Think pigeons are just a nuisance? Then you'll be surprised at how intelligent homing pigeons are and the role they played in delivering messages that saved Allied soldiers during WWI and II in Europe, the Pacific, the Soviet Union, and Africa. Homing pigeons that endured harrowing wartime flights include Cher Ami, one of WWI's most famous pigeons, or the famous GI Joe, who served in WWII. Many received medals for their courageous actions while being seriously wounded (here described in gory and distressing detail). Many American pigeons were trained at the Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, army post, where they selected birds with "stamina and intelligence, not speed." The Korean and Iraq wars used homing pigeons, too, but today they're kept as pets and used to compete in racing. Sidebars offer fascinating facts and quotes. The book is appealingly designed, with historical maps and photos, and contains substantial back matter. Readers who love books about animals accomplishing great deeds will enjoy this while, at the same time, they'll learn a lot about a much-maligned bird.

Highlights from the more than 5,000-year history of the "pigeon post."Pigeons were the first birds to be domesticated (about 10,000 years ago) and have been used to carry messages since at least the days of ancient Egypt. Along with being uncanny navigators, they've been shown to be intelligent enough to distinguish between the music of Bach and Stravinsky. Wartime episodes, which will horrify readers with an interest in animal welfare, describe how these intelligent birds have been savagely mutilated by enemy gunfire. Asking readers to ponder whether pigeons were "just returning home by instinct" or if they sensed "they had a vital mission to complete," Goldsmith presents profiles of a series of pigeon heroes. Despite injuries she describes in detail, these birds intrepidly saved lives by delivering crucial field reports or desperate appeals for help. The incidents included mostly occurred during the two World Wars and primarily in Western Europe (though there's some coverage of Asia, Africa, and Eastern Europe), and they often led to the birds' receiving medals and other honors. The accessible text is enlivened by frequent quotations. Interesting archival photos plus frequent sidebar excursions (including some amusing trash talk aimed at U.S. troops that German soldiers sent via captured Allied pigeons) join a particularly rich set of further resources to enhance these tales of animals at war.Will incite sympathy, not to say outrage, along with admiration for these often-underestimated birds. (glossary, source notes, bibliography, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)