Audubon the Naturalist: A History of His Life and Time. Vol. 1 (of 2)

The biography reconstructs the early life and family background of the celebrated ornithologist and painter through painstaking archival research, tracing documents in France that illuminate his father's naval career and revolutionary involvement and the family domicile at Couëron. The author chronicles the discovery, transcription, and evaluation of letters, wills, certificates, and official reports, describes travel to European archives and cooperation with local scholars and collectors, and situates these findings alongside published writings and illustrations. Appendices supply annotated documents and bibliographic references while the narrative links personal records to the subject's scientific and artistic development.