Obsessing Over Obsession: A Review of The Feather Thief

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the late 19th century, several species of birds were hunted nearly to extinction in order to be used for women's hats. At the same time, birds were also being hunted so that their feathers could be tied to fishing lures in what became a hobby, an art form, and, for many, an obsession. Though many of these birds and their preserved bodies are protected by several international treaties, fly-tying enthusiasts still covet their feathers to this day. All of this, natural beauty and obsession, come to a head in this terrific true crime story of one of the biggest heists of rare birds from a natural history museum in recent history.

Admittedly, when I first started this book, I was not expecting much. I am no fisherman and had no idea about the seeming art that is fly-tying. The description sounded interesting to me though. And, just like many fly-tiers themselves and just like the author once he heard about this unusual heist, once I started I couldn't stop. Mr. Johnson does an excellent job of telling this story in three parts. The first part deals with why these feathers and bird carcasses are so important. The study of these birds go all the way back to Alfred Russel Wallace, Charles Darwin, and how both of them came up with the theory of evolution separately (Darwin gets credited because he published his work first). Mr. Johnson also talks about the field of biogeography that Wallace created as well as the milliners trade and fly-tying hobby that threatened to destroy these wonderful creatures. Like white rhinoceros horns and elephant tusks, these feathers were, and still are, sold illegally for people to own in private collections or used in personal hobbies. It thus adds a seedy undercurrent to what sounds like a rather pleasant hobby similar to stamp collecting.

The second part deals with the heist itself, perpetrated by an obsessive fly-tier, and how he sold much of his ill-gotten goods, how he was caught, and how a small quirk in British law allowed him to get away with a slap on the wrist. The first part was fascinating, but the crime and punishment section is what really lured me in (no pun intended). Upon seeing the collection for himself, the thief appears to have been compelled to commit the crime, but he only got off easy through luck... or did he?

The questions that are left unanswered by the end of the second part leads directly into the third part where the author himself gets involved. Mr. Johnson is coming off a trying period in his life and, upon hearing about the story from a fly-fishing guide, becomes obsessed with the story himself. He even ends up interviewing the thief and many of his friends. Just as many fly-tiers have become obsessed with this hobby, so does the author become obsessed with finding the answers. Thus, this whole book becomes a great meditation on obsession itself as well as a great true crime tale.

I have left much of the plot as purposely vague as I can because I want as many people to read this book without spoilers. It is a fascinating tale about the natural world and how man, even today, feels an urge to possess it and how that possessive urge will ultimately destroy nature. Obsession, whether for natural beauty, an interesting hobby, or the answers to long held questions, has a way of eating at a person from the inside and Mr. Johnson shows that very well. This is one of the best books I have read this year and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in nature or a good true crime story.

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