Troutbirder II

Troutbirder II
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Tuesday, December 31, 2019

THE FEATHER THIEF




This book is a fascinating true crime story with many diverse topics and connections. The reason I originally picked that up was that I thought it was about fly tying and trout/salmon fishing. Actually just for examples it includes information about the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the competition between Darwin and a rivalry over who developed the theory of evolution and the Rothschild families errant son who used his vast fortune to privately build a complementary Museum to the British Museum of Natural History etc………….
 

Edwin Rist is the feather thief. Was he a young man, too easily indulged by parents, and full of obsession? Was Edwin a detached manipulator? Was he autistic? Or did he fake autism to get out of prison? What we know of Edwin Rist is that he is a talented flautist. He is an expert fly tier. And, he’s a convicted thief, having ripped off the Tring Natural History Museum of 299 rare and valuable specimens. Edwin is also pretty remorseless about his crime.

Actually, a little of this and some of that adds up to a really fascinating story. I like that!

7 comments:

  1. Ooh, sounds like a good read!

    Hey, Happy New Year to you, Ray. I really hope that 2020 is better than 2019. It was rough on a lot of people, so I was glad to ring that year out.

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  2. Wishing you a happy, healthy New Year, Ray. I know that last one was tough for you.

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  3. Hi Ray - seems to be like a fascinating book to read ... I've written an article on Lionel Walter Rothschild - he was an amazing man ... and yes I'll probably purchase and read your 'The Feather Thief' ... another take on the story of Lionel.

    I hope you can have a peaceful year ... all the best for 2020 - cheers Hilary

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  4. Thanks for the review. Fascinating.

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  5. I remember when this was first in the news, some years ago. I always felt slightly guilty about having some Blue Heron neck feathers from a bird I found dead on the Skagit, and a small square of Polar Bear fir I bought at a fly shop in BC. Adding the Blue Heron hackle, strands going back the length of the streamer, really made the fly work in the water.

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  6. I hope you to have a happy, healthy, and a peaceful year ahead. Thanks for the review.

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  7. Dear Ray, thanks so much for the review. I read little nonfiction, mostly political stuff by journalists writing on our democracy and its fracturing.

    Mostly I read mystery novels. I recently read "the Fox" by Frederick Forsyth and highly recommend it. It's a spy/thriller but he writes with such clarity that its plot moves forward effortlessly and the characters are well-drawn. I'm wondering now if the historical background of Iran, Korea, and Russia is accurate. If so, there's so little that most of us know about what's going on political around the globe. Peace.

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