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Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird
Pigeons have been worshipped as fertility goddesses and revered as symbols of peace. Domesticated since the dawn of man, they’ve been used as crucial communicators in war by every major historical superpower from ancient Egypt to the United States and are credited with saving thousands of lives. Charles Darwin relied heavily on pigeons to help formulate and support his theory of evolution. Yet today they are reviled as “rats with wings.” Author Andrew D. Blechman traveled across the United States and Europe to meet with pigeon fanciers and pigeon haters in a quest to find out how we came to misunderstand one of mankind’s most helpful and steadfast companions. Pigeons captures a Brooklyn man’s quest to win the Main Event (the pigeon world’s equivalent of the Kentucky Derby), as well as a convention dedicated to breeding the perfect bird. Blechman participates in a live pigeon shoot where entrants pay $150; he tracks down Mike Tyson, the nation’s most famous pigeon lover; he spends time with Queen Elizabeth’s Royal Pigeon Handler; and he sheds light on a radical “pro-pigeon underground’ in New York City. In Pigeons, Blechman tells for the first time the remarkable story behind this seemingly unremarkable bird.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
April 9, 2008
This book had potential. Pigeons and the people who love them. Sold... I'm all yours, Andrew Blechman. What a disappointment. The information was at times interesting, but there was no sense of connection to the people in the book. Also, Blechman at one point writes that he was looking for Mike Tyson at a "titty bar," at another point that he has to "take a piss," and he actually describes a pigeon butchering scene by saying that the woman slices the pigeon's "bunghole." Seriously? Titty bar? Bunghole? Is this guy 14? Lastly, is it really necessary to devote an entire chapter to all of the phone calls he makes trying to get Mike Tyson to meet with him to talk about pigeons that result in absolutely nothing because Mike Tyson evidently thought he was not worth the time for the interview?
February 8, 2024
Mandatory disclaimer: I'm a bird fanatic, and pigeons are one of my favourites.
This book was less about pigeons, and more about humankind's interactions with them, mostly focused on breeding and racing. Which, you know, is great if you're interested in that... but I just wanted it to be more about the bird itself. I knew this was more of a journalistic book and we aren't exactly going to have pages and pages of hard science, but I feel like a little more time could have been spent on the biology.
The chapter about live pigeon-shooting also made me ill. To Blechman's credit (if doing the decent thing is worthy of credit, which I suppose it is in this hell dimension we live in), he says in the afterword that "Against my journalist's instincts, I have crossed the line from neutral observer to advocate, [teaming up with] PETA to spread the gospel of human pigeon control [...] and to finally put an end to the barbaric live-pigeon shoots." And, y'know, thank God for that, but I question the necessity of including that whole chapter in the first place.
Speaking of chapters that should have been culled, there's one where he attempts to get an interview with Mike Tyson, who is famous for liking pigeons as well as being good at some sort of sport or other, I don't know, I'm not a fucking jock. But anyway, my problem with that chapter was twofold: one, I'd rather have absolutely zero attention spent on that rapist piece of shit, and two, Blechman didn't even manage to get an interview with him! It was just a piece of redundant filler - and why? You don't need filler! There's so many things to talk about when it comes to pigeons, dammit!
All of my criticisms aside, I did like the insight into pigeon breeding, and the passionate activists that lobby for humane pigeon control. But overall, this book just rubbed me a little bit the wrong way. I think if you're a regular person with no particular feelings on the humble pigeon except from curiosity, you may well like this. But for bird-obsessives, it doesn't really give you anything new - again, the scant biology that's mentioned is absolute basic beginner-level - and some parts of the book are just unneccasarily distasteful.
Tl;dr: Recommended for the curious, not recommended for the bird-lover.
This book was less about pigeons, and more about humankind's interactions with them, mostly focused on breeding and racing. Which, you know, is great if you're interested in that... but I just wanted it to be more about the bird itself. I knew this was more of a journalistic book and we aren't exactly going to have pages and pages of hard science, but I feel like a little more time could have been spent on the biology.
The chapter about live pigeon-shooting also made me ill. To Blechman's credit (if doing the decent thing is worthy of credit, which I suppose it is in this hell dimension we live in), he says in the afterword that "Against my journalist's instincts, I have crossed the line from neutral observer to advocate, [teaming up with] PETA to spread the gospel of human pigeon control [...] and to finally put an end to the barbaric live-pigeon shoots." And, y'know, thank God for that, but I question the necessity of including that whole chapter in the first place.
