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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 16, 2020
Who we are, defines how we interact with others. Crane is one of those people who has always struggled with relationships and friendships. A relationship in the past left his with a son who he hasn’t seen in a while. A later diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome goes some way to explaining the difficulties that he had. But he still prefers his own company, hence why he lives in a remote cottage. One thing that he is passionate about though is raptors he is a self-taught falconer, learning from the book and practical experience.
It was this obsession about falcons that would take him to Pakistan. He is there to buy some of the simple but beautiful handmade bells that are made by the craftsmen there. It was a chance find online with a craftsman, that put him in touch with one of these men and after he expressed an interest in their manufacture, he was invited to visit. The trip expanded and he stayed to see the villagers fly the local goshawks, and to see first hand how they train them and seeing how the knowledge of falconry is passed from father to son.
Nine years later he has two sparrowhawks in the aviary attached to his cottage. They are called Boy and Girl, naming them would create too much of a bond as he has been training and rearing them for rehabilitation and release back into the wild. He was training these two birds at the same time that he heard that his son wanted to get back in contact with him. Both situations, he needs to think carefully about what he is doing as it would be so easy to ruin the beginnings of the relationship with his son and harm the birds as their strength builds.
I have read a fair few books on individuals using nature as a crutch or support for the troubles that they are having in their life at that particular time and this book is similar to those in many ways. Where it differs though is that Crane is mostly happy with his lot, he knows so much about raising sparrowhawks that whilst they will be a challenge, it is not out of his comfort zone. Where he does struggle though is his limitations with regards to other people, in particular, his ex-partner and their son. He finds a determined boy who knows his own mind and who has a rare perception for someone so young. I particularly liked the descriptions of his travels to Pakistan and Kazakhstan and I thought this was a well-written book that links nature and family ties together.
It was this obsession about falcons that would take him to Pakistan. He is there to buy some of the simple but beautiful handmade bells that are made by the craftsmen there. It was a chance find online with a craftsman, that put him in touch with one of these men and after he expressed an interest in their manufacture, he was invited to visit. The trip expanded and he stayed to see the villagers fly the local goshawks, and to see first hand how they train them and seeing how the knowledge of falconry is passed from father to son.
Nine years later he has two sparrowhawks in the aviary attached to his cottage. They are called Boy and Girl, naming them would create too much of a bond as he has been training and rearing them for rehabilitation and release back into the wild. He was training these two birds at the same time that he heard that his son wanted to get back in contact with him. Both situations, he needs to think carefully about what he is doing as it would be so easy to ruin the beginnings of the relationship with his son and harm the birds as their strength builds.
I have read a fair few books on individuals using nature as a crutch or support for the troubles that they are having in their life at that particular time and this book is similar to those in many ways. Where it differs though is that Crane is mostly happy with his lot, he knows so much about raising sparrowhawks that whilst they will be a challenge, it is not out of his comfort zone. Where he does struggle though is his limitations with regards to other people, in particular, his ex-partner and their son. He finds a determined boy who knows his own mind and who has a rare perception for someone so young. I particularly liked the descriptions of his travels to Pakistan and Kazakhstan and I thought this was a well-written book that links nature and family ties together.
February 8, 2019
(3.5) Artist Ben Crane has developed a passion for birds of prey, raising hawks and training as a falconer. “I saw that my feelings towards nature, and birds of prey in particular, ran in parallel with my feelings for my son,” he writes. Blood Ties accordingly cuts between the story of rehabilitating a pair of rescued sparrowhawks named Girl and Boy and a parallel story about raising his son as a part-time single father. Together these strands emphasize the common concerns that arise when caring for any creature. Crane’s descriptive language is memorably sharp. Whatever struggles his Asperger’s entails, it seems to heighten his observational skills. Pruning the travel segments would have produced a more focused memoir, but this is a powerful story all the same – of the ties that bind us, both to nature and our own families.
(My full review is in the February 8th issue of the Times Literary Supplement.)
(My full review is in the February 8th issue of the Times Literary Supplement.)
October 11, 2018
I can't say I know much about Asperger's syndrome or Falconry so this was a real eye opener for me! I admit I probably wouldn't have picked it up to read myself but when a trusted publicist sent it, I thought, right, let's have a real look at this. I do like books which challenge and throw me off in new directions.
