Arjan Dwarshuis, a professional bird guide, writer, and lecturer, holds the current Guinness Book World Record for observing the largest number of bird species in a single year. In 2016, he launched his global “Big Year” and ultimately observed 6,852 of the world’s roughly 10,700 bird species, setting a record that stands to this day. His yearlong adventure raised nearly $50,000 for the BirdLife Preventing Extinctions Program. Arjan also starred in the award-winning documentary Arjan’s Big Year and appears regularly on radio, television, and podcast programs in the Netherlands and beyond. He is a columnist for several magazines about nature, and as the ambassador for the IUCN NL Land Acquisition Fund, he is committed to the protection of birds across the globe.
Mark Obmascik is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author. His first nonfiction book, The Big Year, was turned into a Hollywood movie. His second, Halfway to Heaven, was winner of the National Outdoor Book Award for Outdoor Literature. He was winner of the National Press Club Award for Environmental Journalism, and lead writer for the Denver Post team that won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Columbine High School massacre. He and his wife live in Denver. They have three sons.
“Dutch birders take their pursuit to a higher plane of skill and
intensity, as exemplified in this global trek by Arjan Dwarshuis. A
fast-paced page-turner and a unique adventure story, The (Big)
Year that Flew By is also filled with insights about
landscapes, people, and a world of wonderful birds.” —Kenn Kaufman,
author of Kingbird Highway
“Arjan artistically weaves together the beauty of the birds, the
importance of conservation, and the complex logistics of non-stop
travel. The roller coaster highs of seeing a target bird, paired
with the lows of absolute fatigue and exhaustion, are an innate
undertone of any birder’s big year.” —Tiffany Kersten, birding
guide and continental U.S. Big Year record holder
“The (Big) Year that Flew By is not simply a celebration of a
broken record but a global call to action to protect the habitats
that birds rely on for survival. A Big Year of birding is a massive
undertaking, requiring a Herculean effort to successfully plan and
execute. While this quest involves daunting logistics and emotional
hurdles, the most notable achievement is distilling so much lived
experience into a single book. Arjan has conquered both,
beautifully capturing remote wild places and conveying
the intensity endured to find and observe nearly
three-quarters of the world’s bird species. Arjan’s contagious
passion for birds infuses his account of a global avian scavenger
hunt like no other.” —Christian Hagenlocher, author of the
Falcon Freeway
“An astonishing achievement! Arjan Dwarshuis’s year was
so big it covered an entire planet. His eagle eyes took
in almost 7,000 species of bird and brought into sharp focus their
often-fragile existence. Dwarshuis’s heartfelt prose reminds us
that many of these species are living on the edge—just a generation
or two away from extinction. Yet this is a story of hope—Dwarshuis
shines a light on the many communities around the world banding
together to save their local birdlife. This book is a glorious
tribute to the wealth of beauty and diversity found in birds, and a
clarion call for us all to care about the future of birds
everywhere. “ —Neil Hayward, author of Lost Among the Birds
“The (Big) Year that Flew By is somehow both a fast-paced race
through and an in-depth immersion in an amazing birding big year.
Arjan Dwarshuis does an excellent job of portraying the excitement,
stress, and exertion that are part of any Big Year, but that was
even more so in his record-breaking worldwide Big Year. I very much
enjoyed reading his account, sometimes with my heart pounding, as I
lived his journey with him, feeling joy when he managed to find
another rarity, concern with his bird-seeking struggles, and sorrow
in his very rare misses. As I read, I continued to be impressed by
the logistics required for all his travels, and by the excellent
people who helped him find all these bird species. His
interspersing of tales of his early birding years helped me better
understand the how and why he was able to pull off his remarkable
feat as well as his passion for birding. Throughout this book, he
also explained conservation concerns and advances as they relate to
the birds he sought, providing words of wisdom and words of hope.
In his conclusion, he admits that while flying all over the world
does use much energy, ecotourism in many far-flung places has been
and continues to be of great importance in saving birds and
habitats. I especially appreciate his conclusion in which he asks
his readers to adopt a positive attitude and do their part—'enjoy
nature and look up to the sky.’” —Lynn Barber, author of Extreme
Birder
“Arjan’s story is brilliantly told. I was with him every step of
the way. It is much more than just a story about one man’s bid to
see as most of the world’s bird species in one year as humanly
possible. No, this is an epic journey by a man who’s not only
obsessed with birds but who has a deep spiritual connection with
the planet as he observes the environments and habitats he
encounters. It is clear that we have to do more to take care of our
world and all its inhabitants, including us.” —David Lindo,
author of How to be an Urban Birder
"[An] entertaining debut . . . . [that] offers colorful glimpses
into the locales the author visits. . . . Part birding journal,
part travelogue, this will appeal to backyard birders."
—Publisher's Weekly
"Dwarshius’ exhilarating race against time across 40 countries and
6 continents in his attempt to break the world record will thrill
armchair readers and bird enthusiasts alike." —Booklist
"I sped through [this] book, trying to ignore feelings of jealousy
as Dwarshuis described moments with species I’ve dreamed of
seeing.” —The Washington Post
Ask a Question About this Product More... |