DanielPattersonandEricRussellpresentagroundbreakingcaseforconsideringJohnJamesAudubon’sandJohnBachman’squadrupedessaysasworthyofliteraryanalysisandredefinetheroleofBachman,theperpetuallyoverlookedcoauthoroftheessays.AftercompletingTheBirdsofAmerica(1826-38),Audubonbegandevelopinghisworkonthemammals.TheViviparousQuadrupedsofNorthAmericavolumesshowanantebellumviewofnatureasfundamentallydynamicandsimultaneouslygrotesqueandawe-inspiring.Thequadrupedessaysarerichwithgoodstoriesaboutthesemammalsandthehumanswhoobserve,pursue,andadmirethem.Forhelpwiththescienceandtheessays,AudubonenlistedtheReverendJohnBachmanofCharleston,SouthCarolina.Whilehehasbeenacknowledgedascoauthoroftheessays,BachmanhasreceivedlittleattentionasanAmericannaturewriter.WhilealmostallworksthatdescribethehistoryofAmericannaturewritingincludeAudubon,Bachmanshowsuponlyinasubordinateclauseortwo.TenaciousofLifestrivestorestoreBachman’sstatusasanimportantAmericannaturewriter.PattersonandRussellanalyzethecoauthorialdancebetweenthevoicesofAudubon,anexperiencednaturalisttellingadventuroushuntingstoriestingedoftenbysentiment,romanticism,andbombast,andofBachman,thecourteousgentlemannaturalist,scientificdetective,moralist,sometimescruelexperimenter,andhumorist.Drawingonalltheprimaryandsecondaryevidence,PattersonandRusselltellthestoryofthecoauthors’fascinating,conflictedrelationship.ThiscollectionofferswindowsontotheearlyUnitedStatesandmuchforgottenlore,oftenintheformoftravelwriting,naturalhistory,anduniqueanecdotes,alltoldinthecompellingvoicesofAntebellumAmerica’stwoleadingnaturalists.
