Return of the Condor

Audubon himself would be delighted to read John Moir's exciting and authoritative account of the difficult, politically fraught but ultimately rewarding effort to save the largest of all the living birds, a great shadow in the sky above the Western range. I certainly was. --Richard Rhodes, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of John James Audubon: The Making of an American By the 1980s, the California condor was well on its way to extinction. The saga of this magnificent bird, which had soared above the North American continent at a time when mastodons and saber-toothed cats still roamed the Earth, seemed to be nearing the end. The only thing standing in the way of this grim fate was the dedication of a small group of researchers and naturalists, committed to saving the condor. With eloquence and insight, John Moir chronicles the effort to save this spectacular bird. His book is a remarkable testament to what a few dedicated individuals can accomplish. --Tim Gallagher, Director of Publications, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology Return of the Condor is an account of cutting-edge conservation biology, but it is also an eminently human story. John Moir's focus is on the problematic intersection between science and scientists, between bird lovers and the great bird itself. The subject matter-complex and controversial, ultimately heartwarming-demands a skilled and sympathetic writer, and Moir's chronicle is thoroughly successful in this regard. --Ted Floyd, editor of Birding Magazine, American Birding Association John Moir's dramatic account of bringing the condor back from the brink of extinction is a reminder of the fragility of life on our planet and of the capacity of one species, humans, to protect or extinguish all others. Return of the Condor is a powerful tribute to the scientists, politicians, hunters, environmentalists, and concerned citizens who ultimately found a way to work together to ensure the survival of one of the most remarkable species on Earth. --Mark Schaefer, CEO, Global Environment and Technology Foundation, Former president of NatureServe A heart-stopping saga of the rescue from the very brink of extinction of one of the grandest of all birds. Starting with page one, I was captured by Return of the Condor. America is the richer for the success of those who fought against all odds . . . and this tale is one all should read. --Thomas Lovejoy, President, The Heinz Center for Science, Economics and the Environment, Founder of the PBS series Nature Pulling the California condor back from the brink of extinction has been difficult, and expensive. But this fine book by John Moir makes abundantly clear why preserving magnificent beings like our once-more wild condors is one of 21st century society's more important obligations. --Alan Tennant, author of On The Wing: To The Edge Of The Earth With The Peregrine Falcon John Moir has written an uplifting and well-researched tale that takes us on the condor's roller-coaster ride to recovery. Equally exhilarating and heart-breaking, this important story brings complex issues into clear focus and lets us understand-with both heart and mind-why we need to save this intelligent and majestic bird. --Maria Mudd Ruth, author of Rare Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled Murrelet Moir deftly chronicles the efforts of the dedicated biologists...who work to save the California condor from extinction. -- Publishers Weekly