Speaking of chapters that should have been culled, there's one where he attempts to get an interview with Mike Tyson, who is famous for liking pigeons as well as being good at some sort of sport or other, I don't know, I'm not a fucking jock. But anyway, my problem with that chapter was twofold: one, I'd rather have absolutely zero attention spent on that rapist piece of shit, and two, Blechman didn't even manage to get an interview with him! It was just a piece of redundant filler - and why? You don't need filler! There's so many things to talk about when it comes to pigeons, dammit!
All of my criticisms aside, I did like the insight into pigeon breeding, and the passionate activists that lobby for humane pigeon control. But overall, this book just rubbed me a little bit the wrong way. I think if you're a regular person with no particular feelings on the humble pigeon except from curiosity, you may well like this. But for bird-obsessives, it doesn't really give you anything new - again, the scant biology that's mentioned is absolute basic beginner-level - and some parts of the book are just unneccasarily distasteful.
Tl;dr: Recommended for the curious, not recommended for the bird-lover.
October 22, 2015
How do I love this book? Let me count the ways. It is 1) refreshingly unexpected, 2) utterly interesting, and 3) appealing to the sentimental/romantic/cries-over-animal stories facet of me. When I lived in London I always viewed the pigeons of Trafalgar Square with total indifference. Following this book, I will never look at a "rock dove" the same way again.
I actually became aware of this book following an interview with the author that i heard on NPR. The interview was so incredible, that I actually did something I never do......I went home and "pre-ordered" the hardback version of the book from amazon.com before it was even released. Three long weeks later, the parcel arrived, and I read the entire book in virtually one sitting. Not only is the information of surprising interest, it is presented in a fashion that is captivating from the first page. I found myself calling friends and family and reading excerpted paragraphs aloud. How obnoxious, right? But it was SO GOOD.
Granted, I have zero reason in this world for obtaining specialist knowledge on topics such as the use of pigeons in the military, or in factories, or for spectator international races. However, that is the joy of this book. As promised in the title, one quickly becomes privy to phenomenal stories of the relationship between pigeons and humans. Although I have never "reviled" a pigeon, I can definitely say that I now certainly revere them. Don't think "dirty flying rat"......think "beautiful, loyal dog with wings and einstein's brain". Read it. You shall see.
I actually became aware of this book following an interview with the author that i heard on NPR. The interview was so incredible, that I actually did something I never do......I went home and "pre-ordered" the hardback version of the book from amazon.com before it was even released. Three long weeks later, the parcel arrived, and I read the entire book in virtually one sitting. Not only is the information of surprising interest, it is presented in a fashion that is captivating from the first page. I found myself calling friends and family and reading excerpted paragraphs aloud. How obnoxious, right? But it was SO GOOD.
Granted, I have zero reason in this world for obtaining specialist knowledge on topics such as the use of pigeons in the military, or in factories, or for spectator international races. However, that is the joy of this book. As promised in the title, one quickly becomes privy to phenomenal stories of the relationship between pigeons and humans. Although I have never "reviled" a pigeon, I can definitely say that I now certainly revere them. Don't think "dirty flying rat"......think "beautiful, loyal dog with wings and einstein's brain". Read it. You shall see.
November 13, 2017
K, like, I've taken my time with writing this review because this book was TOO MUCH, MAN. Since reading it, I can't shut up about pigeons; when I walk by a cluster of them bobbing their little heads as they peck at gutter garbage I pause and give them a tiny, adoring smile. LIKE WHO AM I, EVEN?
My friend, Jill, found this book at what turned out to be the best used book/CD store in Toronto. Just that morning I had been talking about how weird slash cute pigeons look when they bob their little heads (...imagine if humans walked like that, etc.). Finding the book was obviously a sign that it needed to be purchased and read immediately.
Like Robert Sullivan's beautiful (and strangely moving) book, Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants, Andrew Blechman's Pigeons was completely engrossing, fascinating, and the story of its subjects often made me stupid-emotional.
PIGEONS ARE SO NOBLE. Like, you don't even know. Pigeons populate every continent on Earth (with the exception of Antarctica). They are not migratory birds; they just fucking figure shit out and learn to survive and adapt to wherever it is they decide to settle (inspiring, ah). Some pigeons were little war heroes—saving the lives of hundreds of men in both World Wars I and II when they carried secret messages across enemy lines (some of them were awarded medals of valor—I can't even). Some even went on reconnaissance missions with tiny cameras strapped to their bodies (What. WHAT). And don't even get me started on how cool a pigeon's ability to "home" is OR the fact that they mate for life OR the fact that male and female pigeons share child (squab)-rearing duties equally. Can we, perhaps, learn something from this bird?
Blechman's book is well-researched (the chapter on Mike Tyson kind of went nowhere, but I get why he would have wanted to include it—all that leg-work and wasted time!). Blechman meets pigeon racers (including the man who races pigeons for the Queen), pigeon hunters (ew), pigeon breeders (look up the Frillback, it's worth it), and pigeon advocates. It seems that everyone involved with pigeons, in whatever capacity, is SUPER INVOLVED. Like, really into it. And, as you read this book, it kind of starts to make sense.
