Man has been enchanted by birds of prey since the dawn of civilisation Defied by cultures around the world, they remain symbols of power and independence. Daniel Butler charts this mystical appeal in his diary of a relationship with a hawk. He was fasinated at the age of ten by an injured kestrel, and from then on was determined to take up the ancient art of falconry, although an opportunity did not present itself for another twenty years. The process is far more complicated than he had imagined and at first the hawk inspires more frustration than reverence. Later, however, he discovers that what begins as an experiment has far-reaching consequences. His growing obsession with the hawk sours his taste for modern urban life. It leads to a flight of his own - permanent escape from his London flat to the heart of rural Wales.