COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS

THE ART OF FALCONRY
by EMPEROR FREDERICK II OF HOHENSTAUFEN
Edited and translated by Casey A. Wood & F. Marjorie Fyfe
Stanford, California:
Stanford University Press, 1943.

Best known for our equestrian sporting literature, the National Sporting Library boasts a collection the breadth of which is often unrecognized. As such - and since variety is the spice of life - we are pleased to present as the year's first Book of the Month selection Emperor Frederick II's The Art of Falconry.

The crown jewel of a small but noteworthy collection of falconry literature, this tome is a classic of not only the sport of falconry, but of ornithology in general. First written shortly before the year 1250 by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and entitled De Arte Venandi cum Avibus, this work is a product of the early Italian Renaissance and is regarded as the first zoological treatise written in the critical spirit of modern science. Not merely a dissertation on hunting with birds of prey, it contains a lengthy essay on bird anatomy, avian habits and the excursions of migratory birds.

The NSL's copy of The Art of Falconry is a reprint edition of the first complete English translation of this classic volume. The translators and editors, Casey A. Wood and F. Marjorie Fyfe have included 186 plates, numerous notes and comments, as well as a bibliography, glossary and additional essays which "give a well-rounded picture of the noble art of falconry." This is truly a beautiful book and one to be valued by falconers, ornithologists and historians alike.

Please take time to browse the Library's stacks, where you will find other books on falconry, as well as a broad collection of other field sport subjects.