Eye for a Bird: Autobiography of a Bird Photographer

by Eric Hosking, Frank Lane, David Hosking (Editor)

To anyone interested in photography and ornithology - for whom this book is a 'must' - the name of Eric Hosking is already a legend, but his autobiography will have an appeal far beyond readers who share his two enthusiasms. As the account of a remarkable man who started his career with few advantages and yet has reached the top of his profession, An Eye for a Bird is full of adventure and incident.

'Hosking, you'll never make anything of your life,' was one headmaster's prophecy that went ludicrously astray. Happily Eric Hosking was able to build his career round the hobbies which often interfered with his studies: birds and photography. These, in turn, led to the lecture platform, radio and television, expeditions to a dozen countries, the illustration of over 700 books - and a library of more than 700 books - and a library of more than 150,000 photographs and ten miles of cine film. All this was done with a driving energy and determination that overcame all obstacles-including the loss of an eye early in his career. This autobiography was written in collaboration with his lifelong friend (and father of his son's now wife), Frank W. Lane, and illustrated by dozens of photographs, in colour and black-and-white.

Converted to Kindle format for a new generation by Eric's son and grandson, this fascinating account of one of the pioneering wildlife photographers is as pertinent now as it was when the book was first released in 1970.

All proceeds from the book will go to the Eric Hosking Trust, the charity established in Eric's memory that supports ornithological and conservation projects around the world.

Genres: Photography, Biography, Birds

463 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 19, 1970

About the author

Eric John Hosking OBE, Hon FRPS, was a pioneering wildlife photographer and the first professional photographer to make a living predominantly from photographing birds.

Reviews

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all you bird lovers out there, Eric Hosking describes his career as an ornithologist, spending hours and years of his life in hides and blinds observing birds of every species living in the U.K. and also in a few European continental countries.

One would think that Hosking would have found a different line of work because early on while hiding in a blind, an owl entered and slashed one of his eyes with its talon. It became infected and was told the eye needed to be removed or he'd lose both eyes.

This did not deter him, and good for the rest of us because this is an engaging description of Hosking's career (with only one eye) from the 30s into the 70s studying, lecturing and recording the lives of birds through photography.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally mesmerised from the beginning to the end. Interested, as a birdwatcher, in the difference in species commonly found now in the places which both he and I have visited compared to those the author found when he had visited the areas decades before. Had the relevant bird guides beside me as I read. Really pleased I succumbed when I was in a second hand bookshop.