Account of Matthiessen's journeys in search of cranes in Asia, Africa, Europe, North America and Australia, journeys that brought him into contact with conservationists, scientists and enthusiasts of many nationalities. Illustrated with colour plates by wildlife artist Robert Bateman, The Birds of Heaven captures the beauty of a vanishing species and the dilemma of a planet in ecological crisis.
Peter Matthiessen is a naturalist, explorer and writer. His works of fiction include At Play in the Fields of the Lord, Far Tortuga and the acclaimed 'Watson Trilogy'. His explorations have resulted in many fine works of non-fiction, among them The Snow Leopard, The Cloud Forest and The Tree where Man was Born.
"Our greatest modern nature writer in the lyrical tradition."
- Stephen Jay Gould