Ghost Birds: Jim Tanner and the Quest for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, 1935-1941 Hardcover – Illustrated, 21 October 2010

Ghost Birds, This is a long over due book about a man of amazing tenacity. The book tells the incredible story of James T. Tanner, the right man in the right place at the right time. Tanner, an undergrad student at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology was selected by the legendary Arthur Allen to join an expedition across America to record in sound and on film rare and endangered birds. Upon being shown Ivorybills in the Singer Tract of Northern Louisiana the expedition makes the first photos, movies and sound recording of this rare and endangered species.It was not soon after this expedition that Tanner was back in the Louisiana swamps under a grant from the National Association of Audubon Societies, studying ivorybills and working on his PhD. Tanner's four-year study is the first and only scientific study of Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The author, Stephens Lyn Bales did a superb job of telling the fascinating story of this iconic man. If you have an interest in the ivorybill or not, this is a must read book. Once I started reading I could not put it down. Bales words have a flow that keeps you mesmerized about the young James Tanner and his exploits throughout the south as he searches for the "Grail Bird". B. Harrison, [...]

Not being a real birdwatcher type, though I study animal (specifically, great ape) behavior, I was rather surprised that I couldn't put this book down, and read the whole thing cover to cover! My original intent was to skim it quickly as a curiosity. I saw the Smithsonian article and the utterly charming photos, but the real hook that made me purchase the book was the subject's sharing the same last name as mine (Tanner) and coming from a small town in NY state, since I have 3rd cousins I still stay in contact with in a tiny town just over the border of Chautauqua County NY, in Erie County PA, who traveled west through NY State in the early 1800s. So was wondering if James Tanner is a distant cousin... But never mind, the book was completely fascinating in its own right as a tale of adventure and persistence and love of the natural world, interests I share. I recommend it highly to anyone else with this combination of qualities on their mind.

I would hesitate to recommend this book to someone who is just looking for a 'good read'. If you don't have a strong interest in the subject matter (the search for the last remaining Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in North America) this book might seem like a too literal slog through the bog. I thought the book was dry, tedious, and repetitive. It came across (for the most part) as little more than a re-wording of Tanner's notes and journal entries. In my opinion this is a three-star book, tops, as a work of nonfiction. But due to its subject matter, the legendary Ivory-bill, the book warrants an extra star purely from the standpoint of interest. As for myself, I plan on keeping the book in my library as a reference for the very reason a non-birder might be put off: the tedious, repetitive (and therefore, to someone like me, amazing and fascinating) descriptions of Tanner's encounters with the birds.

An awesome story and well written. I’ve read Tanner’s research report prior and while this topic is like in kind, it’s a fresh experience enabling one to be en​cap​su​lat​ed in the journey easily absorbing the big picture.Stephen’s presentation and U of TN press makes this a fine copy to own.

I had a copy of this book that was given to us by Nancy Tanner, the wife of Dr. Jim Tanner. They were neighbors of ours. My youngest son borrowed the book. It was signed to us from Nancy. I decided I needed to get another one, so I did. It's a fascinating story. Nancy helped Lyn Bales by spending every Monday with him at her house. They went through every drawer and file for information to help him write this book. Jim Tanner had died in 1991, but his widow Nancy lived till she was 96. She died in June, 2013.