From the start, I was on a journey with a man who I first thought rude and strange. But I learned about the condition, about the feelings and emotions someone with this condition can have and I started to question myself more than him. Whatever he was going through or dealing with, he took it upon himself to improve his life and mind by concentrating on something which ended up helping him in ways no one could have expected.
Maybe it's a 'condition' of Aspergers that your eye is more keenly trained on details such as a bird's behaviour in the natural inhabitant. He certainly notices more than I ever would have done. The book explains how Aspergers affects a person's ability to relate to others. Well, this man does have empathy - in his entire body. Maybe not in the way you and I do, but then I think we could learn from him rather than the other way around.
I feel humbled after reading this. Really eye opening!
From the start, I was on a journey with a man who I first thought rude and strange. But I learned about the condition, about the feelings and emotions someone with this condition can have and I started to question myself more than him. Whatever he was going through or dealing with, he took it upon himself to improve his life and mind by concentrating on something which ended up helping him in ways no one could have expected.
Maybe it's a 'condition' of Aspergers that your eye is more keenly trained on details such as a bird's behaviour in the natural inhabitant. He certainly notices more than I ever would have done. The book explains how Aspergers affects a person's ability to relate to others. Well, this man does have empathy - in his entire body. Maybe not in the way you and I do, but then I think we could learn from him rather than the other way around.
I feel humbled after reading this. Really eye opening!
April 11, 2022
Reminiscent of H is for Hawk and The Goshawk, told in a lyrical prose is a story of one man's struggle to survive in the world that is, at best, confusing and unfalimiar. Falconry, here, provides neither an escape nor healing. It's a passion and a way of life.
The first part recounts the author's various travels around the world, to learn about falconry from different cultures, flying eagles in particular. In the second part, Ben Crane describes rehabilitating a pair of wild sparrowhawks. The last part is an account of training an imprint goshawk. Interwoven with all of this is a story of reconnecting with his son. I didn't find it too intrusive, but if I did want to skip these parts, I could do it easily, since they were more of less detached from the falconry parts, and printed in italics.
Most of the book, of course, is focused on falconry, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the topic or simply enjoys good nature writing.
The first part recounts the author's various travels around the world, to learn about falconry from different cultures, flying eagles in particular. In the second part, Ben Crane describes rehabilitating a pair of wild sparrowhawks. The last part is an account of training an imprint goshawk. Interwoven with all of this is a story of reconnecting with his son. I didn't find it too intrusive, but if I did want to skip these parts, I could do it easily, since they were more of less detached from the falconry parts, and printed in italics.
Most of the book, of course, is focused on falconry, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the topic or simply enjoys good nature writing.
January 17, 2022
An easy read. Fascinating insights into falconry without getting too technical. An interesting look into what it means to be a father. Thoroughly recommended.
October 20, 2018
I'm occasionally lucky to see small birds of prey soaring in the sky, carried on gentle wind currents, they don't come too close, although, once a hapless pigeon was attacked by a sparrow hawk in our garden, which was a sight to behold, but mostly they keep their distance. Viewed close up any kind of hawk is a beautiful creature and superbly built for predation and its necessary survival.
In Blood Ties, author, Ben Crane shares his extraordinary ability to work with these very special birds and his skill as a falconer and his genuine love for hawks comes across in his beautifully written memoir, which takes us from the untamed landscape of the Sindh province in Pakistan, through to the picturesque charm of an English woodland. Throughout the book, the majesty and natural ability of hawks, the glorious detail of the birds in flight, and of the trials and tribulations of hand rearing hawks, comes across with a lyrical quality, which is, at times, quite mesmerising.
Running alongside Ben Crane's passion for these beautiful birds is the way in which he learned how to communicate with his son and their shared interest in the way that hawks interact allowed them the space and time to get to know each other. Seeing how the author copes with his Asperger's makes the book all the more poignant reading. Ben Crane is a very modest author, and yet, the strength of his words, his natural ability as a writer and his genuine love for the falcons he trains made this memoir such a fascinating and very special book to read.
In Blood Ties, author, Ben Crane shares his extraordinary ability to work with these very special birds and his skill as a falconer and his genuine love for hawks comes across in his beautifully written memoir, which takes us from the untamed landscape of the Sindh province in Pakistan, through to the picturesque charm of an English woodland. Throughout the book, the majesty and natural ability of hawks, the glorious detail of the birds in flight, and of the trials and tribulations of hand rearing hawks, comes across with a lyrical quality, which is, at times, quite mesmerising.
