Customer Reviews

Death in the Grizzly Maze: The Timothy Treadwell Story

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Fuzzy Wuzzy's Summary:
** Not recommended. This product gives me cold pricklies.

I read both this and Nick Jans' book The Grizzly Maze: Timothy Treadwell's Fatal Obsession with Alaskan Bears after having watched the great Werner Herzog documentary film Grizzly Man. I have not read Treadwell's own Among Grizzlies: Living with Wild Bears in Alaska , but, in hindsight, I feel that both the Herzog film and Nick Jans' "Grizzly Maze" were much better and more objective treatments of the guy. Nick Jans' writing is far better than Lapinski's also, and one gets the impression that this book was banged together too quickly. If you are deciding between either Jans' "Grizzly Maze" or this "Death in the Grizzly Maze", your time is better spent on "Grizzly Maze".

I'm sure this book wouldn't have been as interesting if I hadn't seen the Herzog doc, "Grizzly Man," which is excellent and offers a more subtle critique of Treadwell (his partner was made a producer of the film in exchange for full access).

It's a fair look at Treadwell, and has many quotes from many different people (biologists, wildlife experts, park rangers, etc) and all of them are sympathetically critical of Treadwell's dangerous and delusional behavior.

It's a great story of a troubled man, but his defenders continue to do the bears a disservice. He did more harm than good, and got himself and his girlfriend and two bears killed because of his reckless actions. The wildlife tv stars should all take notice of this tragic story.

I am far from a Treadwell fan, and I felt that Nick Jans 'Grizzly Maze' was too soft on Timmy Treadwell, but this book swings too far in the other direction. Nick Jans is a much better writer, and his book steers clear of the wild speculation which Lapinsky indulges in here. It was obvious to anyone with common sense that Treadwell was a deeply disturbed man who was chasing the only path to celebrity he could find, and it was only a matter of time before the big bears took him out. Does it really matter if Timmy was bipolar or not ? Speculating on whether his friends, the NPS, etc. could have saved him misses the point- only Tim Treadwell could have saved Tim Treadwell, and he didn't think he had a problem, he thought he had found his star. Lapinsky's position is further diluted by his (if you read Lapinsky's 'Bear Attacks-Who Survived and Why?' you knew it was coming) inclusion of a bear spray commercial chapter 'Could Bear Spray Have Saved Tim Treadwell?'. Overall, the book reads like it was hastily cobbled together, perhaps in an attempt to be first to the marketplace.

As an Alaskan who's been following the Treadwell saga since it broke, I'm very familiar with the many stories that ran in various newspapers and magazines. So, apparently, was this author. 80 percent of this book is simply a "book report" that relies on information and quotes that other journalists dug out, without clear citation of sources. This gives the impression that the author spoke directly with many people he never met. Lapinski did very little original research on the story, and his understanding of the Katmai coast and Kaflia Lake (where Timothy and Amie died) is sketchy at best. And, as often happens in second-hand stories, errors and misconceptions creep in. Where Lapinski's journalism is original (the interviews with Treadwell's mother and with Roland Dixon, for example), he does add new information to the Treadwell puzzle, but reading most of this book is like eating week-old leftovers from the back of the fridge--familiar but not fresh or as interesting as it once was. There's nothing really wrong with this book; it just lacks originality, and the writing style is no more than adequate. Do a google search, read the original articles, and save your money.

"Death in the Grizzly Maze" by Mike Lapinski is a good book that presents some information about Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard that I haven't found elsewhere, including "The Grizzly Maze" by Nick Jans. The author has done a remarkable job of interviewing almost all of the people that knew or worked with Timothy Treadwell, including his mom, Amie's mom, various bush pilots, guides, wildlife biologists, park rangers, National Park superintendents, and some members of the Grizzly People foundation. The author's way of obtaining, organizing, and objectively presenting the background information about not just Timothy, but about Amie Huguenard made the grim subject matter easier to read than most other treatments of the subject.

Lapinski realized that Amie's life and connection to Grizzly People is often overlooked in the many articles, videos, and other books that have been written about the tragedy. He dedicated an entire chapter to her (and the entire book to both Amie and Timothy). He also reserved moral judgment of Timothy. Instead, Lapinski presents the information and then steps back allowing the readers to form their own opinion based on the numerous facts and interviews. The author will probably anger fans of Treadwell and Grizzly People by pointing out the many facts that they and the mainstream media and news organizations usually omit in their effort to hype Treadwell and/or entertain. They often romanticize Treadwell's "mission," rather than pointing out how it was a thirteen year long false mission that included flawed field methodology, deception and lies, and a contradictory environmental message.

Something that may be a slight stretch in this book is a sympathetic chapter that discusses the possibility that Treadwell may have suffered from Bipolar disorder. However, Lapinski does present supporting evidence of the possibility in the form of interviews with a bipolar disorder patient and a psychologist, among others, who were familiar with Treadwell's work and behind-the-scenes personality. Finally, he presents a plausible scenario of the final bear attack itself, since the only record of it is an impossible-to-listen-to audio record left on video tape that was recovered at the Treadwell camp site. Lapinski also does a good job documenting how the tragedy occurred not just at the grizzly maze on October 5, 2003, but during a continuous period of time that stretched over many years, as most systemic failures often do. This is an analysis I haven't found elsewhere. I have read other articles and books about Treadwell and this author cautiously attempts to explain the unexplainable, without putting a spin on Treadwell's life. Treadwell did that by himself. Yet Lapinski is appropriately sympathetic to Treadwell and Huguenard (who have been vilified in some circles), and to the bears. I have found myself re-reading chapters because of this, cross checking with the Jans book, since much of the analysis and facts are news to me.

