It happens to all birders, I’m quite sure. Our non-birding relatives find some book or other item (remember the singing bird clocks?) that they proudly present as a gift at some holiday or birthday. We act pleased, but inside we think, “I don’t really want this.”
That was my initial reaction when I was given a copy of Richard Rhodes’ biography of Audubon a couple of years ago. Yes, I’ve done a lot of work for Audubon Societies over the years, and yes, I spend a lot of time with birds, but I’m not much of a history buff and, frankly, I thought I knew everything I wanted to know about Monsieur Audubon. The book sat on the shelf for many months before I finally picked it up and gave the first chapter a chance.
I was hooked. Audubon’s life was more interesting than I had remembered, and Richard Rhodes is a celebrated writer whose lively prose makes this biography a fun book to read. Audubon’s story is a good one, but this biography also manages to describe what the young United States of America was like in the early 19th century. From severe economic downturns to the tragic leveling of the eastern forest, Rhodes made me yearn to slip back in time and watch what was happening.
Audubon failed in business rather spectacularly several times, and Rhodes argues that without these failings Audubon might never have followed his passions of birds, nature, and painting. It’s great fun to follow along on some of Audubon’s long journeys through the lower Ohio River and Mississippi River valleys whose forests were loaded with Passenger Pigeons and whose wetlands were filled with huge flocks of migratory waterfowl.
One thread that is woven throughout the narrative is Audubon’s devotion toward his wife, Lucy, whom he met early in life and whose love he treasured throughout his life. The two suffered long separations; in the early years as Audubon ventured out on collecting and exploring expeditions, and later he traveled to Europe to sell subscriptions to his works. Perhaps we know of this couple’s devotion because of the separations, as many letters between the two have survived and are available to contemporary biographers. Through these and other documents we also learn that other family members were not equally beloved. The tale never descends into soap opera, yet the realities of relationships, especially during times of hardship, are important elements of the biography and, indeed, of Audubon’s life.
There is some examination of Audubon’s artistry, and while Rhodes is no art critic, these passages are important in telling Audubon’s story and establishing his place in American history. The text is accompanied by a number of illustrations, including individual portraits and some of Audubon’s key paintings, ones that illustrate the development of his style and technique.
In short, I’m left thanking my family for a gift that originally disappointed me. If you’ve got the slightest interest in learning about John James Audubon, you’ll certainly enjoy this biography.
Rhodes, Richard. John James Audubon: The Making of an American. New York, Borzoi Books, 2006. 514 pages, $16.00 paper (also available in hardcover). ISBN-13: 978-0-375-71393-4; ISBN-10: 0-375-71393-X).
To order a copy of a title reviewed on the Birder’s Bookshelf, please call CMBO’s Northwood Center (609)884-2736 or the Center for Research & Education (609)861-0700.