America's Other Audubon

If you are into well made books, this one is for you. It is a work of art.It is a tribute to a young woman, Gennie Jones, who was inspired by John James Audubon, to supplement the areas of avian life (nests and eggs) omitted in his work. That she should have a family dedicated to completing her dream after her death at a very young age, is a tribute to family love and devotion.Originally I intended to give this book to my nun sister-in-law because it looked feminine and lovely in the Amazon presentation. Yet when it arrived, I realized that what she needed was a field guide and not this. No doubt I'd have bought a second copy to keep for our personal library.This is a hard cover book, by Princeton Architectural Press, with embossed cloth binding of the spine, which is entirely robin's egg blue, as are the end papers...colorful but classic, the boards themselves appropriately "eggshell" white, and smooth enough for a cover drawing to be printed front, and descriptive writing on the outside back cover. It has no dust cover.Quality paper, the portions such as the foreword, preface and index are in white paper stock, so you understand right away that this is the current information marshalled by Joy M. Kiser. A more subtle paper in tan is used to denote the portions from the original Jones text and illustration. This helps to distinguish when you leave today and go back to the world as Gennie and her family were putting it all together.Be sure to read the Foreword by the head of the Smithsonian libraries, explaining the unique value of the original work. Not many copies of the original exist, so this effort is a real treasure to bird lovers.

This book is lovely and big. Fast service. Not packed very well, just placed with no wrapping in a box 5 times bigger than the book. Book was thrown around inside box and corner is bent, damaged. But still ok. Ask for secure wrapping.

I am interested in observations of nature, many things, esp. "stuff" native to New England. The illustrations in "America's Other Audubon" are exquisite. The story of the production of the nests and eggs document by the Jones family in memory of Genevieve Jones is so moving. The drawings by the other family members are careful and precise as well. A happy aside: Mass. Audubon currently has an exhibit about "Illustrations of Nests and Eggs of the Birds of Ohio"; and the Jones family. The only addition might be more detail as to the behavior of the birds, even as addenda. Also I noticed in a photo that the original prints seemed to be on brighter, whiter paper. This is the only reason the book did not get 5 stars, but should be 4 1/2.

The story of this Ohio native young woman who began documenting nests and eggs finished by her family members when she died is very sweet, but the paintings in the book are realistic and accurate. First given me by a friend because of my family roots in Ohio and interest in nature, I recently gave it to my cousin, an Ohio native and life-long resident. She liked it very much. It is a treasure of a book.

What a treasure! Such great renderings—a real gift for those who love birds and have always wondered about where birds make their homes. Beautiful book! And I loved the story behind the book, even if heart-breaking.

I am not sure how I found this book, but it has been in my wish list for two years, and I finally decided to order it this week. My first reaction was that it was far more beautiful than I expected. It is a large, coffee-table sized book with wonderful detail (e.g., embossed spine). It is a lovely homage to the original work. I then read the introduction and found the story of this work to be incredibly moving. I thought I was purchasing a book of nest illustrations by an unknown woman from the late 1800s, which I found interesting enough. I was, but it is a far more complex and fascinating story and production. This book is HIGHLY recommended.

This book reaches into the past to share the story and work of nature artist Genevieve Jones and her family. Inspired directly by the dramatic imagery of John James Audubon, Genevieve sought to share the subtle secrets of birds by portraying their nests and eggs. Her own story is rich and tragic and speaks to the power of life purpose and family loyalty. Author/librarian/research Joy Kiser has done a true service in sharing this story about the artwork and writings of Genevieve and those who loved her. The nest and egg renderings are exquisite. The descriptions are clean. The book binding is lovely. If you have ever sat quietly in the woods, seen a flash of brightly colored wings in the springtime and wondered where "home" was, this book will open that window and let you look in.

I was really looking forward to the information on nests and the eggs, but when this edition arrived I couldn't believe how beautiful the book was, and what a terrific value! First, the binding on the spine is just beautiful, it is not a drawn on pattern as it appears in the picture, but rather is an embossing that just makes this that much more special to me. The pages of the plates are of quality paper weight and are slightly tinted so as not to be bright white pages, but a much more appropriate color on which the illustrations appear. Truely a lovely edition that is worthy of the time and effort that went into it. A gem to own and to give as a gift to your favorite birder!

This is a beautifully illustrated book about an hugely underrated artist/author and natural historian. Highly recommended for anyone who has a passion for ornithology, oology or birds generall.

We have a number of books on Audubon which we love, so were pleasantly surprised to come across this little gem. The illustrations are quite beautiful. For those who love art and birds, each illustration is a joy to view.

The best book ever. Great vintage pictures for picture framing.Good detail and informative. Great presentation and accurate. A must have.