All about Birds: A Short Illustrated History of Ornithology

"This is the deepest and most thorough history of ornithology that I have seen. The mixture of history, biographical sketches, period illustrations, and science give it a broad appeal, and the writing is quite engaging. An important feature of the book is its coverage of European ornithology, which nicely complements books on the history of American ornithology and birding. The book's timeline is especially valuable."--Frank Gill, former president of the American Ornithologist's Union