An Eye for a Bird by Eric Hosking & Frank W. Lane

An Eye for a Bird (Third Impression in Illustrated Dust Jacket)

The Autobiography of Britain's Pioneering Bird Photographer, with a Foreword by the Duke of Edinburgh

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: An Eye for a Bird: The autobiography of a bird photographer
• Authors: Eric Hosking & Frank W. Lane
• Publisher: Hutchinson of London, London
• Publication Date: 1970
• ISBN-10: 009104460X
• Edition Details: Third Impression, March 1971 (first published by Hutchinson in 1970). Written with Frank W. Lane, with a foreword by the Duke of Edinburgh.
• Binding: Publisher's green cloth boards with a gilt eagle device to the front, in a pictorial dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Octavo, hardcover. Illustrated.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good (VG)
• Exterior / Boards: The green cloth boards are clean and bright, with a few small flecks and a gilt eagle device to the front. The spine and edges appear sound.
• Interior: The pages are cream and clean, with slight toning. A few light brown spots to the lower right of the title page and a small nick to the top edge of the first leaves. The text block is tight.
• The Dust Jacket: Present, in a durable archival-type plastic cover. The pictorial jacket is chipped and worn at the head of the spine and front head, with toning and some staining to the inside flap and edges.

Synopsis & Historical Value

An Eye for a Bird: The Autobiography of a Bird Photographer is the memoir of Eric Hosking, one of Britain's best-known bird photographers and naturalists. Written with Frank W. Lane and published by Hutchinson of London, it carries a foreword by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

The title recalls the 1937 accident in which an attacking owl struck Hosking's face and cost him the sight of his left eye. The book describes the infection that followed and the grave choice it forced on him. It follows his career behind the lens, including expeditions such as the one to Spain's Coto Doñana.

Hosking also set out his objection to dishonest methods in wildlife photography, which gives the book a serious purpose beyond adventure. It is a warm, well-regarded account for anyone interested in the early history of wildlife photography and British natural history.

Author Profile: Eric Hosking

Eric John Hosking (1909-1991) was an English photographer, born in Chelsea, London. He is described as the first professional photographer to make his living predominantly from photographing birds.

His other books include Intimate Sketches from Bird Life (1940), Art of Bird Photography (1944), Eric Hosking's Owls (1982), Eric Hosking's Wildfowl (1985) and Eric Hosking's Birds of Prey of the World (1987).