Overall, Lapinski gave me an appreciation for how Timothy and Amie wound up paying the ultimate price because they continued in their misguided mission, intentionally and unintentionally encouraged in part by many others. Some of whom must now pay a weighty emotional price, due to their inability to distinguish hype from reality.

Mike Bowman

I think Mike Lapinski was fair minded and treated both Tim and Amy with respect, while, at the same time, telling the truth. I understand that Marc Gaede's stinging rebuke of Lapinski was born of his personal friendship with Tim Treadwell and his environmental activist anti-hunting mindset. Didn't I see Marc in the film?

It's true that Lapinski hunts, and has trapped in his time, and for that reason was denied an interview by an angry Jewel Pavalak while attempting to do justice to Tim Treadwell by interviewing those who knew him best.

It's also true that he's dedicated his life to conservation, and especially the protection of Grizzly habitat. His book was well written (as are all of his books on Grizzlies), and apparently hated by environmentalists, and really liked by those who are both conservationists and hunters.

I suspect that everyone (including me) rates the book as they see it, whether it be to the left, right, or middle of the eco-environmentalist pole.

I was personally touched by the chapter he dedicated to Amy. Lapinski did so because she'd received little recognition and he thought she deserved better. As a result, the reader actually comes to see Amy as a bright, intelligent, well educated human being--not just a tag along who wasn't allowed, but rarely, to share a place in his films.

Two thumbs up for this excellent book. Not perfect, so it gets a 4

This book is pretty far reaching. Obviously the author came into the book with preconceived judgments. It is less a book about Treadwell and more a book about Lapinski and his views on everything from psychology to hunting. There are great materials out there that provide a balanced account of the Treadwell story, this is not one of them. The author over dramatizes situations to his advantage and repeats his views over and over again as if to convince the reader he is right.

The author tries to be subtle about his distaste for New Age ideas and animal rights activism, but it is evident throughout the book. He portrays the people who loved Treadwell and the way they choose to honor his memory as silly and those who object to Treadwell as enlightened. He tries to illustrate his understanding of Treadwell by comparing the adrenaline rush of killing a wild animal with that of getting close to one that is alive. This kind of lack of insight is evident throughout the book.

Lapinski manages to blame Treadwell for everything except global warming in this book including making Treadwell responsible for bear haters hating bears more and for bear lovers engaging in risky behaviors. He also leans towards making Treadwell responsible for Amie Huguenard's death. She was a 37 year old, well educated outdoor enthusiast. It was not her first time at the park with Treadwell. She had also just left and chose to come right back a few days before she was killed. I think it dishonors her memory to portray her as a love struck girl not capable of making her own decisions or deciding what risks she was willing to take.

The author finds nothing good in Treadwell's legacy and if you are one of the people who were touched by him, then you are just one of those animal-crazy eco people. In the end it is almost amusing to see this author, a hunter who has written books on hunting, taking a dead man to task for getting two bears killed.

Certainly a critical look a Treadwell requires an analysis of his mistakes, but it also requires an objective outlook that this author just does not have.

Mike Lapinski, the author, is not that experienced in writing as he is in factual journalism, he's more of a sports writer, not trying to impress, only to inform. To me, this only adds to its charm. I disagree with some others that he swings in the other direction from Nick Jans (The Grizzly Maze) whom they think was too soft on Tim. Mike gives honest accounts based on interviews--including Tim's and Amie's parents. The idea that Tim and his family were estranged is denied by Tim's parents. OK, Nick Jans' Grizzly Maze is more poetic and stylized as becomes a stylistic writer. But Mike Lapinski's roughhewn sports type journalism Jon Krakauer isn't "poetic," either); he's an unpretentious self-effacing journalist whose style is like Jon K's) and kept me interested. He devoted a whole chapter to Amie Huguenard, the other victim, who --as he laments, has been all but forgotten except that she was also killed that day. She was tough, intelligent, selfless but trusted Tim too much and therefore died. She could've probably used bear spray, I thought she did, from a passage in the book.

The author give Tim a lot of credit when it is due and criticizes him when he deserved it. By opining that these deaths could have been prevented and that Tim might be bipolar (before it was diagnosed) was brought up by Tim's mom, and it isn't swinging in the other direction. In fact, he gives the dude credit for his courage and the fact that he lasted almost 13 years out thre in the Grizzly maze. After seeing the movie Grizzly Man and watching Tim's histrionics and annoying habit of repeating himself three times ("I would DIE for them" "it's what I'm SAYIN'") three times, cursing the sky and the gods including "that HIndu god" (which one? there are thousands!) until it finally rained, then he turned around and apologized and praised them all! At any rate, Mike is right on in interviewing Tim's counselor who had advised Tim several times to quit what he was doing or he'd get himself killed. But Mike isn't nasty or cruel in his critique, only very honest, and gives excerpts from interviews with people who knew Tim, and swung both ways in their opinions. I rate this one 5 stars because of the rough-hewn honesty of Mike. Both Mike's and Nick Jans' books are great, serve their purpose and, like Rocky and Adrian, "fill gaps." But I prefer the more selfless and no-nonsense, on-task journalism reporting of Mike Lapinski.

This book was a well written and very honest take on Timothy Treadwell's tragic story. While the author has compassion for Treadwell and values him as a human being, he does not sugar coat his behavior and actions that ultimately contributed to his death. A great read for bear enthusiasts and those interested in Timothy Treadwell. He seemed like a sweet, likable, but misinformed and troubled individual. May he rest in peace, along with his girlfriend Amie.

A very tragic story, perhaps others can learn from it.

I had watched the film on Timothy Treadwell's life and was very interested in reading more about what happened. I ordered this book hoping to learn more, which I did. I would recommend it to anyone that is interested in both sides of the story. Very well written.