In my humble opinion one of the best racing pigeon book of all time. I’m not alone in this assessment as many people I’ve talked to who have read and own a copy of the book share the same view. What sets this book apart is how candidly the author shares his experiences to the reader.

A no nonsense book written by Joseph “Joe” Rotondo, a champion American fanciers during the 1960s and 1970s.

The book was published by Silvio Mattacchione and Company. I got my copy from Foy’s Pigeon Supplies but the book can be ordered directly from the publisher’s website or second hand sources.

My copy is a maroon covered hardback with very simple gold embossed lettering and outline of a flying pigeon. Don’t be fooled by the simple cover as you’ll find “gold” inside the covers of this masterpiece. Approximately 8.5 inches wide, 11 inches high and 1 inch thick with 320 pages.

Aside form the Introduction, Author’s Preface, Index and Some Race Results pages the book is divided into 25 chapters.

The chapters are;

I           In The Beginning

II          A Hobby For You

III        The Loft and Accessories

IV        Selection of Superior Birds

V         The Art of Breeding

VI        Natural Old Bird Racing

VII       The Widowhood System

VIII      The Youngsters

IX        The Mould and the Feathers

X         Health Program

XI        Injury, Sickness, Disease

XII       Purchasing Stock

XIII      Characteristics of Champion Pigeons

XIV     Champion fanciers

XV       Clubs, Officers, Committees and Rules

XVI     The Auctions

XVII    The Rise and Fall of the Shows

XVIII   The Races and Average Speeds

XIX     Combines, Concourses, Centers

XX       National Organization

XXI     The Stage of the Sport

XXII    Why Does It Happen

XXIII   Today I Lost a Friend

XXIV   Theories and Some Facts

XXV    Author and His Pigeons

Tips and explanations are plenty in this book but I won’t go too deep. I’ll just mention one of my favorite chapters. That is chapter XXIII “Today I Lost a Friend”.

In this chapter the author talks about a bird banded IF-61-PFM-1100 or simply 1100 which he considers one of his best birds and the father of his racing colony. He continues to tell the story of “1100” and describes him in details including his outstanding children. What touched me about this chapter is how a man got so attached to a bird and how he treats his birds. No wonder he is a champion!

Highly recommended. Try to get a copy while it’s still available.