On the Wing

In this extraordinary naturalist adventure saga, Alan Tennant, a passionate student of wildlife and of the peregrine falcon in particular, endeavours to radio-track the birds transcontinental migration - something no one before him had ever attempted. On the Wing is loaded with historical and scientific lore and rich characters. Chief among them is George Vose, the septuagenarian Second World War vet and former stunt pilot who becomes Tennant's partner in falcon-chasing when they set off after a bird Alan has managed to trap and tag. The book charts the story of their friendship, as they journey to the Arctic, following their first bird, and then way down South. Nearly losing their lives, running foul of the law (and, at times, at each other's throats) they race to keep their birds in view and their rattletrap Cessna gassed up and running. But the falcons dominate this odyssey - majestic birds, whose fierce mien, speed at the kill and solitary habits have fired the human imagination for centuries. On the Wing is an unforgettable and moving tale that speaks to all our dreams of flight.