And, to dispel a myth—pigeons are no more disease-ridden than any other animal. In fact, they are not really carriers of avian flu because their internal body temperature is too high for the virus to thrive. That's not to say that you should, like, touch pigeon poo (don't do that), but like maybe the next time you see a pigeon pecking at a bread crust in the park, don't look at the little guy with, like, abject disgust?
My friend, Jill, found this book at what turned out to be the best used book/CD store in Toronto. Just that morning I had been talking about how weird slash cute pigeons look when they bob their little heads (...imagine if humans walked like that, etc.). Finding the book was obviously a sign that it needed to be purchased and read immediately.
Like Robert Sullivan's beautiful (and strangely moving) book, Rats: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City's Most Unwanted Inhabitants, Andrew Blechman's Pigeons was completely engrossing, fascinating, and the story of its subjects often made me stupid-emotional.
PIGEONS ARE SO NOBLE. Like, you don't even know. Pigeons populate every continent on Earth (with the exception of Antarctica). They are not migratory birds; they just fucking figure shit out and learn to survive and adapt to wherever it is they decide to settle (inspiring, ah). Some pigeons were little war heroes—saving the lives of hundreds of men in both World Wars I and II when they carried secret messages across enemy lines (some of them were awarded medals of valor—I can't even). Some even went on reconnaissance missions with tiny cameras strapped to their bodies (What. WHAT). And don't even get me started on how cool a pigeon's ability to "home" is OR the fact that they mate for life OR the fact that male and female pigeons share child (squab)-rearing duties equally. Can we, perhaps, learn something from this bird?
Blechman's book is well-researched (the chapter on Mike Tyson kind of went nowhere, but I get why he would have wanted to include it—all that leg-work and wasted time!). Blechman meets pigeon racers (including the man who races pigeons for the Queen), pigeon hunters (ew), pigeon breeders (look up the Frillback, it's worth it), and pigeon advocates. It seems that everyone involved with pigeons, in whatever capacity, is SUPER INVOLVED. Like, really into it. And, as you read this book, it kind of starts to make sense.
And, to dispel a myth—pigeons are no more disease-ridden than any other animal. In fact, they are not really carriers of avian flu because their internal body temperature is too high for the virus to thrive. That's not to say that you should, like, touch pigeon poo (don't do that), but like maybe the next time you see a pigeon pecking at a bread crust in the park, don't look at the little guy with, like, abject disgust?
February 25, 2010
Not really what I was expecting, I guess--the title and picture on the cover lead me to believe it would be about pigeons, but I felt like it was MUCH more about the people who are involved with them in some way. At times this focus was interesting, but it got really old towards the end of the book--especially, as others have mentioned, the Mike Tyson chapter, which was really pretty worthless. Others have also stated that Blechman seems to be in the pigeon reviler camp himself, and I would tend to agree. He seems to have found all the completely INSANE pigeon lovers and haters, and describes things in such a way that his disgust for them and their birds is pretty clear. Over all it ended up feeling like he wrote this book as a business venture and not because he was truly interested in his subject. It's not really objective or terribly informative, nor is it particularly humorous. I'd just skip this if were you.
April 6, 2013
I read this like many would gawk at a car wreck. I can't stand the brain pain while reading it, but I have to see what tragedy occurs next.
My gripes are mainly focused on 3 areas:
1. How many F-bombs and other crude words does take to write about pigeons? None. Blechy thinks curse words are necessary on this subject. This isn't a book about sex. It's not a humorous diagram of the sewer system. This is a book trying to relate (and failing) that pigeons are a wonderful animal, just the type of book a small child would pick up for his 3rd grade science project. Instead, the kid is subject to mother-f this and butt-f that and a professional writer's lack of a thesaurus when it comes to bird droppings.
2. Andrew the newspaper journalist is blatantly prejudged and snobbish in his views on the subject of pigeons.
3. Keen eyed reporter, Blechman, seems detached and aloof in the book in which he is the star. It's boring yet lacks the detail an omnibus might include. It's personalized, but the author never fully commits to the experience. It's opinionated, however the writer gives lip service about being subjective and fair to all viewpoints.
Not my favorite book, but definitely on the worst.
My gripes are mainly focused on 3 areas:
1. How many F-bombs and other crude words does take to write about pigeons? None. Blechy thinks curse words are necessary on this subject. This isn't a book about sex. It's not a humorous diagram of the sewer system. This is a book trying to relate (and failing) that pigeons are a wonderful animal, just the type of book a small child would pick up for his 3rd grade science project. Instead, the kid is subject to mother-f this and butt-f that and a professional writer's lack of a thesaurus when it comes to bird droppings.
