Emma Ford has been flying hawks since she was eight. In 1982 she and her husband established the British school of Falconry, which now has branches in Scotland and Vermont, USA. She is a member of the Hawk Board, the government advisory panel on captive hawks. She has written five other books on falconry, as well as a humorous autobiography and Countrywoman, based on a television series in which she was the subject of one programme.

The relationship established between man and bird is central to the ancient sport of falconry; to earn the trust of the bird, the falconer must show a great deal of patience, skill and intuition. This volume traces the history of falconry, providing a detailed guide as to how it is practised today. Emma Ford, a falconer since the age of six, describes the equipment required for the sport and, using photographs of the popular species, explains the characteristics that make them ideal hunting birds. With an emphasis on the contribution falconers make to the conservation of wild birds, this book is a complete guide to a sport that has remained largely unchanged for centuries.