{"product_id":"war-pigeons-elizabeth-g-macalaster-9781476680804","title":"War Pigeons: Winged Couriers in the U.S. Military, 1878-1957","description":"\u003cp\u003e For more than seven decades, homing pigeons provided the U.S. military with its fastest most reliable means of communication. Originally bred for racing in the early 1800s, homing pigeons were later trained by pigeoneers to fly up to 60 mph for hundreds of miles, and served the United States for almost 75 years, through four wars on four continents. Barely weighing a pound, these extraordinary birds carried messages in and out of gas, smoke, exploding bombs and gunfire. They flew through jungles, deserts and mountains, not faltering even when faced with large expanses of ocean to cross. Sometimes they arrived nearly dead from wounds or exhaustion, refusing to give up until they reached their objective.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This book is the first complete account of the remarkable service that homing pigeons provided for the American armed forces, from its fledgling beginnings after the Civil War to the birds' invaluable role in communications in every branch of the U.S. military through both World Wars and beyond. Personal narratives, primary sources and news articles tell the story of the pigeons' recruitment and training in the U.S., their deployment abroad and use on the home front.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Elizabeth G. Macalaster\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1476680809\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781476680804\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e McFarland \u0026amp; Company\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/22\/2020\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 212\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.61lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.70h x 5.80w x 0.60d","brand":"Elizabeth G. Macalaster","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":43990813933823,"sku":"9781476680804","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_207ce431-7b77-4809-ac9c-08c0f21cc74f.jpg?v=1683306840","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/war-pigeons-elizabeth-g-macalaster-9781476680804","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}