ie They are  NOT coming from overseas !!

Ali and the Golden  Eagle

- By Wayne Grover -

ISBN: 0688113850

Publisher: Greenwillow, New York, USA 

Published: 1993

Binding: HARDcover with Dustjacket 150 pages  

Condition: UNread & displayed condition! HERE in MELBOURNE! A retired display copy as illustrated!

Edition:  FIRST EDITION: 1st printing complete number line  

TIGHT,  SCARCE   HARDCOVER  ~  IN  MELBOURNE  ... 

WHY do ebayers buy from US?

Because you KNOW what you're getting. My close up photos are of the actual item!!

Remains UNread - it was the display copy instore. It is Tight -  neat, no inscriptions or marks within. Appears as in my photos - this is the exact copy!!  A nicely preserved copy - superb!

No discernible shelf wear, the interior is tight and spotlessly clean with 150 pages. THIS copy is the FIRST EDITION: Only printing from 1993 - the US publishing by Greenwillow, USA. 

There are many black and white Photos & Illustrations.

SCARCE title - this is an  UNread copy!!

In original embossed boards  HARDcover binding, in publisher's dustjacket which are in excellent new condition.

(Stored with 2020!)

Measures approx.  9¾  x 6¾  inches or 25  x  17cms

SYNOPSIS ....

On a day trip, he discovered a village hidden at the bottom of a mile-high cliff. The true story of what happened to him — and to the thousand-year-old village — when he dared to climb down. Dramatic, thought-provoking fun!

When Wayne captures a baby golden eagle for his friend Ali, a young shepherd from the village of Ezratu, the eagle alters the destiny of Ali and all of Ezratu. 

In the land of barren desert and isolated villages, Wayne Grover befriends a whole village with a single gift - a golden eagle. This village in Southwest Saudi Arabia is isolated from most of the outside world, and training their falcons to hunt is an important part of their lives. This is an amazing, true story of how one boy trains the golden eagle brought by Wayne and has success with the bird beyond anything anyone ever imagined. Absolutely riveting, easy-to-read story. 

This is a novel based on the author's experiences while he worked for an American company in Saudi Arabia. When exploring the area, Wayne discovers Ezratu, a village deep in a valley of the western Arabian mountains, and meets Ali, a young shepherd who becomes his guide and friend. And takes readers on an exciting adventure in a strange and fascinating world.

By the author of Dolphin Adventure. 

About the Author

Wayne Grover has been a diver since 1966, when he began diving for Spanish treasure off the coast of Florida. He lives with his wife and two dogs in South Florida.

Very  Interesting read!

Reviews

Kirkus  Review … An American who has lived in Saudi Arabia combines fact and fiction to honor the ancient art of falconry. Wayne, the narrator, rappels down a cliff into the village of Ezratu, where he meets a promising young falconer, Ali. The village—untouched by the oil-won advance of the rest of the country—seems self- reliant and (to Wayne's eye) very nearly a Shangri-La. Into his budding friendship with Ali, he brings a baby eagle (Samson), stolen from its nest, for Ali to train. Samson and the boy go on to win a falconry contest; meanwhile, Prince Faisal is so impressed by Ali's falconry that he brings electricity, roads, and medicine to Ezratu, leaving an open question: despite the well-intentioned, progressive thinking, will this be good or bad for the once-independent village? Though Grover's language is often clumsy and repetitive, his plotting is more than adequate and well supported by the noble Ali and his well-regarded father, jealous older brother Faud, and, of course, good-natured Wayne. The author's attempts as a cultural tour guide are admirable, but the story works best as a far-flung adventure. (Fiction. 11+)

GREAT BOOK …  The story “Ali and the Golden Eagle” is told by an American named Wayne Grover. Mr. Grover tells of his adventures in Saudi Arabia and how he meets Ali, a village boy who's eager to try new things and face whatever life throws at him. When Mr. Grover visits Ali's village deep in a canyon away from civilization, Ali, his father, and the men of the village show him their art of falconry. Mr. Grover then helps Ali capture a golden eagle—something that had never been done. This book is about his adventures with Ali and his eagle and how he watches Ali come into manhood.