2. Andrew the newspaper journalist is blatantly prejudged and snobbish in his views on the subject of pigeons.
3. Keen eyed reporter, Blechman, seems detached and aloof in the book in which he is the star. It's boring yet lacks the detail an omnibus might include. It's personalized, but the author never fully commits to the experience. It's opinionated, however the writer gives lip service about being subjective and fair to all viewpoints.
Not my favorite book, but definitely on the worst.
May 16, 2021
1.5 stars
The writing style of the book did not appeal to me in the least, and I found all of the people the author interacted with to be incredibly depressing. Why write an entire book about people who you don't particularly like? From the ostentatiously boastful pigeon racer who spends money on his birds instead of his much younger wife and the pigeon enthusiast who literally lives in a bird shit-encrusted home to the men who shoot live pigeons for "sport" and the unhelpful men who give the author the runaround as he attempts to track down Mike Tyson - I don't think this author particularly respected any of the people he writes about. And, unfortunately, this book seems to be more about the author and the people he meets whose lives are shaped by pigeons and less about, you know, the pigeons themselves. Disappointing, to say the least.
The writing style of the book did not appeal to me in the least, and I found all of the people the author interacted with to be incredibly depressing. Why write an entire book about people who you don't particularly like? From the ostentatiously boastful pigeon racer who spends money on his birds instead of his much younger wife and the pigeon enthusiast who literally lives in a bird shit-encrusted home to the men who shoot live pigeons for "sport" and the unhelpful men who give the author the runaround as he attempts to track down Mike Tyson - I don't think this author particularly respected any of the people he writes about. And, unfortunately, this book seems to be more about the author and the people he meets whose lives are shaped by pigeons and less about, you know, the pigeons themselves. Disappointing, to say the least.
July 2, 2017
I love pigeons, so I was excited to discover this book. Alas, the author chooses to focus more on the human communities who spring up around pigeons than the birds themselves. There is plenty of fascinating research on pigeons which would interest me a lot more than pigeon shooting culture, or the entirely anticlimactic chapter about Mike Tyson. The first chapter about the history of pigeons and humans was great, but after that if you actually want to learn about pigeons you'll have to look elsewhere.
April 21, 2008
Apparently pigeons are only good for hunting, breeding and racing. I was disappointed in the content of the book and some parts of it were really disturbing. Especially the parts about pigeon shooting clubs, some people truly are horrible.
February 8, 2008
I'm wary of nonfiction studies that are written in the first person. It's like, uh, I want to read a book about pigeons, not some douchebag's memoir. But Blechman's narration doesn't get as "wow, what wacky pigeon-related event will I, Andrew Blechman, go visit next?!" as I was worried it would. In fact, by the end of the book--particularly with the sections on the New York City top secret pigeon monitors, Mike Tyson, and the squab-killing factory--I was totally absorbed. They is indeed a lot more going on with the pigeon than I had thought. And now, I know more than you.
July 18, 2025
ciekawe były te różne relacje ludzi z gołębiami i sporo się dowiedziałam ale styl autora był TAKI OKROPNY to mój główny problem w tym wszystkim
a i ten rozdział w którym opisuje jak próbował się skontaktować z Mikiem Tysonem i mu to nie wychodziło 😭😭😭😭😭 kilka stron o dosłownie niczym
a i ten rozdział w którym opisuje jak próbował się skontaktować z Mikiem Tysonem i mu to nie wychodziło 😭😭😭😭😭 kilka stron o dosłownie niczym
August 20, 2015
Maybe you're not the kind of person who thinks much about whether a pigeon should eat spanish peanuts or corn, and how that might effect the bird's overall travel time. You might even be sort of neutral on the whole idea of animal control specifically as involves pigeons, because, after all, pigeons are feral; they are not protected the way other "wild" species of birds are. Ultimately you might find little that humanizes the pigeons in ways that invite sympathy on your behalf. That's fine. Set aside your feelings on this common bird and what you know or think you know. The author takes us on a journey of social interactions, from the days of pigeon sacrifice to the contemporary large-scale kills that happen in places like Pennsylvania. Along the way, we learn that Reuter's news service modernized western europe with its carrier pigeons who could deliver stock prices nearly three times faster than the trains. We learn of the thousands of enlisted pigeons who helped to end the war. And we learn of contemporary birders who race prime pigeons for big prizes. Mike Tyson loves these birds. Queen Elizabeth II employs a full-time loftkeeper whose prime duty is the royal lofts at Sandringham. All this knowledge weaves magically together into a true tale of pigeon culture in the US and abroad.
