Ok, I'm calling it now, my book of 2017.
Which is quite something as it is non fiction. I rarely read NF and have never really found a NF read to engross me in the way this book has done.

Maybe because it doesn't feel or read as non fiction. The writing is so wonderful, so atmospheric, and at times so painful that you want to believe it can only be a work of fiction.

I was asked very early on what it was about. "Think H is for hawk for lawyers" I said glibly. And of course that's such a simplistic view but to the rare non fiction reader it might just give a hint of the style and structure. But where H left me a bit cold, and a bit bewildered how a full book could be spun out of training a bird of prey, this absolutely didn't. I could have devoured as many pages as the author could put in front of me of this book.

Will be recommending far and wide to all.