By Nancy Plain
John James Audubon traveled the length and breadth of North America in service of his monumental Birds of America, the work that marked his lasting reputation as a naturalist. Plain's account, drawn from Audubon's journals and letters, conveys the artist's determination (some regarded him as a madman) to document the continent's rich variety of birds and other wildlife. This elegantly designed book deftly blends art and ornithology, and includes lovely reproductions of Audubon's work.