cover image Roger Tory Peterson: A Biography

Roger Tory Peterson: A Biography

Douglas Carlson, . . Univ. of Texas, $24.95 (296pp) ISBN 978-0-292-71680-3

Roger Peterson (1908–1996) catapulted to fame in 1934 with the publication (after four rejections) of A Field Guide to the Birds , which almost immediately sold out its first printing of 2,000 copies. Considered the first modern guide of its kind, Peterson's book featured descriptions of nearly 500 species of birds, including plumages and characteristic behavior, as well as his own meticulous illustrations of each bird—all of which were part of what became known as the Peterson Identification System. In this excellent biography, Carlson, an editor and regular contributor to the Georgia Review , skillfully shows how Peterson used his talents as an artist and educator to make the guide a bridge between academic ornithologists and the general public, an accomplishment that has made it, after five editions, “the most important contribution to bird (and nature) study in the twentieth century,” as well as an inspiration for conservation, environmentalism and ecological studies. Carlson also provides the best look so far at the influence on Peterson's work of his youth in Jamestown, N.Y., as well as some of the difficulties, after his death, in building the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, where his legacy continues unabated today. 15 b&w photos. (Oct.)