The Best of Edward Abbey [Paperback]

Edward Abbey (Editor, Illustrator), Doug Peacock (Foreword)

Book Description

Series: Sierra Club Paperback Library | Publication Date: March 12, 1988

This book is a collection of thirty-one fiction and nonfiction pieces, selected by one of America's most popular and celebrated authors, including selections from his best-sellers The Monkey Wrench Gang, Desert Solitaire, The Brave Cowboy, Abbey's Road, Down the River, The Journey Home, and others. This gathering, which has the distinction of being both authored and edited by Abbey, provides a unity and consistency not found in any other collections.
Those unfamiliar with Abbey will find this the ideal single-volume introduction to his work, while those who know his writing will treasure this reminder of the range of his talent. Abbey's writing - powerful, idiosyncratic, raunchy, eloquent, passionate, and profoundly honest - made him a unique voice among nature writers and brought him a wide following.
The Best of Edward Abbey is filled with laughter at human foibles, rage at human folly, and abiding love for what Abbey calls "this delicate planet circling around the sun which humankind calls Earth."

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"The original fly in the ointment."--Thomas McGuane

"He had about him an authenticity that springs from the page and is beloved by a rising generation of readers."--Edward Hoagland --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

Edward Abbey is the author of eleven acclaimed works, including The Monkey Wrench Gang and Desert Solitaire. His The Brave Cowboy was made into the celebrated film Lonely Are the Brave.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Sierra Club Books (March 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871567865
• ISBN-13: 978-0871567864
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,986,142 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Edward Abbey was born in Home, Pennsylvania, in 1927. He was educated at the University of New Mexico and the University of Edinburgh. He died at his home in Oracle, Arizona, in 1989.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Exceptional Protrayal, June 2, 2000

By 

Michael J. Nevin - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of Edward Abbey (Paperback)

An outstanding portrayal of what it means to be on foot in the middle of the harsh desert wilderness. Of the balance between beauty and the harsh reality of an environment where every animal (from stealthy mountain lions to invisible bugs) every plant (from majestic saguaros to innocent weeds) and even the land itself (from river-bottom quick sand to valley fever lurking in the dust) is at any moment ready to strike, sting, bite, scratch, poke, infect or crumble away beneath your feet without warning.

Humbling. Awe-inspiring. Solid environmental consciousness hard to argue against. And written in a voice that recollects Hunter S. Thompson in its appreciation of the beauty in the weirdness of it all. Having grown up in Arizona, and exploring these same lands, Abbey accurately represents what it feels like to be there. And pithy profundities abound for the deeper meaning of it all.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A great sampling, but not much more than that., October 26, 2007

By 

Mark Says (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of Edward Abbey (Paperback)

If you're a fan of Edward Abbey, it wouldn't hurt to check out this book but you may as well just get the books that it takes samples from: Jonathan Troy, The Brave Cowboy, Fire on the Mountain, Desert Solitaire, Appalachian Wilderness, Black Sun, The Monkey Wrench Gang, The Journey Home, Abbey's Road, Good News, Down the River, Beyond the Wall: Essays from the Outside, The Fool's Progress: An Honest Novel, Hayduke Lives!, Earth Apples: The Poetry of Edward Abbey, and Confessions of a Barbarian. Many of the samplings seem out of place when they are taken out of the context of their stories, but there are others that were written to be read individually such as the chapters from Desert Solitaire. Plenty of great writing, but I can't really recommend this book to anyone who either isn't an obsessed fan or someone who just wants a condensed way to see if Edward Abbey is an author who they might want to read more of. I think that if you are one of the latter, you would do better to pick up a copy of Desert Solitaire or the Monkey Wrench Gang instead.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New to Edward Abbey, February 7, 2009

By 

Kirk W. Leichner (Still wandering) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of Edward Abbey (Paperback)

If you have been pondering whether you should read Ed Abbey or not, than this is the book for you. Abbey is an author who had been in the back of my mind for years, but I had never made the effort to read any of his works. I recieved this book as a gift and let it sit on the shelf for about two years.

I waited too long. What a great read. Bits and pieces of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and personel thoughts, the Best of is a book that was put together by Abbey himself of snipets he thought any general reader could enjoy. His writing style, his topics, and his genuine enjoyment of what he does makes this a fine read. I went out and bought a number of his books upon finishing this book and have been very pleased with The Monkeywrench Gang, Hayduke Lives, Fire on the Mountain, The Fool's Progress, Down the River, etc. etc.

Anyone who treasures our outdoors, our rivers, our mountains, and a sarcastic take on the system should pick this book up. I'm looking forward to plenty more Edward Abbey. If you have been waiting to get into Abbey, I highly reccomend it and this book is a great place to start.