Structure

The Feather Thief is divided into three parts, plus a prologue. The prologue describes the specific events of the Tring heist and introduces the reader to the author, Kirk Wallace Johnson, as he first hears about Edwin Rist and his strange crime. The following three parts of the book each focus on a separate and distinct aspect of the narrative and the author's exploration of what this isolated crime means on a larger scale for humanity as a whole.

Part One focuses on the history of natural history collection with a particular emphasis on the Victorian era. This section then chronicles the historical evolution of humanity's relationship to nature from this period, which ultimately led to the establishment of legislation and international treaties for protect endangered species. Part One also introduces the history behind salmon fly tying and some of its evolution to the present day. As...