February 19, 2023
I’m not really sure who this book is for. Not for the pigeon lovers, as pigeon lovers are portrayed as crazy, and the book talks in detail about grisly pigeon deaths (such as how wounded survivors of pigeon shoots are suffocated and details of squab rendering facilities). Not for the pigeon haters, as they too are portrayed in a derogatory fashion. The journalist writing this book pretty much puts everyone down except for himself. I quite enjoyed the portion about the two older ladies who clandestinely feed pigeons in NYC. I learned a lot of interesting pigeon facts (people attach whistles to pigeons so they make music when they fly, people literally competitively roll these birds like bowling balls, people illegally steal wild pigeons right off the streets of NYC to sell to be used in pigeon shoots). Pigeons are affection and yet perhaps not too bright, they are great at orienting themselves and they poo a lot. The abundance of poop seems to be the main reason people dislike them. And, as everyone else has already mentioned, the entire chapter where the author tries (and fails) to track down Mike Tyson was a total waste. Chapter 4 had some great info, like Darwin wasn’t great at school! And Mendel gave up on his work with pea plants after no one showed much interest!
February 21, 2008
i feel SO GUILTY for chasing pigeons with the boys now. seriously.
a) i didn't know that it is STILL LEGAL TO SHOOT LIVE PIGEONS IN PA. the description of it just makes me sick - it's not like hunting, they are used for target practice. ugh.
b) i am a happy carnivore, but dude, i will never eat squab. (this is not totally stupid, as i don't eat veal either.) but seriously. ugh.
c) these poor pigeons! did you know that passenger pigeons are extinct? and they know exactly the moment when that happened? and all the poor netted pigeons in the city . . . it's enough to make me want to join B.O.B.
i mean, i hate pigeons, but it's really not their fault. they are communal birds who go where people are - they don't poop more than other birds, but they just congregate where we see them. i wish new york would do a humane pigeon thing. then again, we have the crazy bird feeders, so it wouldn't really work very well.
but i kind of want a pet pigeon now. I AM SUCH A SUCKER.
(this is an excellent book, btw. if it can make a bitter new yorker feel nicer about the birds but not feel lied to, it's pretty quality.)
a) i didn't know that it is STILL LEGAL TO SHOOT LIVE PIGEONS IN PA. the description of it just makes me sick - it's not like hunting, they are used for target practice. ugh.
b) i am a happy carnivore, but dude, i will never eat squab. (this is not totally stupid, as i don't eat veal either.) but seriously. ugh.
c) these poor pigeons! did you know that passenger pigeons are extinct? and they know exactly the moment when that happened? and all the poor netted pigeons in the city . . . it's enough to make me want to join B.O.B.
i mean, i hate pigeons, but it's really not their fault. they are communal birds who go where people are - they don't poop more than other birds, but they just congregate where we see them. i wish new york would do a humane pigeon thing. then again, we have the crazy bird feeders, so it wouldn't really work very well.
but i kind of want a pet pigeon now. I AM SUCH A SUCKER.
(this is an excellent book, btw. if it can make a bitter new yorker feel nicer about the birds but not feel lied to, it's pretty quality.)
Read
May 1, 2020Nothing wrong with the book.. I tried to pick it up because I hate the pigeons on my roof and I wanted to find some redeeming qualities.. yes they are intelligent, strong.. and what else.. it doesn't matter, it doesn't help, I still hate treir poops! And I'm bored so DNF at 25%
June 4, 2025
4 stars
Really didn’t need a whole chapter about how the author tried and failed to interview Mike Tyson
Really didn’t need a whole chapter about how the author tried and failed to interview Mike Tyson
July 28, 2014
This was a fantastic read. I first heard about it on Science Friday on NPR. I've always thought that pigeons really got a bad rap, but didn't really know much about them beyond that. This book tells the story of the pigeon by telling the story of, well, pigeons. Many pigeons. The author takes you through glimpses of the lives of pigeon fanciers, racers, hunters, slaughterers, rescuers and advocates, interspersing it all with stories of how pigeons' storied past, and some fascinating things we're learning about pigeon physiology (did you know homing pigeons have magnitite in their beaks to help them navigate using the earth's magnetic fields?).
It was very easy to read, flowed very well as a story, and had some amazingly charming characters as well. Pigeon people may be many things, but most are characters! I learned so much about the pigeon, and appreciate them all the more for it. I also learned about effective ways of reducing pigeon populations in cities, different breeds of pigeons, and what exactly squab meat is all about. The book does include a recipe for pigeon pot pie. (not really my thing, tyvm)
I don't think that anyone, after reading this book, could call a pigeon a rat with wings.
