Feather theft, rare birds & salmon fly-tying

American journalist and author Kirk Johnson's latest book tells the story of the bizarre and audacious heist of rare bird specimens from the British Natural History Museum in 2009 by a young musician. Edwin Rist was obsessed with the arcane Victorian art of salmon fly-tying, and planned the break-in at the museum for months to get his hands on priceless feathers. Kirk Johnson wrote the book while recovering from the effects of post traumatic stress disorder after nearly a decade involved with the humanitarian effects of the Iraq war. He's the founder of the List Project, an NGO which campaigned for Iraqis who had worked alongside Americans in the war to find safe haven in the US.