Book excerpt: "Wake-Robin", John Burroughs' first book, is a detailed work on birds, being an alluring "invitation to the study of Ornithology". It's aim is to stimulate an interest in the natural history of birds, which Burroughs arguably achieves through a masterful marriage of interesting facts and beautiful writing. John Burroughs (1837 - 1921) was an American naturalist, essayist, and active member of the U.S. conservation movement. Burroughs' work was incredibly popular during his lifetime, and his legacy has lived on in the form of twelve U.S. Schools named after him, Burroughs Mountain, and the John Burroughs Association-which publicly recognizes well-written and illustrated natural history publications. Other notable works by this author include: "Winter Sunshine" (1875), "Birds and Poets" (1877), and "Locusts and Wild Honey" (1879). Contents include: "The Return of the Birds", "In the Hemlocks", "The Adirondacks", "Birds'-Nests", "Spring at the Capital", "Birch Browsings", "The Bluebird", "The Invitation", etc. . Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new biography of the author.