It was very easy to read, flowed very well as a story, and had some amazingly charming characters as well. Pigeon people may be many things, but most are characters! I learned so much about the pigeon, and appreciate them all the more for it. I also learned about effective ways of reducing pigeon populations in cities, different breeds of pigeons, and what exactly squab meat is all about. The book does include a recipe for pigeon pot pie. (not really my thing, tyvm)
I don't think that anyone, after reading this book, could call a pigeon a rat with wings.
July 5, 2011
I don't read that much nonfiction, but this is a lovely and whimsical book written by a very talented journalist and storyteller. It is full of interesting human profiles concerning pigeon love or pigeon dislike, as the case may be.
Pigeons are also much more interesting than I would have thought. They delivered messages in every war -- when the U.S. knocked out Saddam Hussein's communications system, he used pigeons to send word to others.
Shot-up pigeons have persevered in delivering messages in many wars, too.
Unlike any of us, when a pigeon is set down 350 miles from where it calls home, it automatically rights itself and heads swiftly back to base.
Human stars of the book include a New Yorker who chose a condo with a roof deck specifically so he could locate a racing-pigeon coop there, a man in Arizona who devotes his time to writing press releases to press organizations about why inhumane pigeon extermination methods wouldn't pay off financially, and the author in his attempts to see Mike Tyson -- "the most famous racing-pigeon fanatic there is."
Strangely fascinating, and very readable, this book is.
Pigeons are also much more interesting than I would have thought. They delivered messages in every war -- when the U.S. knocked out Saddam Hussein's communications system, he used pigeons to send word to others.
Shot-up pigeons have persevered in delivering messages in many wars, too.
Unlike any of us, when a pigeon is set down 350 miles from where it calls home, it automatically rights itself and heads swiftly back to base.
Human stars of the book include a New Yorker who chose a condo with a roof deck specifically so he could locate a racing-pigeon coop there, a man in Arizona who devotes his time to writing press releases to press organizations about why inhumane pigeon extermination methods wouldn't pay off financially, and the author in his attempts to see Mike Tyson -- "the most famous racing-pigeon fanatic there is."
Strangely fascinating, and very readable, this book is.
March 20, 2022
It took me a while to finish reading it but I loved every minute! The topics covered were so wide ranging I had to keep pausing to google things like "video of parlor roller pigeons" "ancient dovecotts" "gunpowder pigeon poop" after all that searching I still don't think I'm done looking up things to do with pigeons.
There was information on fancy pigeon shows, Mike Tyson, pigeon racing, a squab pot pie recipe, trafalgar square, pigeon shooting (gave me the creeps just reading about it! Why shoot a pigeon if you aren't going to eat it?) The queen's racing pigeons, pigeon war heroes, and people who rescue pigeons and keep them as pets!
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in pigeons!
There was information on fancy pigeon shows, Mike Tyson, pigeon racing, a squab pot pie recipe, trafalgar square, pigeon shooting (gave me the creeps just reading about it! Why shoot a pigeon if you aren't going to eat it?) The queen's racing pigeons, pigeon war heroes, and people who rescue pigeons and keep them as pets!
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in pigeons!
May 22, 2023
I wanted to know more about my closest neighbors -- housemates or yardmates if you will -- so I could better appreciate them instead of being annoyed by them and it worked. Pigeons are incredible! Now I enjoy watching them in my yard and can identify the different breeds.
February 5, 2020
too much pigeon death
June 18, 2019
I have to admit to a fondness for pigeons. While I don't feed them, I do keep a birdbath that the pigeons, the pigeons called doves, and lots of other birds use frequently. Pigeons are actually quite fun to watch and quite beautiful, so I wanted to learn more.
Be careful of what you wish for. It took me quite a long time to read this book because I couldn't handle more than a little at a time. It's incomprehensible what we've done to this maligned bird. Even those who profess to love them, but breed for their own visions of beauty and uniqueness, even those who race them, can be incredibly cruel.
Some of the fancy breeds have been so modified they can't eat normally or feed their babies, the babes can't even peck their ways out of their shells. “They certainly wouldn't survive in the wild, but then again, they're not bred to live in the wild. They're bred to be pretty to look at.” There are pigeons that roll while flying. One of the fanciers, when asked why they roll, says, “Because they're retarded, that's why. If it was a kid, you'd put a helmet on him and stick him in a padded room.”
There are the pigeon shoots, and the feral pigeons baited and netted to provide the shoots. The organizer of one of the shoots states, “It's not that we hate pigeons. We treat them well...until they get shot.” Right. And if one of the shot pigeons manages to live, it get stuffed in a garbage bag with the dead ones. The ones that fly farther are left to die a slower death.
