The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Search for the Perfect Bird

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 453 ratings

Price: 16.4

Last update: 05-18-2024


About this item

A rollicking true-crime adventure about a rogue who trades in rare birds and their eggs - and the wildlife detective determined to stop him.

On May 3, 2010, an Irish national named Jeffrey Lendrum was apprehended at Britain’s Birmingham International Airport with a suspicious parcel strapped to his stomach. Inside were 14 rare peregrine falcon eggs snatched from a remote cliffside in Wales.

So begins a tale almost too bizarre to believe, following the parallel lives of a globe-trotting smuggler who spent two decades capturing endangered raptors worth millions of dollars as race champions - and Detective Andy McWilliam of the United Kingdom’s National Wildlife Crime Unit, who’s hell bent on protecting the world’s birds of prey.

The Falcon Thief whisks listeners from the volcanoes of Patagonia to Zimbabwe’s Matobo National Park, and from the frigid tundra near the Arctic Circle to luxurious aviaries in the deserts of Dubai, all in pursuit of a man who is reckless, arrogant, and gripped by a destructive compulsion to make the most beautiful creatures in nature his own. It’s a story that’s part true-crime narrative, part epic adventure - and wholly unputdownable until the very last minute.


Top reviews from the United States

A reader from California
5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting with a Major Flaw
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2023
I'm going to give this five, rather than four stars, because I found the story riveting and a detailed look into a not very well known type of crime. I really had no idea this was going on, and I found the book to be well written and well researched. It's one of those stories which, if it wasn't true, someone would say it was too wild to be made up.
My major complaint is that both the author and McWilliam, the wildlife cop, seem to have a grudging respect for Lendrum. They don't condone his acts, but basically say he was charming and friendly and hard not to like. Both became pseudo-friends with him by keeping in contact.
I don't care how charming this guy was. He is the lowest of the low--a disgusting low life theif and abuser of animals. How could anyone say it was hard not to like him? McWilliam and Hammer should not have spent more than five minutes with him outside of the time it took to prosecute or interview him.
This isn't enough to lower my rating because the book itself was fascinating, but I think both McWilliam and Hammer should be ashamed of themselves.
NJ Nancy
4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating read - ripped from the headlines.
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2024
When I started this book, I wasn’t aware just how much was fact versus fiction. After a bit of research into the news reports, it’s clear this is a well researched and documented book about very real events. The book was very interesting and I walk away knowing so much more about the illegal wildlife trade. My only personal critique in reading this as a real crime story is that the very detailed background info provided by the author derails the pacing of the book.
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Black Market for Birds of Prey Eggs
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023
Fascinating story of the global black market in birds of prey eggs.
Donna R.
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story tainted by distorted and biased history
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2021
I enjoyed the book in general, but find it disappointing the author felt compelled to try to weave "white supremacy" into it and to distort the history of Rhodesia / Zimbabwe. Implying that only whites perpetrated racist acts and that they, rather than ZIPRA guerrillas, shot down Air Rhodesia Flight 825, and failing to mention those same guerrillas then killed those who survived the crash with machine guns is nothing more than racist revisionist history. The real gem is stating that Robert Mugabe "promised an inclusive and transparent government" without going on to describe how that actually turned out. Maybe this makes the author feel better, although one would think dishonesty would be anything but comforting, but it does nothing other than inflame rather than start to correct age-old tensions. Sad.
Roxanne Coccia
5.0 out of 5 stars Bird Crime
Reviewed in the United States on September 24, 2023
Kept my attention and it's a sad shame that this goes on. Not a boring book well written and informative. An easy read that covers a subject ie. wildlife exploitation.
Joe Beers
4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and interesting
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2023
Well written , good editing, thoroughly researched. This would make an excellent movie. I enjoyed learning about a topic that I knew nothing about.
Lorena Abercrombie
5.0 out of 5 stars very promt
Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2023
reading poolside
Patio Babe
5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I ordered. Thank you.
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2022
What an incredible and enlightening book, about the disturbing undercurrent of falconry and egg collecting! Really opened my eyes to human greed when it comes to procuring nature for man's personal "ownership" and gain.
A must read!

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