The Great Auk
by Fuller, Errol
- Used
- Fine
- Signed
- Condition
- Fine
- Seller
-
Arrington, Virginia, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Synopsis
Garefowls, Penguins of the North, Riesenalks, Apponaths, Great Auks - all of these were names for a sea bird whose extinction was entirely the work of humankind. The birds existence ended on the morning of the third day of June 1844, when the last two recorded great auks were killed by three fishermen on the island of Eldey. a few miles south of Iceland in the North Atlantic Ocean. For thousands of years, until not so long before that fateful day, great auks swam the Atlantic in their millions and flocked to their breeding grounds from Newfoundland in the west, to Iceland and the Outer Hebrides in the east. Whole colonies at a time were hunted to death for their meat, feathers, and fat by sailors and fishermen from Europe and the Americas. Since the total vanishing of the species, the great auk has become an icon of extinction, alongside the dodo, the passenger pigeon, and the moa. More highly prized as a trophy than any other extinct bird, all its attributes - from its eggs to the oral history of its demise - were until fairly recently, voraciously collected. Its protean appearance in almost every artistic and visual form, from cigarette boxes to bronze and marble statues, has immortalised one of the most tragic man-made extinctions. The Great Auk: The Extinction of the Original Penguin tells this tale of destruction and of what we, as a species, do to the world around us. Errol Fuller is a world-renowned authority on extinct birds and the author of many books concerned with extinction and conservation.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Buteo Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- AH2303
- Title
- The Great Auk
- Author
- Fuller, Errol
- Format/Binding
- Leather Bound
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- The Great Auk Project
- Date Published
- 1998
- Weight
- 9.50 lbs
Terms of Sale
Buteo Books
TERMS: Orders may be placed by telephone: 434-263-8671, fax: 434-263-4750, or e-mail (orders@buteobooks.com). We encourage customers to contact us directly to verify availability, condition, and shipping instructions. Prepayment required by check or credit card. We accept Mastercard, Visa, Discover, Paypal and money orders; checks require a processing delay. Sales tax will be charged when shipping to Virginia. Orders usually ship within 2 business days. Shipping costs are based on books weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact you to let you know extra shipping is required. Please contact us to arrange for returns within 14 days. Expedited services via Priority Mail or United Parcel Service are also available. Shipping and handling charges for foreign orders will be quoted. Global Priority Mail and M-Bags are options. Delivery not guaranteed unless shipped via a traceable, insured method, such as Global Express Mail or UPS.
About the Seller
Buteo Books
About Buteo Books
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Marbled boards
- ...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...