These cruel acts involve a fewer number of birds than plain old urban warfare on them. The favored method seems to be poisoning them, and as a side effect, poison non-targeted creatures. It is only a short term semi-solution to the problem, and there are humane ways of controlling the pigeon population when it gets out of hand. But that isn't profitable for those whose wages depend on poisoning.
I've only touched on what all this informative book contains, and I do recommend reading it. But if you have a soul, some of it will make you wonder about humanity.
Be careful of what you wish for. It took me quite a long time to read this book because I couldn't handle more than a little at a time. It's incomprehensible what we've done to this maligned bird. Even those who profess to love them, but breed for their own visions of beauty and uniqueness, even those who race them, can be incredibly cruel.
Some of the fancy breeds have been so modified they can't eat normally or feed their babies, the babes can't even peck their ways out of their shells. “They certainly wouldn't survive in the wild, but then again, they're not bred to live in the wild. They're bred to be pretty to look at.” There are pigeons that roll while flying. One of the fanciers, when asked why they roll, says, “Because they're retarded, that's why. If it was a kid, you'd put a helmet on him and stick him in a padded room.”
There are the pigeon shoots, and the feral pigeons baited and netted to provide the shoots. The organizer of one of the shoots states, “It's not that we hate pigeons. We treat them well...until they get shot.” Right. And if one of the shot pigeons manages to live, it get stuffed in a garbage bag with the dead ones. The ones that fly farther are left to die a slower death.
These cruel acts involve a fewer number of birds than plain old urban warfare on them. The favored method seems to be poisoning them, and as a side effect, poison non-targeted creatures. It is only a short term semi-solution to the problem, and there are humane ways of controlling the pigeon population when it gets out of hand. But that isn't profitable for those whose wages depend on poisoning.
I've only touched on what all this informative book contains, and I do recommend reading it. But if you have a soul, some of it will make you wonder about humanity.
December 18, 2024
Okay, well, first of all, I love pigeons and could read pigeon facts all day long. So I didn't HATE this book, because it does have decent amount of pigeon facts. I also REALLY love stories about super passionate people with niche interests. This also had lots of that going on.
But somehow, I still didn't love it. I feel like it could have been edited down more. Maybe a bit more succinctness in the chapters on the pigeon racing community and the author's interaction for them and the chapter on Mike Tyson's pigeon interest and the author's LACK of interaction with him, and some more detailed information on the logistics of pigeons use in war or something like that.
Also, I feel like there's this thing where authors or filmmakers are sometimes able to almost laugh WITH people instead of AT them, even when the people (their subjects) are not laughing or not all the way in on the joke. Like they can acknowledge that these people a bit obsessed or crazy or whatever, but do it in this extremely loving, respectful, dignified way. I think this is what this author was trying for, and I can't pinpoint why or how exactly, but it ended up falling short sometimes for me. It occasionally veered more into feeling like he was just sort of making fun of these people, even if I got the sense that this wasn't his intention.
Though, at the end of the day, I absolutely did not hate this book and might even keep it on my bookshelf at home and if half stars were an option, I'd definitely give it a 2.5 with 1 being good-enough-to-not-abandon.
But somehow, I still didn't love it. I feel like it could have been edited down more. Maybe a bit more succinctness in the chapters on the pigeon racing community and the author's interaction for them and the chapter on Mike Tyson's pigeon interest and the author's LACK of interaction with him, and some more detailed information on the logistics of pigeons use in war or something like that.
Also, I feel like there's this thing where authors or filmmakers are sometimes able to almost laugh WITH people instead of AT them, even when the people (their subjects) are not laughing or not all the way in on the joke. Like they can acknowledge that these people a bit obsessed or crazy or whatever, but do it in this extremely loving, respectful, dignified way. I think this is what this author was trying for, and I can't pinpoint why or how exactly, but it ended up falling short sometimes for me. It occasionally veered more into feeling like he was just sort of making fun of these people, even if I got the sense that this wasn't his intention.
Though, at the end of the day, I absolutely did not hate this book and might even keep it on my bookshelf at home and if half stars were an option, I'd definitely give it a 2.5 with 1 being good-enough-to-not-abandon.
August 20, 2025
Man, Blechman had everything in his corner for a 5-star rating from me. I started out thinking this would be a slam-dunk read, catering to my own weird, shrieking demographic.
Then Blechman had to go and ruin it by not writing a good book.
The warning signs were there in the beginning, when Skinner was mentioned but the whole issue with Project Pigeon was glossed over.
The second issue was organization. There was little to no thematic link between chapters. There's so many ways this could have been organized - by breed of pigeon, chronologically, by culture/region, by the 'use' of the pigeon, etc. But it just jumps back and forth willy-nilly both within and across chapters. Its not hard to follow, per se, but it doesn't really provide much in the way of content or 'flow.'
