A review by cymo01
The Peregrine by J.A. Baker

4.0

I am definitely conflicted about how much I like this book. On the one hand, the prose is beautiful as Baker creates a deep map of eastern Britain during the fall and winter. He takes you on near-daily hawk watching expeditions through some very interesting terrain. His ability to convey color, motion, and the natural world is uncanny. But on the other hand, the book consists of repetitious reflections on the peregrine falcon. How it flies, hunts, eats, disgorges pellets, and roosts. The reader is treated to innumerable discoveries of dead birds the peregrines have preyed on along the way.

If you're a birder this book is for you. I am a birder and so give the book 4-stars. Birders can relate to Baker's long walks, his standing in foul weather, and his unvarnished excitement at watching the avian natural world unfold. If you're not a birder, I think you will grow a trifle bored of the narrative even if you enjoy nature writing. Recommended for birders; recommended with reservations (for the unvarying narrative) for others.