Frank L. Beebe

This is a fantastic book for anyone interested in getting into falconry.

There is a common saying that if you ask 10 falconers the same question, you're liable to get 10 different answers. This book is no exception to that rule. [a: Frank Beebe|387465|Frank Beebe|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] is not without his biases, and they show rather plainly in this text. Nevertheless, if you have a fairly broad reading scope on this subject you'll be able to pick out the bits that don't necessarily fit with the broad assumptions. For instance, I'm fairly certain Beebe has never flown a kestrel, or at least a good on. I've heard tell of people taking a hundred starlings a day with a kestrel, yet Beebe dismisses them as a hunting bird and calls them little better than a pet raptor for a young child. What?

All the same, this book is full of good information if you take it with a grain of salt, and great information if you're looking for a broad overview of falconry in general. It is a wonderful starting point that will likely help you decide whether or not this is a sport you'd like to pursue. The bibliography in the back is extensive, and NAFA itself has many of those books on their own recommended reading lists. Beebe is respected for a reason, and this book rather plainly shows why.

Helpful information - especially on raptor identification - helpful illustrations, including all equipment, lure making, and the birds themselves. This book is a great starting point, and a helpful resource to have readily on hand. A must for any beginner, or any falconer in general. You need to have the basics in mind before you can make up your own mind, after all.

Also of note: I've yet to see another book that covers all the birds one is capable of flying in North America and how they differ to the European and Asiatic birds quite as well as this book does. Very cool resource.… (more)

Reviewer's preface: This is the first book I have read about falconry, and at this point in my life I am merely a casual observer and information seeker, rather than an individual ready to take the plunge into apprenticeship and eventually mastery of the sport. As such, take my review with a grain of salt as I have very little knowledge to compare against or with the book.

A Falconry Manual is an excellent introductory book into the world of falconry. Written by Frank Beebe, one of the most well-respected falconers, the information comes straight from one of the most educated and experienced of North America's falconers at the time of publishing (1976). Roughly the first half of the book is an introduction to the different birds available for falconry in North America - falcons, buteos and accipiters. Each bird has at least two pages that describe its characteristics and traits, natural habitats, the type of prey and its attack methods, and how easy or difficult it is to be trained.

The rest of the book offers a glimpse into acquiring a falcon, some of the the equipment necessary and how to make them, training, and hunting with the birds. When certain aspects are different for different species of birds, the following section takes care of that. A Falconry Manual contains a lot of general and broad information about nearly every aspect of the sport, but also excludes some information (health concerns, and more specific techniques). However, he accomplishes a great deal in introducing the sport to the reader, and that is how the book should be viewed: as an introductory book to give the reader the general outline of nearly every aspect of the sport. This is an excellent book to pass around to anyone who may be slightly interested in the sport (and who wouldn't be?), and the price (between $15-20 USD) allows one to purchase two or three copies specifically for that purpose.… (more)