Swan watch

by Budd Schulberg, Geraldine Brooks (Photographer)

Swan Watch

147 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Budd Schulberg (1914–2009) was a screenwriter, novelist, and journalist who is best remembered for the classic novels What Makes Sammy Run?, The Harder They Fall, and the story On the Waterfront, which he adapted as a novel, play, and an Academy Award–winning film script. Born in New York City, Schulberg grew up in Hollywood, where his father, B. P. Schulberg, was head of production at Paramount, among other studios. Throughout his career, Schulberg worked as a journalist and essayist, often writing about boxing, a lifelong passion. Many of his writings on the sport are collected in Sparring with Hemingway (1995). Other highlights from Schulberg’s nonfiction career include Moving Pictures (1981), an account of his upbringing in Hollywood, and Writers in America (1973), a glimpse of some of the famous novelists he met early in his career. He died in 2009.

Reviews

[Greg Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a neat story. I'm always intrigued....and maybe a bit jealous, when I read about interaction between humans and animals. I don't know why, but especially between humans and birds. I think they have an intellect that's far greater than the credit given. What makes this even stranger is the fact that the birds were Swans. If you've never had any experience with Swans just be very careful. They can be extremely protective of nests....and each other. They also think they're 20ft tall. So don't think you can shhhh them off. The writer and his wife finally gained acceptance, along with the reality that they can never be pets. They are wild and should be given that respect. And they did.

[John Pitcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice short but interesting book. I could relate to some of it from hand feeding to the magnificence of seeing so many birds in the Florida Everglades in late November after some southerly migrations had been completely.

[Craig Schlossin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short read, good book, info still current for those interested in nature.

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not knowing anything about the life of swans I found this book very interesting. Amazing that the swans became so tame. Following their instinctive movements over several years the author could anticipate their next move. The story has heartwarming parts but also those darker spots caused by nature and humans.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

the blurb says this is from 1994 or something but it's actually 1976. I remember nothing about this book or how I encountered it. my paternal grandmother had some sort of naturalist books, this may have been one of them that I read when I visited her in england.

[Diane Wachter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Swan Watch by Budd Schulberg, Photography by Geraldine Brooks. RDC-M V 2 1976, 4/78. Swans.