Running alongside Ben Crane's passion for these beautiful birds is the way in which he learned how to communicate with his son and their shared interest in the way that hawks interact allowed them the space and time to get to know each other. Seeing how the author copes with his Asperger's makes the book all the more poignant reading. Ben Crane is a very modest author, and yet, the strength of his words, his natural ability as a writer and his genuine love for the falcons he trains made this memoir such a fascinating and very special book to read.
October 29, 2018
One of the things that I love to do is review books and when Midas Public Relations reached out to me to review Blood Ties by Ben Crane, I knew I had to! Why? Because Ben Crane has Asperger's syndrome and his book talks about how he uses falconry to connect with people and his own son! The fact that he traveled through different countries to learn the art hooked the traveler in me. As a reader I was captivated by his simple style. As a nurse I was captured. The chance to look at the world through his eyes was too hard to resist.
November 19, 2024
A fascinating and moving account of a man, his passion for falconry, and his relation with his son
Read
July 30, 2019I now lean the book without taking down the quotes. Right, this might never happen, then, as life has gotten rather hectic. But lack of quotes are not a reflection of my opinion of the book.
August 16, 2021
A refreshing writing style on an interesting subject.
October 29, 2018
A fascinating and personal account of one man's relationship with birds of prey , and how those experiences became part of a shared interest that helped him to develop a relationship with his son.
It is clear that birds of prey and falconry have played a huge part in Ben Crane's life, and he speaks about his birds and his wonderful experiences travelling around the world with a passion matched only by the passages where he describes moments of wonder and love shared with his young son, While reading this book I learned quite a lot about falconry, a subject I admittedly knew nothing about before picking up the book, and while this was interesting, for me the real heart of the book is the author's personal struggles , particularly when it comes to building a relationship with his son.
I read and reviewed a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
It is clear that birds of prey and falconry have played a huge part in Ben Crane's life, and he speaks about his birds and his wonderful experiences travelling around the world with a passion matched only by the passages where he describes moments of wonder and love shared with his young son, While reading this book I learned quite a lot about falconry, a subject I admittedly knew nothing about before picking up the book, and while this was interesting, for me the real heart of the book is the author's personal struggles , particularly when it comes to building a relationship with his son.
I read and reviewed a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.
November 26, 2018
One of the most perfect books I’ve ever read
“In the warm, womb-like space of the cottage, the light from the open fire flickers and casts dull shadows of birds across the wall. On my gloved hand is a slender, lightweight and beautifully patterned female sparrowhawk, to my left, a smaller but no less impressive male……”
It took me a couple of seconds to read these opening words. I was hooked. I became anti-social until I reached the final page.
I’m jumping ahead of myself, so let me return to giving you a proper review.
Ben Crane is in his forties. He is a falconer. Owns a goshawk, CC, which he has bonded with from birth. Takes in and rehabilitates birds of prey. Lives in a cottage hidden deep in the countryside. His companions, the birds and his two dogs. Etta is a Hungarian Vizsla, a working dog and Flash is a Cocker Spaniel. Flash’s job is to “crash through bramble thickets, nettles and thick cover to find the pheasants.”
It wasn’t just a sudden awakening that Ben had before he got to the point of training and the rehabilitation of birds of prey. He has a teaching postgraduate degree from Cambridge. Taught for years. Had been in a relationship, which broke up when his son was born. He couldn’t cope with fatherhood. Had seen and been treated by different psychologists from the age of fifteen and finally, got to understand his complex behaviour at the age of forty-two, when a psychoanalyst diagnosed him as autistic.
Ben’s love of falconry has taken him to many places, particularly Pakistan where he learnt the ancient art of falconry from men who have had the art passed down to them from their forefathers. Their knowledge goes back thousands of years. He learnt not just how to fly the birds and get to understand their psyche, but the equally ancient art of making the paraphernalia that falconers use with their birds, down to the art of making the bells.
