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gogglor's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting and weird true crime niche. Will give you weird trivia to bring up at parties. Do recommend.
gerritd's review against another edition
4.0
Very well-written book with a depressing ending that has made me loathe fly-tiers.
lmbradley's review against another edition
A bit repetitive, but I appreciate that with some audiobooks, as I don’t always remember names when heard. The three part structure is a bit odd and contributes to the sense of repetition. Otherwise, this story of a museum heist provides a marvelous glimpse into the realm of obsessive fly tyers and illegal feather trade.
ambrizy's review against another edition
4.0
4 because it's difficult to say how much of the dramatization of the events described, that is, the internal thoughts of Edwin, are conjecture.
But otherwise, a good read.
I can say, as an artist and naturalist I have never despised a group of people more than the fly tying community based on Johnson's book. I did not expect this book to make me as angry as it did considering how niche a subject and how short a book.
But I do not regret reading it, interesting, heart breaking, and odd.
But otherwise, a good read.
I can say, as an artist and naturalist I have never despised a group of people more than the fly tying community based on Johnson's book. I did not expect this book to make me as angry as it did considering how niche a subject and how short a book.
But I do not regret reading it, interesting, heart breaking, and odd.
kellwarner's review against another edition
4.0
A nonfiction book that reads like a novel. Fascinating and entertaining. I also learned a lot. Highly recommended!
a330neo's review against another edition
4.0
"So, there's this kid, Edwin Rist. He's basically a genius, and his current hobby is fly-tying. Yes, tying ornamental flies for fly fishing. And somehow he quickly becomes one of the best fly-tiers in the entire community, but he's mad because to tie the best flies, he needs these rare and expensive bird feathers. Many of these feathers are illegal to buy and sell, so he can't get his hands on nearly enough. So he BREAKS INTO the British Museum and steals THREE HUNDRED rare and endangered birds. And the museum doesn't notice for TWO MONTHS. By the time they finally catch him, he's already sold a bunch of the birds. Which is weird because didn't he just want these feathers to improve his own craft? Well, this is the part where I tell you that Edwin was a flautist at the Royal Academy of Music and he was selling the birds to buy a GOLDEN FLUTE."
- paraphrased from memory from Jacob Geller's "Museum Theft" video.
I couldn't believe this story when I first heard it in Jacob Geller's video essay, so I got my hands on the book as soon as possible to see if it was really that ridiculous. And, yes, yes it is. The story is so unbelievable that it really took reading the entire book for it all to sink in. My mom didn't even believe it was a real story until I showed her multiple sources! Very well researched and thorough, and I appreciated all the extra historical context that was added. Highly recommend if this story is interesting to you at all.
- paraphrased from memory from Jacob Geller's "Museum Theft" video.
I couldn't believe this story when I first heard it in Jacob Geller's video essay, so I got my hands on the book as soon as possible to see if it was really that ridiculous. And, yes, yes it is. The story is so unbelievable that it really took reading the entire book for it all to sink in. My mom didn't even believe it was a real story until I showed her multiple sources! Very well researched and thorough, and I appreciated all the extra historical context that was added. Highly recommend if this story is interesting to you at all.
hmicheles's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely infuriating book in that Edwin and his disgusting circle of fellow fly tiers got away with a crime. Unbelievable yes, and sad that parts of humanity feel they are removed from the natural world and the law. Very well written.