The Silent Sky: The Incredible Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon [Paperback]

Allan W. Eckert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2000

This nature novel, by following the hatching and lifetime experiences of the last know wild passenger pigeon, chronicles the life, natural history, and ultimate extinction of this species which was once the most abundant bird species in North America. The last wild bird was killed in 1900; the last captive bird died in 1914.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Allan W. Eckert, seven-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, has written 39 books, including his award-winning Incident at Hawk's Hill and The Frontiersmen, plus numerous other historical narratives, novels and non-fiction works, as well as books for young adults and children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse; Second edition edition (April 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595089631
• ISBN-13: 978-0595089635
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #476,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Touching And Unnerving Story, May 14, 2003

By 

Tom Lowe "Owl Looking Back" (Gloucester Township, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Silent Sky: The Incredible Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon (Paperback)

After reading Allan Eckert's books on the frontier, I was pleased to find he also wrote a book about the passenger pigeon, a subject that has always fascinated me as a history teacher and an environmentalist. I read The Silent Sky and was deeply moved. So moved in fact that I was almost ashamed to be human. The greed and outright murderous lust thousands of Americans had for such an easy prey as the passenger pigeon was shameful and hard to comprehend. Unfortunately, the passenger pigeons were so timid, easy to hunt and numerous that they were incredibly easy pickings for the pioneers of the 19th century who unbelievably decimated a species that at one time numbered in the tens of billions. Eckert is an awesome writer and really hits you in the gut with such a touching story that you feel fascination, anger, guilt (for being human) and sorrow at the same time. In what I have learned from this incredible book, it really is a silent sky out there today compared to just over a century ago. Anyone with an interest in American History and the environment just has to read this book. Eckert, as a writer and researcher is truly gifted.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Silent Sky, November 7, 2000

By 

M. Carlson (Maryland USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Silent Sky: The Incredible Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon (Paperback)

If you love nature or history, you cannot read The Silent Sky without being emotionally involved not only in the events that caused the demise of the passenger pigeon but also in the complex life of this magnificant bird. The Silent Sky is a remarkable book that contains a detailed description of an event so unbelievable that it is difficult to comprehend how it could have happened. Although many people are familiar with the passenger pigeon's demise, most have no idea why this species is no longer with us. And even fewer people have knowledge of the bird's habits and how it lived its daily life. I didn't prior to reading the book.

Allen Ecker has described the events and bird in a precise and personal way as to make the reader part of the narrative. I cannot express the powerful overwhelming emotions that I felt as I completed reading this book. It is truly an unforgettable exerience.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Truly Special Experience, July 17, 2000

By 

zonkerharris (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Silent Sky: The Incredible Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon (Paperback)

I doubt I have ever read a story so sad as Eckert's story about the extinction of the passenger pigeon. Allan Eckert, perhaps the best nature writer living today, does a splendid job in documenting the demise of this North American bird that once numbered in the billions. The senseless slaughtering by Nineteenth Century Americans is told with such finesse that one cannot be moved to tears. Even young readers will be touched, for it is one of those rare books that can be read by young and old alike, by girls and boys, by both men and women, (indeed, anyone with an environmental conscience) and ask deep meaningful questions about what we as a species are doing to the other species with whom we share this planet.

I can only compare Eckert to John McPhee, another nature writer I greatly admire. This book, The Silent Sky, should be read by everyone. It is truly unforgettable. Hopefully this book will acquaint more readers to the amazing talent of Allan Eckert.