By 

Jeanne Grant (Winfield, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rites of Autumn (Flamingo) (Paperback)

Dan O'Brien has a keen respect for and love of nature. His desire to protect and preserve peregrine falcons not only is told in an interesting way, but with a desire to teach others a respect for the importance of letting nature teach us.
There are funny and interesting tales of his relationships with his hunting dogs and a peregrine falcon, as he trains a wild falcon to hunt and soar, with the hopes of releasing it in the wild after a migration from the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Gulf of Mexico.
Dan writes with the ability to hold your interest. You'll want to keep reading!
This is a "good read".

5.0 out of 5 stars A good read, October 5, 2011

By 

Sharon Klemm - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Rites of Autumn: A Falconer's Journey Across the American West (Paperback)

If you like the Great Plains, falcons and people with wild souls, this book is just the ticket. His observations about our place in the natural world are right on target and remind me very much of Aldo Leopold's ideas. Super good read.