Under a Wild Sky: John James Audubon and the Making of The Birds of America by William Souder

Three lives: Audubon, Wilson, and Mrs. Audubon

William Souder’s 2004 book Under a Wild Sky is a very good biography of John James Audubon, if you don’t mind the fact that a third of the book is actually about Alexander Wilson, Audubon’s predecessor as the most hallowed name in American ornithology. I didn’t mind, but Wilson has such a huge role in this book, the first half of which is essentially a dual biography, that it seems misleading to leave his name out of the subtitle. What the subtitle does indicate correctly, however, is that while this book does provide a cradle-to-grave biography of Audubon, Souder places the greatest emphasis on the creation of Audubon’s printed masterpiece The Birds of America. To tell this fascinating story, Souder provides a historical overview of American naturalists in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, one that not only focuses on Audubon and Wilson but also includes guest appearances by William Bartram, George Ord, Meriwether Lewis, Constantine Rafinesque, William McGillivray, and several other notable names.

Though it deals with scientific and technical subject matter, every attempt has been made to render this narrative accessible to the general reader, which at times can be the book’s biggest fault. While Souder’s writing is commendably articulate, some passages employ such elementary vocabulary that they read like young adult literature. To bring his subject to life, Souder speculates much on Audubon’s thoughts and feelings, just as a novelist would for a fictional character. Souder also writes for an audience with no prior knowledge of American natural history, so topics like the debate between Thomas Jefferson and the Comte de Buffon about the supposed inferiority of nature in the New World are spelled out in a very simplified manner to get all readers up to speed. Also, all note numbers have been removed from the text so as not to intimidate casual readers, thus making it difficult, especially for the ebook user, to track down a reference.

Once Souder has established the foundation of a history of American naturalism, however, the second half of the book is an improvement over the first. When Souder zeroes in on Audubon’s efforts to make his dream book a reality, the scope changes from broad and shallow to focused and deep. How did Audubon, an enthusiastic woodsman but a lazy businessman, end up establishing what amounted to probably the most ambitious and expensive publishing project in history up to that time? The answer is a fascinating and compelling story of hard work, perseverance, artistic integrity, and some dumb luck. For book lovers, the making of The Birds of America is as engrossing as any well-penned wilderness adventure novel. Souder delves into the technical details of engraving, printing, and the publishing business in a way that is articulate without being dumbed-down. Bird lovers will also appreciate that Souder obviously enjoys birds himself and writes knowledgeably on ornithological matters. When Souder describes Audubon’s first encounters with various species, his enthusiasm, as well as Audubon’s, is infectious.

Souder almost overpowers the natural history narrative, however, with his intense focus on the Audubons’ marriage. While struggling to get his masterpiece published, Audubon was a rather terrible husband and father. Until he found success, the Audubon family was largely supported by his wife Lucy’s teaching career. Souder wants to give credit to Mrs. Audubon where it’s due, but he gets carried away with his coverage of the couple’s romance and marital woes. He feels the need to recount every letter back and forth between the two, when more concision in that area would have been appreciated. Nevertheless, the history of natural history is still the main attraction here, and Souder delivers a biography that will captivate any enthusiast of the subject.
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