Quote Originally Posted by R Velarde View Post
Hello Tony. Great to hear from you. I saw your post and I wanted to respond earlier, but this darn life gets in the way. I hope you can make plans to come over to visit some day. I have not given up on the idea of coming over with Ed to the UK and share some of our ideas.
Now we are working on book #2. I never thought it would happen. This subject is never ending and we knew we could have added a lot more to it but with ought having it turn into a how to book.
You and I could have a nice discussion sharing our ideas and that is about as far as it goes, but the bad news about writing a book is that once you have it in writing people get emotional about it, the jealousy and egos start to show up,YIKES. Also others will take it as if that was the only way of approaching falconry.
I am sure some of the things that are in the book, we might be doing them differently today. I have said this before but one of the reasons our book was not a recipe title was because I am sure that our goals, terrain and ideas are very different to other falconers.
We wanted to have the book make someone think about what would be the best approach to handling a falcon, or for that matter any bird of prey, and get the most out of that bird within their world and situations.
One big mistake we made in our book was to have numbers about how high these falcons can fly. The last thing this book was about was that. We have received emails from falconers saying they enjoyed the book but that they could not practice falconry that way. Too bad because they missed the point of what the book was about. If I was to summarize the book in one word, it would be that the book was about RELATIONSHIPS. So we learned, the second book will not have heights.
The first book took us 25 years to publish and I am hoping this second book doesn't do that to us, because I am sure the circle of life will not allow us to do that.
As I said, I hope we can get together in the near future.
Kindest Regards
Ricardo
Hi Ricardo,

I know what you mean about life getting in the way sometimes. It's hard enough getting out to fly falcons each day, let alone writing about it too.

I also know how, once something is published, further experience and thought makes you wish it could be retrospectively modified. But heck, so long as it's honest and based on experience to that date, it's as good as it possibly could be.

I'd love to spend time again with yourself and Ed (who I've never met), to discuss all that's in your book and so much more. I know it would be fun for all of us. One day we must make it happen, and if you fancy a visit to the UK, you're welcome to base yourself at my home.

This thread has caused me to revisit The Flying of Falcons, and I'm enjoying it once more.
Being as I am, a proud gamehawker, there are aspects within the book that challenge me, which can only be a constructive thing. Currently we would differ in some small ways, as indeed most falconers differ in small ways --- but there's a beauty about that, and it's a shame to know that challenges to methodology or indeed philosophy can't be met with reasoned debate and good grace, which I know was one of your ambitions.

I'm a big reader (of falconry books only I'm afraid) and have a pretty extensive library spanning nearly 800 years.
Many of those books are beautiful, informative, educational, entertaining, even magical. Few are what yours is --- challenging.
Congratulations I say.

Best wishes,

Tony.