Floyd Scholz

In October 1967, eighteen-year-old Patrick Bradley enlisted in the US Army and was later deployed to North Vietnam as a special operator with missions to kill high-value targets. Combat left him physically and psychologically wounded, as it does many veterans, and Bradley struggled to adjust when he returned home. He seemed destined for military prison after an altercation in which he broke a superior officer's jaw, but his life changed forever when a psychiatrist recommended a unique path for healing. Thanks to a program sponsored by the Canadian government, Bradley traveled to Canada to study bald eagles and document their behavior. He found himself recovering while living alone in the wild with minimal supplies or human contact. At the same time, his work was paving the way for groundbreaking research, including the discovery of a link between the use of the pesticide DDT and a decrease in southern bald eagle populations. Later, he forged a successful career training and managing wild animals and committed himself to helping other wounded warriors by cofounding the Avian Veteran Alliance, a nonprofit that pairs veterans suffering from PTSD and physical injuries with injured birds of prey. The Eagle on My Arm tells Bradley's inspirational story for the first time. This moving account reveals how a soldier became a dedicated healer, using his years of study and solitude to face his demons and turn his pain into a lifelong passion for helping others.

Look over the shoulder of a world-renowned bird carver as he creates his most challenging piece A behind-the-scenes look at how Floyd Scholz creates one of his most ambitious pieces--a life-size golden eagle in flight. Beautiful color photos document the carving's progression from a block of wood to a finished work of art. Accompanying text offers how-to information as well as Scholz's thoughts as he works on the carving. Includes preliminary sketches and notes, candid studio shots, work-in-progress images, corrections, and journal entries. A unique look at the creative process that will inspire carvers, artists, and bird-lovers alike."