Symbol of power, strength, and freedom, the American bald eagle appears on coins, dollar bills, postage stamps, identification cards, and the presidential seal. It is seen everywhere except in the sky, although that is changing; nearly extinct in 1970, the bald eagle has made a modest comeback.

 

In Eagle’s Plume, Bruce E. Beans recounts the compelling, centuries-old story of the bald eagle’s place in American culture and landscape an its struggle for survival. Reviled by western stockmen as a killer of lambs and calves, the bald eagle has been deified by environmentalists as a reminder of America’s natural heritage. When the great national bird was robbed of its habitat and poisoned with pesticides, federal and environmental groups and local communities rallied to save it. Their heroic efforts are chronicled in the book, which also takes the measure and pulse of the bird that so impressed ancient storytellers.

An award-winning writer, Bruce E. Beans has covered a variety of environmental topics in the Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Times, and Audubon. He lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

"Beans here spins a captivating story of the eagle’s significance in American culture and its current status in the American wilderness. . . . An inspiring volume for the environmental bookshelf."—Publishers Weekly

"An effective blend of science, history and reportage, with rich chapters on the myriad places where images of eagles have shown up . . . [and] captivating anecdotes of eagle biology and behavior."—Newark Star-Ledger

"Anyone who has ever seen a bald eagle in the wild has wished to see one again, closer. Eagle’s Plume has the gift of drawing the eagle very close, and I am grateful to Bruce Beans for writing it."—Jonathan Weiner, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Beak of the Finch