{"product_id":"9781408160060","title":"Feasting, Fowling and Feathers: A History of the Exploitation of Wild Birds","description":"he way wild birds have been exploited over the centuries forms the focus  of this remarkable new book by Michael Shrubb. It looks at the use of  birds as food, for feathers and skins, for eggs, as cage birds, as  specimens and for hunting, focusing on Britain, northern Europe and the  North Atlantic. Never before has a book brought the huge amount of  information on these topics in the academic literature together under  one cover.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroductory chapters on what was taken, when, why and  its impact are followed by a number of sections looking in detail at  important bird groups. Along with discussions of broader themes of  exploitation, the book is packed with amazing facts. For example, we  learn \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• why Grey Herons were so important in medieval falconry\u003cbr\u003e•  why the Black Death was good news for bustards\u003cbr\u003e• why Napoleon is to  blame for the scarcity of Quail in Britain today\u003cbr\u003e• when tame plover  stew was all the rage\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe book concludes with discussions of the  cage bird and plumage trades, both now consigned to the annals of  history, in Britain at any rate. As well as summarising and condensing  the material into a readable and entertaining account, Shrubb goes back  to the original sources. This has allowed him to shed new and surprising  light on the biogeography of a number of British birds.","brand":"Bloomsbury USA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47126093725936,"sku":"9781408160060","price":48.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781408160060_p0.jpg?v=1763718774","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781408160060","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}