list of bird books?

anyone have recommended reads for the bird? 1.f4 (it can be on the regular bird lines or From's gambit). I have played the opening a long time but mostly out of my own observations/ideas + database checks. I stopped playing the bird when I wrongly turned it into an over-amitious swindley system instead of good chess. I saw too many of the same positions and wasnt challenging myself enough for growth.

now Id like to study it (correctly) a bit more at least for a solid backup OTB opening. I know there isnt much theory on it but Im guessing theres a few books from over the years.

I own a copy of Timothy Taylor's Bird's Opening ... coverage of an underrated and dynamic choice for White (2005). Pretty good book on the opening.

Buy Soltis' book, winning with 1. f4.  This will give you a positional understanding of the original ideas of the Bird.  It wasn't until I bought that book that I began to get a better understanding of what Taylor was talking about.  

Don't think of the Bird as just a swindler's system.  It truly has a positional basis, but you need to understand the pawn structures.  

I don't have any bird books, but I heard that Dangerous Weapons: Flank Openings has some good coverage of it.

Also, do you play the dutch? If not then I suggest you start as the two openings have a lot in common and the themes you learn from one will help you with the other.

Also be sure to check out GM Danielsen's videos on youtube, under the channel: Krakkaskak.

A really great, totally free resource, is Correspondence master Keith Hayward's site, charmingly titled "Keith's Krap."

http://www.oocities.com/drawyah/

Keith spent a lifetime playing Birds, and gives his whole battle-hardened repertoire, no strings attached.  It's an awesome resource, and I wish more master level players would grace us with this sort of thing once their competitive days were behind them.

thanks for the comments guys, I will be looking into these. already found 1 for a good price.

still looking for the Soltis, I am a big fan of his.

and as for looking at is as a swindlers system, that is behind me.. was going with those unsound attacks a few years ago because I hadnt learnt much about pawn structure. now Im about 2000 here and 1725ish OTB.

wont let me quote idividually for some reason so-

DrawMaster- this is the one Ive seen and just bought a few days ago, thanks! should be here any day now.

BigTy- I dont play the Dutch. I should start looking through more dutch games though as I can see the ideas in action by much, much better players and many more games. good idea been kicking it around for a while and even tried to play the dutch a few times. :)

Dwell- very deep and interesting analysis, thanks! I should be as organized as that guy with my games. fun reading thank you

Back in 1981, McCormick and Soltis co-wrote Bird's Defense to the Ruy Lopez, published by MacFarland. Really and old text, but great a giving a historical perspective. That's the pro, the con, written in descriptive notation.

Woops wrong Bird.

there isnt to much information out on the bird. the leningrad dutch on the other hand has plenty and will help you alot since its almost exactly the same reversed

I should check that out, as Im more of a queenside fianchetto guy when it comes to the bird. it just feels more natural helping as the f4 pawn has a great role helping out the supercharged long diagonal ;)

still I have played a reversed LD and that been good too so I will give that a try more.

mnag-lol. :)

my oldest Lopez book is written by Lane, I should really try to get a few older for the collection. never been a huge fan of the Birds variation in the RL.. I do recall there was a time when it was brought back and slightly trendy. was that around the time the book was made? I also then wonder what game had the refution to put it back on the shelf?

the book dangerous weapons e4 e5 has a nice and well thought out article on it

Speaking of that book, I made a study on the first 2 chapters on Lichess here. Stopped playing the Bird after I started losing too many games and I don't want to have a negative winrate

The Killer Dutch by GM Simon Williams.

His Chessable course is more up to date, but his coverage of how to play the Classical Dutch against the main line can be translated to the Classical Bird (you will generally want to use your extra tempo to play Kh1 as that is a useful move in pretty much every line).

Starting Out: The Dutch Defence by GM Neil McDonald is also good

If you want to play the Leningrad Bird, then I recommend playing the Qe1 line (as opposed to Nc3 or c3) as the extra tempo means that you can be more aggressive.

Taylor's book is a bit outdated, but his coverage of From's Gambit is mostly correct (but in the Nf6 From's Gambit, White should not immediately play 5. d4 as that makes the e-pawn permanently weak. Black can castle and play Re8 with a pleasant position.)