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Sign up todayThe Falcon Thief
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“Part true crime thriller, part wildlife/ornithology study and a bit of history and adventure. Like the author I was late to appreciating birds but now I’m interested in all sorts, and am amazed by their resilience, diversity and amazing feats. Hammer has a keen observation and writes in a fast-paced catchy way that will keep you enthralled even if you don’t think you will be. Good if you like unusual real stories.”
— Karin • Bookworm of Edwards
Bookseller recommendation
“Jeffrey Lendrum is a criminal extraordinaire who grew up in South Africa, honing not only his love of birds but his heists—stealing the eggs of rare birds of prey to sell to egg collectors around the world. Soon he was selling falcon eggs to Middle Eastern buyers where falcon racing is a multimillion dollar business and one egg can sell for thousands. Detective Andy McWilliam with the UK's National Wildlife Crime Unit is determined to stop Lendrum and protect the world's birds of prey. This true crime story has it all: mystery, adventure, and danger, making for a great read from start to finish.”
— Sandi • Brilliant Books Audio
Bookseller recommendation
“The boldness of thieves continues to impresses me, and the Falcon Thief is no exception! This story is about the remarkable talent of Jeffrey Landrum in thieving eggs from endangered birds' nests, and how his obsession for collecting ultimately became his downfall. If you want a true crime that isn't bloody, this book is worth a listen! I was captivated the entire book, you will not be disappointed.”
— Chelsea • Tattered Cover
A rollicking true-crime adventure about a rogue who trades in rare birds and their eggs—and the wildlife detective determined to stop him.
On May 3, 2010, an Irish national named Jeffrey Lendrum was apprehended at Britain’s Birmingham International Airport with a suspicious parcel strapped to his stomach. Inside were fourteen rare peregrine falcon eggs snatched from a remote cliffside in Wales.
So begins a tale almost too bizarre to believe, following the parallel lives of a globe-trotting smuggler who spent two decades capturing endangered raptors worth millions of dollars as race champions—and Detective Andy McWilliam of the United Kingdom’s National Wildlife Crime Unit, who’s hell bent on protecting the world’s birds of prey.
The Falcon Thief whisks readers from the volcanoes of Patagonia to Zimbabwe’s Matobo National Park, and from the frigid tundra near the Arctic Circle to luxurious aviaries in the deserts of Dubai, all in pursuit of a man who is reckless, arrogant, and gripped by a destructive compulsion to make the most beautiful creatures in nature his own. It’s a story that’s part true-crime narrative, part epic adventure—and wholly unputdownable until the very last page.
Joshua Hammer is the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and The Mesopotamian Riddle. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, GQ, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Outside. He lives in Berlin.
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