He followed falconers with their Harris hawks whose range is from the “tip of South America up through Mexico, Texas and California”. In Croatia, Ben joined Viktor, one of the country’s leading authorities on falconry and met and flew his first sparrowhawk. Austria and Slovakia introduced him to eagles. While in Slovakia he joined a group of falconers. Some were hunting with goshawks and falcons, but he was mesmerised by the owners with their golden eagles. “Some creatures are undeniably big. When open, an eagle’s wings stretch six feet or more. When the wings are folded tight and resting against their side, these eagles stand four feet tall. Their shoulders as wide as the trunk of a human torso. …. Without exception, each eagle is a withering presence dancing on the outer edges of extreme violence. A lion or tiger with wings, dressed by nature in a delicate bronze-crested necklace and a golden crown of filigree feathers.”
I mentioned earlier that Ben had abandoned his son shortly after his birth. It took him years to realise what had triggered his behaviour and thanks in part to his ex-partner’s understanding, he started to see his son and build a relationship with him. A relationship where he learns about the meaning of love, the special love which happens between a parent and a child.
This is a book in two halves. Ben Crane the falconer and Ben Crane learning to be a father. Both are powerful tales. His writing is sheer brilliance. I’ve included some excerpts hopefully enough to give you a flavour to this truly extraordinary story of the meaning of love. Love of the wild. Love of nature. Love of children. And the ancient love of falconry.
Imbali
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
“In the warm, womb-like space of the cottage, the light from the open fire flickers and casts dull shadows of birds across the wall. On my gloved hand is a slender, lightweight and beautifully patterned female sparrowhawk, to my left, a smaller but no less impressive male……”
It took me a couple of seconds to read these opening words. I was hooked. I became anti-social until I reached the final page.
I’m jumping ahead of myself, so let me return to giving you a proper review.
Ben Crane is in his forties. He is a falconer. Owns a goshawk, CC, which he has bonded with from birth. Takes in and rehabilitates birds of prey. Lives in a cottage hidden deep in the countryside. His companions, the birds and his two dogs. Etta is a Hungarian Vizsla, a working dog and Flash is a Cocker Spaniel. Flash’s job is to “crash through bramble thickets, nettles and thick cover to find the pheasants.”
It wasn’t just a sudden awakening that Ben had before he got to the point of training and the rehabilitation of birds of prey. He has a teaching postgraduate degree from Cambridge. Taught for years. Had been in a relationship, which broke up when his son was born. He couldn’t cope with fatherhood. Had seen and been treated by different psychologists from the age of fifteen and finally, got to understand his complex behaviour at the age of forty-two, when a psychoanalyst diagnosed him as autistic.
Ben’s love of falconry has taken him to many places, particularly Pakistan where he learnt the ancient art of falconry from men who have had the art passed down to them from their forefathers. Their knowledge goes back thousands of years. He learnt not just how to fly the birds and get to understand their psyche, but the equally ancient art of making the paraphernalia that falconers use with their birds, down to the art of making the bells.
He followed falconers with their Harris hawks whose range is from the “tip of South America up through Mexico, Texas and California”. In Croatia, Ben joined Viktor, one of the country’s leading authorities on falconry and met and flew his first sparrowhawk. Austria and Slovakia introduced him to eagles. While in Slovakia he joined a group of falconers. Some were hunting with goshawks and falcons, but he was mesmerised by the owners with their golden eagles. “Some creatures are undeniably big. When open, an eagle’s wings stretch six feet or more. When the wings are folded tight and resting against their side, these eagles stand four feet tall. Their shoulders as wide as the trunk of a human torso. …. Without exception, each eagle is a withering presence dancing on the outer edges of extreme violence. A lion or tiger with wings, dressed by nature in a delicate bronze-crested necklace and a golden crown of filigree feathers.”
I mentioned earlier that Ben had abandoned his son shortly after his birth. It took him years to realise what had triggered his behaviour and thanks in part to his ex-partner’s understanding, he started to see his son and build a relationship with him. A relationship where he learns about the meaning of love, the special love which happens between a parent and a child.
This is a book in two halves. Ben Crane the falconer and Ben Crane learning to be a father. Both are powerful tales. His writing is sheer brilliance. I’ve included some excerpts hopefully enough to give you a flavour to this truly extraordinary story of the meaning of love. Love of the wild. Love of nature. Love of children. And the ancient love of falconry.
Imbali
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
January 15, 2019
Thankyou to Head of Zeus, Apollo and the author, Ben Crane, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Blood Ties in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
I thought this book offered a good read. It was well thought out and beautifully written. i really enjoyed it.
I thought this book offered a good read. It was well thought out and beautifully written. i really enjoyed it.
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