Notes of a Provincial Wildfowler
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Aksakov, Sergei Timofeevich / Timofeevich-Aksakov, Sergei / Aksakov, S. T., PUBLISHER: Northwestern University Press, ong>Theong> companion volume to his popular ong>Notesong> on Fishing, ong>Notesong> of a Provincial Wildfowler is Sergei Aksakov's guide to ong>theong> bird species of his native Russia. Written in a style that invites comparison to ong>theong> works of Gilbert White ong>andong> Thomas Coward, Aksakov's volume combines a naturalist's sensibility with a literary skill that elevates ong>theong> work beyond ordinary environmental writing. ong>Notesong> of a Provincial Wildfowler is filled with precise descriptions of ong>theong> various game that it treats: detailed accounts of ong>theong> behavior of birds, observations on ong>theong>ir life cycles, ong>andong> lyrical discourses on ong>theong> habitats -- marsh, water, ong>andong> forest -- found in ong>theong> author's home region. Aksakov's deep fondness for his homelong>andong> permeates his ong>Notesong>, ong>andong> he contrasts a gentleman's affectionate observations on both hunter ong>andong> hunted (Aksakov's passion for ong>theong> habits ong>andong> habitats of his subjects are in stark contrast with his enthusiasm for ong>theong> shooting ong>andong> eating of his quarry) with an expertly conveyed atmosphere of personal ong>andong> national nostalgia. Offering a rich multitude of viewpoints -- philosophical, literary, linguistic, ethnographic, ong>andong> environmental -- ong>Notesong> of a Provincial Wildfowler will appeal to a wide audience of readers, from birders to historians to those who relish fine literature.