OUT OF THE HOOD: THE LIFE OF THE FALCONER. By Marcus Derbyshire.

2017 1st edition. 8vo (160 x 240mm). Pp176. B/w photographs and illustrations. Red boards, spine titled in gilt.

The author divides his year between gull-hawking with gyrfalcons and lark-hawking with his beloved merlins. Here he records his exploits, the highs and lows of flying trained falcons at wild quarry, with many thrilling accounts of actual flights. Marcus's friend, Nick Wilkinson, the top breeder of merlins for falconry, has contributed a chapter revealing many of the secrets and pitfalls of merlin propagation, as well as a record of his early days as a falconer involved in bird control at Sydney International Airport. "...this book really should be essential reading for not only any aspiring longwinger but also those who already fly longwings. ...So many books are bandied about as being 'essential' reading but here is one that really is. It is without doubt the best new book I have read in a very long time..." (Bob Dalton). "Marcus Derbyshire beats your average falconer in having the best tales to tell, be excelling in all fields, and, may I say it, by being in the top flight as a taker of quarry. He's not an average character either. It's good that he took the time to tell us about it." (John Loft). Chapters include:- Beginning of the end; The hawking year; It's dangerous out there!; The hawks; Days from the diary; 'Moor' days from the diary; Food for thought; Correspondence - Beccy, Polack et al; Sydney Airport falcons; Merlin breeding.