The inspiring biography of an Adirondack legend whose tireless efforts are credited with much of today's preservation policies in the Adirondacks.
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About the Author
Christopher Angus writes essays, reviews, and commentary for many publications and is book review editor for Adirondac. He is the author of Reflections from Canoe Country: Paddling the Waters of the Adirondacks and Canada, published by Syracuse University Press.
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Any biography that states in its title "extraordinary...journey" has a great deal to live up to. This is especially true if the person is only regionally known. However, the life of Clarence Petty is nothing short of amazing and his life story confirms him as a living legend.
Author Christopher Angus ("Reflections From Canoe Country: Paddling the Water of the Adirondacks and Canada") has taken on the voluminous task of writing the life story of a man who was bred, worked and still lives in the Adirondack Park. Clarence Petty was born to a poor backwoods wilderness guide and lived his life in countless professions all in the name of the environment.
This is not a mundane tale of a "Dudley Doright". The reader soon discovers that Mr. Petty grew from being a well respected wilderness guide into a Federal and State conservationist, all the while honing his skills as a first class aviationist. Between these two professions Mr. Petty traveled the world. From dangerous missions over the Pacific in World War II to environmental works over Alaska and the Adirondack mountains, Clarence Petty moved forward to serve and protect the environment in which he lives. Also worth noting are the staggering number of conservancy organizations to which Mr. Petty belongs and contributes. There are few Presidents, Governors or other noteworthy politicians that Clarence Petty has not met in the last several decades. It is interesting to note that his viewpoint of politicians is adamantly level headed but not without strong opinion.
If the reader is not familiar with some of the colorful Adirondack legends of the past century, there are some pleasant surprises. His family personally knew all of them and the truth behind most. These tales are woven through the upbringing of Clarence Petty and serve as a time table to his growth. Exciting stories from mountain and river mappings to political controversies over the Adirondack Park fill the saga of Clarence Petty. The reader can not help but wonder what keeps a man like this going so stealthily for so long. His story is impressive.
People like Clarence Petty seem to be put on this earth at a time they are needed most. His influence and hard work to save the qualities of the Adirondack wilderness through the most crucial era of its' existence is inspiring. Mr. Petty's story is told in an unsentimental, yet moving manner.
The foreword is written by Dr. Anne LaBastille, a close friend of Clarence Petty and author of the "Woodswoman" series, as well as environmental gems like, "Mama Poc" and "Jaguar Totem". Her latest book, "Woodswoman IIII" has just been released.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Let me begin with my biggest complaint regarding this book: No map of the Adirondack Park. Although this book purports to be the biography of Clarence Petty, it is a sketchy bio at best with the principal focus on the creation of this wilderness area in upper New York State. And yet, although this book constantly gives names of places and sections of the Park, not one map to help the reader better understand the forces at work here. I subtract two rating stars right off the top for this oversight. There is a map, a sketch actually, of a few square miles of the area in which Clarence grew up and currently lives. This brings me to my second complaint. Throughout the book, author Christopher Angus states that Clarence lived/lives in Coreys. But, if you look at the sketch in the book and then go to other resources, you find out that that is not true. Clarence's home is on Coreys Road. The hamlet of Coreys is another place entirely, approximately 20 miles to the north, and Coreys Road goes nowhere near Coreys. The book is pretty much a straightforward, simple and unstylistic narrative with appropriate quotes from individuals and other printed sources. One big bonus: Terrific photographs of the people involved in their natural setting. Yet, when I was done with the book, I had the sensation that I knew more than was necessary about the politics of the park, and precious little about Mr. Petty. Of course, his life revolved to such a great extent around the Adirondacks, that both had to be included. But, there is so much more to Clarence. For instance, no other place on earth inspired him to the extent these mountains did, except Alaska. We are told that he made more than half a dozen trips there, but only one is given any exposure, and then only cursorily. I would have liked to learn more about the other trips and what he found there that so moved him. We are told that he was an active letter writer promoting his thoughts on the environment. We get pieces of a letter or two, but not enough to give us an impression of the man. Several well-chosen letters in their entirety would have helped here. We are told he was often on the opposite side of environmental arguments with his older brother Bill, but there's very little evidence given to support that. More comments by both brothers on these debates would have been interesting and thought provoking. Further, except for environmental topics, we get precious little of the philosophy of this Adirondack original who is still driving at 99, who stopped giving pilot instructions at 94, who, for most of the year, lives by himself in the middle of this wilderness. I would have thought the author would have at least asked this man, who is only months away from becoming a centenarian, to what does he attribute his long, vigorous life? Good genes; an exceptionally active body and mind; a special diet; not smoking; not drinking? Or on that one occasion when he chose to imbibe, what thoughts and sensations flooded his mind? What lessons has he learned from life that he wants to impart to those coming after him? Clarence Petty is a remarkable human being, a pioneering environmentalist, activist, and aviator. You'll get the flavor of this man from this book, but not his essence. We need the "Bam!"
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have to say that I'm impressed with Clarence Petty's life. It almost makes me wish I was born in the Adirondacks around the turn of the century. Most people don't have lives much less the great life he has. It's a good story and the best part is that it's all true.
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