Neil Hopcroft

[Audiobook, listened with Adelle]

Eagle Dreams, Searching for Legends in Wild Mongolia by Stephen Bodio

Wanting more writing about travels in tundra I chose this book – it recounts a fascination with falconry from childhood and a desire to visit lands where nomads use eagles for hunting.

Once Mongolia started down the path to independence and democracy in the early 1990s it became more open to visitors and Stephen made several journeys to visit the Kazakh eagle hunters.

He records the growth of his friendship with some of the locals, who accept him and are happy to show him their life when he visits. The book itself covers a few such visits, with a very American view on the progress of capitalism in the country, but also with a naïve joy exploring the lands and culture, finding what seems primitive really need not be changed, it just works as is.

The focus is around falconry, the differences between the recreational back home and how it is a survival skill in the steppe, the capture, training, management and ultimately retirement of the birds used for hunting. How they can catch foxes, lynx or wolves, providing a source of pelts for hats and clothes.

There are a few insights into the lives of those settled in cities as well as the nomadic lifestyle of the hunters themselves.

Overall, more birds and less tundra than I wanted, a fascinating glimpse into lives alien to me.