Fascinating Book …  Yes, I know this is not a new book. But, it is such a good one and so often overlooked, that I wanted to mention it here. It is not your typical classroom read aloud-it is a little slow and dry at parts and the teacher should really pair it with other materials to build background knowledge on Saudi Arabia. However, for the thoughtful group of kids who can delve a little deeper into a foreign culture, this one is a winner in my view, with great messages about friendship, multiple perspectives, respect for foreign cultures, care for animals and perseverance too. The genres of informational/biographical and multicultural literature should bring the reader into the foreign world and truly immerse him in it,- and this book does just that! This book teaches respect for foreign cultures and respect for differences. Still today, I do not believe there are enough high quality books for children about middle eastern cultures and this one fits the bill! Ali's deep relationship with his eagle is fascinating and so is the small native, cliff-dwelling culture he belongs to. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is how this small village has remained separate from the rest of the world, like a time capsule devoid of modern technology, and then, through the relationship with one outsider, it all begins to change. I had no idea that Wayne Grover wrote other books besides this one which is based on his real experience in Saudi Arabia (it can't get more authentic than that!) More recently he has written dolphin stories and is an avid conservationist. He keeps up an interesting website too.

Authentic!   …. This is the fascinating true story of a man who discovers an isolated native tribe of people living with almost no contact with the modern world in Saudi Arabia. He befriends the youngest son of the chief, a boy named Ali, and helps him catch and train a magnificent golden eagle.
This story is what originally got me interested in Middle Eastern cultures. A truly authentic, engaging, and enjoyable read for anyone of any age.
Highly recommended. This book should be far more popular!

Amazing amazing book   ……  I think falconry is an amazing relationship between man and bird. Therefor the capture of the eagle, its training, and Ali's connection with it were fascinating to me. The story also gives insight into a society untouched by modern inventions and technology. But Ali's success with the eagle changes the innocence of both himself and his village.

GREAT book!  ….  This book is about a man who caught a golden eagle for a boy who never saw human technology . The boy won in a contest and got $300.000 . You will read more interesting stuff about the book when you read it

Sweet story … This one earns four stars from the kids - they really liked it. Quite a unique and amazing story. Seemed almost too fantastic to be true, but great for the imagination.

LOVED  … Very enjoyable book about friendship and eagles. Good read for kids and preteens.

I LOVE eagles …. I am glad my oldest daughter pulled Ali and the Golden Eagle out of the Sonlight curriculum for me to read. I love eagles and I'm writing a series of fantasy novels about a kingdom where golden eagles are utilized for hunting and war. Thus, I enjoyed reading Wayne Grover's account of his adventures in a small, primitive village separated from the modern world in a remote canyon of Saudia Arabia. Wayne finds the village while out rock climbing and exploring. He quickly becomes friends with Ali and his Muslim family; Ali's father, Mustafa, is the village chief. After witnessing the men of the village practice falconry, Wayne is determined to use his rock climbing skills to catch a golden eagle chick for Ali. Their great adventure begin there.

Excellent book  … My third graders read this (mostly) aloud to me for their literature to go along with our studies on Saudi Arabia scheduled in the MFW ECC curric. It was excellent for portraying Saudi Arabia, and not in ancient times but modern. The reading level was only slightly harder than my third graders' level, but nothing that impeded them so they'd dislike it. They were very excited at certain parts. We all felt a disconnect over the chapter about Ali's becoming-a-man tests. Here and in a few other points mentioning polygamy and its family tensions, as well as early marriage (Ali could get married as early as 14 if he passed the "man" test), the book was too mature for younger kids. Overall, it was a very good choice for our literature and geography studies.

Eleven year old’s opinion .. This book describes a village at the bottom of a canyon in Saudi Arabia. As the world develops, the villagers go on the way as their great-great-great-great grandparents did. In this book, a man from America and the author, who is the main character, comes to the village by rock-climbing down. I see their way of living, growing vegetables, getting wool from sheep, and most of all getting meat by training falcons. No man has ever had an eagle for a bird. The American man tries to get an eagle for Ali. Will he succeed? I loved this book. I read the 150 pages in one night. I did not get very much sleep! –

I really enjoyed this book! …. It’s based on his personal experience in Saudi Arabia from 1977 - 1979. Ali and the Golden Eagle is a beautiful story of the author's contact with a group of people untouched by modern progress and the friendship that develops between the author and a boy who has a trained golden eagle.

An enjoyable adventure … It’s about a young boy who has grown up in a secluded valley and is thrust into the modern world. Insight into the culture.

WOW  SO incredible …  I was spellbound by this book and learned so many things! Well told. Hard to believe it’s true!