In 1782, Congress put the bald eagle on the Great Seal of the newly established U.S., establishing the bird as an icon for the nation ever since. And yet a dichotomy has existed between two views of the bird--noble symbol of America versus a predator of and pesky competitor for fish and game. -Pulitzer Prize--winning Davis (The Gulf, 2017), a professor of environmental history, chronicles the relationship between the bald eagle and Americans, then takes a broader look at patriotism and environmentalism throughout the nation's history. Davis first examines the eagle as the symbol of national identity, along with early attempts to study it and "control" its predatory ways. He then turns to the bird's first population crash and the realization that the only way to save the bird was to protect it from being hunted. Then came DDT and another near extinction, helping inspire a rise in environmentalism and a new respect for wildlife. Davis' unique look at a bird we all thought we were familiar with is well-researched and chock-full of fascinating historical and nature-oriented vignettes.

A majestic history of the bald eagle and how it has reflected the nation's changing relationship to nature. Davis, whose 2017 book The Gulf won the Kirkus Prize and the Pulitzer Prize, creates an equally sweeping cultural and natural history centered on the majestic bald eagle, a bird endemic only to North America. Regarded as the king of the avian species, symbolizing "fidelity, self-reliance, strength, and courage," in 1782, the bald eagle was chosen to be emblazoned on the Great Seal of the United States. Debate over the image was, unsurprisingly, vigorous; Benjamin Franklin, it was rumored, proposed a turkey. The eagle prevailed, however, representing "the picture of the nation's full-fledged independence and sovereignty." As much as the image inspired patriotic pride, some people--farmers who accused them of preying on livestock and even John James Audubon, who called the bird "ferocious" and "overbearing"--derided them. Farmers killed them, and so did early naturalists. Lacking cameras and binoculars, felling eagles was the only way to investigate them closely. Eagles, Davis writes, were "sentenced to death by the ornithology of the day." By the late 19th century, however, attitudes about humans' responsibility to nature began to change. Although in "a land of plenty" there seemed no need for conservation movements, the threat of bald eagles' extinction ignited efforts to save the species. By 1900, 22 states had Audubon societies, and some states outlawed the hunting of eagles. Examination of their migration patterns, courtship, breeding, and communication revealed that eagles displayed "fidelity to both spouse and home," were caring parents, and had no interest in carrying off human babies--once a widespread fear. In the 1950s, however, the potent pesticide DDT emerged as a devastating threat, causing nest failures: eggs not being laid and laid ones failing to hatch. The author's consistently lively, captivating narrative celebrates the naturalists, scientists, activists, artists (Andy Warhol, among them), politicians, and breeders who have championed the extraordinary "charismatic raptor." A rousing tale of a species' survival. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Pulitzer Prize winner Davis (The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea) presents the story of the United States' national bird. Since 1782, when its image appeared on the national seal, the bald eagle has served as a celebrated American symbol. According to Davis, ornithologists of the 20th century (including John James Audubon) portrayed the bald eagle in a negative light, and many non-Indigenous Americans considered it a shameless, vicious predator. As the author tells, bald eagles were a target of violence, and many were shot or poisoned resulting in a declining population. Conscientious citizens identified the bird's diminishing numbers with the shrinking of American wilderness as a whole and recognized the need for preservation measures (eventually, 1918's Migratory Bird Treaty Act and 1940's Bald Eagle Protection Act). VERDICT This fascinating and readable work will appeal to fans of the majestic bald eagle and to those interested in the natural, cultural, and political history of the United States.--Dave Pugl

Pulitzer Prize winner Davis (The Gulf), an environmental history professor at the University of Florida, scores with this sweeping history of America's unofficial symbolic bird. Combining natural, political, and cultural histories, Davis offers a wealth of surprising information and demolishes popular misconceptions, dispelling, for example, the idea that the turkey was a candidate for the U.S. national bird. He covers the use of the eagle as a symbol of fidelity, self-reliance, and courage; describes once-held beliefs that it was a scavenging pest; and explains threats to its survival, both from hunters and pollutants, that almost made it extinct in the 20th century. As Davis recounts, the story of the bald eagle is a rare example of successful conservation: twice--through the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 and the ban on DDT in 1972--the creature was pulled back from the brink and has since gone on to achieve a sustainable population. Well-timed humor--as when Davis notes that the fiercely loud cry of the bald eagle in the opening of The Colbert Report was actually the squawk of a red-tailed hawk--keeps things moving, and his writing is vivid: "On descent, primary flight feathers splay and twist; tail feathers pitch upward and downward." This account soars. Photos. Agent: Lisa J. Adams, Garamond Agency. (Mar.)