The Big Year, Mark Obmascik
The Big Year, Mark Obmascik
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The Big Year
A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl Obsession

Author: Mark Obmascik

Narrator: Oliver Wyman

Abridged: 6 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/03/2004


Synopsis

A classic in the making -- an account of the biggest year in birdwatching history.

In the USA, some 50 million people lay claim to being bird-watchers or “birders,” spending billions of dollars on birding-related travel and membership fees every year. A select, and utterly obsessed, few compete in one of the world’s quirkiest contests -- the race to spot the most species in North America in a single year. And 1998 wasn’t just a big year. It was the biggest. The Big Year is Pulitzer Prize-winner Mark Obmascik’s account of what was to become the greatest birding year of all time.

It was freak weather conditions that ensured all previous records were broken, but what becomes clear within the pages of this classic portrait of obsession is that while our feathered friends may be the objective of the Big Year competition, it’s the curious activities and behavioural patterns of the pursuing “homo sapiens” that are the real cause for concern. It is a contest that reveals much of the human character in extremes. Such are the author’s powers of observation that he brilliantly brings to life and gets under the skin of these extraordinary, eccentric and obsessive birders while empathizing with and eventually succumbing to the all-consuming nature of their obsession. The result is a wonderfully funny, acutely observed classic to rank alongside the best of Bill Bryson.

About The Author

Mark Obmascik was the lead writer for the Denver Post’s Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the Columbine High School massacre. He has been writing on strange characters and the environment for many years. He is an avid outdoorsman and recently admitted to his own growing obsession with birds. He lives in Denver wit his wife and two sons.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jim on November 30, 2019

Here’s a strange but fascinating world I knew nothing about: competitive birding. It can be fun but it can also be almost vicious. Every year there are state competitions and a national one to see who can spot the greatest number of different birds over a calendar year. There’s also a non-competitiv......more

Goodreads review by Michael on September 19, 2023

So, on Thanksgiving, while we were waiting for the Turkey to finish, Robin wanted to watch a movie and we picked "The Big Year." Robin, Sarah, and I had seen it years ago, but it was a "new pick" for James and Rebecca. After dinner, we went up to "Red Gate" (a fire road near our house that's in the......more

Goodreads review by Jay on May 20, 2023

I really enjoyed this look into the world of competitive birdwatching, or "birding" as it is most commonly known. For the serious "birders" there is something called a Big Year. A Big Year is what you do if you want to spend upwards of $60,000., travel hundreds of thousands of miles and put yourself......more

Goodreads review by David on August 12, 2007

An awesome book. It took recommendations from several friends before I finally decided to give this book a try. The subject matter seemed so uninteresting to me. When you're wrong, you're wrong, and I was totally off base on this one. It was fascinating from start to finish. What I realise now is tha......more