Mississippi River Journal brings together some of the celebrated ornithologist John James Audubon's best bird paintings, along with his travel journal. John James Audubon was America's leading bird painter. Audubon's story is one of triumph over adversity and symbolizes the spirit of young America, when the desert was limitless and alluring. He was someone of legendary strength and endurance, as well as a keen observer of birds and nature. He had a deep appreciation and concern for the conservation of birds and their natural habitats. The Mississippi River Journal is the most important record of the American artist's progress. His insights into the scenes and characters of the Old South are as sharp as the ones of the forest and its creatures. In this edition, the sixty-four pages of his journal stand out with some of his best bird paintings. Charming, disturbing, and violent by turns, these vividly intimate portraits of the habits and habitats of American birds changed nature writing forever.