The third issue was Tyson. Look, I get it. He's a famous pigeon person. He's also someone who has bitten off a person's ear and a convicted rapist. Spending an entire chapter on a pseudo-biography of Tyson, particularly opening with how the literal rapist learned great 'empathy for others' via raising pigeons, is a waste. There are even points where, in the author's quest to find Tyson, he is told 1) Tyson has ZERO INTEREST in talking to you and please leave him alone, and 2) why would you even WANT to include, again, a rapist in your pigeon book. The author doesn't address either concerns, just spends the whole chapter outlining logistics of trying to stalk Tyson into a meeting, all of which end in failure. Yup. Doesn't even talk to the rapist pigeon fancier.
The fourth issue was the glaring lack of women. There's little to representation of women in this book, despite them being involved in the various hobbies and industries. What glimpses of women we do get are often the stereotypical Boomer "I hate my henpecking wife" in which these put-upon women just can't stand the birds or their spouses' interest in them.
The fifth issue was there were these huge areas of pigeon lore that the author just...never delves into. I know no one book can cover everything and anything in a subject, but perhaps the chapter on not being able to talk to a rapist could instead have been something like talking to a scientist using the birds for medical, behavioral, and/or psychological research? Maybe someone who trains them for media use, like the Brelands did? Maybe just explore their presentation in media in general (i.e., Hatoful Boyfriend, Home Alone 2)? Maybe discuss other celebrities and/or historical figures who were famous pigeon fanciers (e.g., Tesla's pigeon-wife)?
Lastly, the author tends to discuss anything bad to the pigeons with a doth-protest-too-much way. He just doesn't have it in him to kill and eat a pigeon, its too cruel, but the book requires it, etc. etc.
Swing and a miss.
Then Blechman had to go and ruin it by not writing a good book.
The warning signs were there in the beginning, when Skinner was mentioned but the whole issue with Project Pigeon was glossed over.
The second issue was organization. There was little to no thematic link between chapters. There's so many ways this could have been organized - by breed of pigeon, chronologically, by culture/region, by the 'use' of the pigeon, etc. But it just jumps back and forth willy-nilly both within and across chapters. Its not hard to follow, per se, but it doesn't really provide much in the way of content or 'flow.'
The third issue was Tyson. Look, I get it. He's a famous pigeon person. He's also someone who has bitten off a person's ear and a convicted rapist. Spending an entire chapter on a pseudo-biography of Tyson, particularly opening with how the literal rapist learned great 'empathy for others' via raising pigeons, is a waste. There are even points where, in the author's quest to find Tyson, he is told 1) Tyson has ZERO INTEREST in talking to you and please leave him alone, and 2) why would you even WANT to include, again, a rapist in your pigeon book. The author doesn't address either concerns, just spends the whole chapter outlining logistics of trying to stalk Tyson into a meeting, all of which end in failure. Yup. Doesn't even talk to the rapist pigeon fancier.
The fourth issue was the glaring lack of women. There's little to representation of women in this book, despite them being involved in the various hobbies and industries. What glimpses of women we do get are often the stereotypical Boomer "I hate my henpecking wife" in which these put-upon women just can't stand the birds or their spouses' interest in them.
The fifth issue was there were these huge areas of pigeon lore that the author just...never delves into. I know no one book can cover everything and anything in a subject, but perhaps the chapter on not being able to talk to a rapist could instead have been something like talking to a scientist using the birds for medical, behavioral, and/or psychological research? Maybe someone who trains them for media use, like the Brelands did? Maybe just explore their presentation in media in general (i.e., Hatoful Boyfriend, Home Alone 2)? Maybe discuss other celebrities and/or historical figures who were famous pigeon fanciers (e.g., Tesla's pigeon-wife)?
Lastly, the author tends to discuss anything bad to the pigeons with a doth-protest-too-much way. He just doesn't have it in him to kill and eat a pigeon, its too cruel, but the book requires it, etc. etc.
Swing and a miss.
January 11, 2023
read this book for work, idk… it was interesting! my rating is a little harsh. it just took me forever to read (counting it as a 2022 book bc i had read except the last 8 pages). i didn’t like how the author’s voice permeated everything so much. like just tell me about the pigeons
June 23, 2019
Very interesting and enjoyable to read! I'll never look at pigeons the same way again.
December 30, 2024
Well that was weirdly fascinating. Pigeons are underrated little creatures.
February 11, 2025
a little dated but in a way that makes it functionally a period snap shot of the early 00s
December 1, 2025
Interesting.
November 13, 2020
It's more about people than pigeons, but they're pretty interesting people. It's also quite sad.
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