Customer Reviews

The Return of the Wolf to Yellowstone

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Thomas McNamee is a passionate writer as well as a consummate naturalist, and what he has done in this book is a remarkable feat; to tell the story of the Yellowstone wolves from the perspective of a denizen of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem/one who owns a ranch within the wolves' new domaine/and an enrivro who questions his own, in addition to other's, emotional involvement with the issues raised by the their re-introduction. To do this all in a book as readable as this one is is a great feat. If you love the West, love Nature, or just want a surprisingly suspenseful story of the animals survival, the political and social implications of the wolf and, by extension, the ideals of the Endangered Species Act, you must read this book -- You won't be disappointed. It's a personal journey with implications for all of us who care about the imperiled natural world.

Residents this reason have heard lots about wolves, but Thomas McNamee brings a fresh perspective to the story. He was a part-time rancher himself while writing this captivating book, but was also drawn to the wolves more deeply than he had first realized.

McNamee himself is a character in this book, giving it an inviting and personal air, but does not force his views on the reader. He shows the reader a federal wildlife agent tracking a wolf-killer outside of Red Lodge and even opens the window on curious rivalries and tensions between agencies involved in various chapters of the wolf story. Parts of the book are almost dramatic in their intensity, while others slow the pace as the wolves romp and play.

I have been studying the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone for some time, yet this book not only gave me tons of new information it also made the information palatable by bringing with it humor and wit. Mr McNamee has an insiders view, being both a rancher and a wolf lover. Few people could see through both seta of eyes as clearly as he does, yet he makes it seem so easy. If you are to pick one book about the wolves of Yellowstone to teach you as much as possible I recommend this book to you. I do feel like he rushes details at the end of the book, but since the saga is not over, the book was hard to finish I suppose. Other than that small detail this is a great book with lots of facts and easy, witty, reading. Enjoy

I loved this book! The only complaint I have against the book I bought was the lack of pictures. I had checked this book out from the library and it was full of pictures of the wolf.

If you have any interest in the return of the wolf to Yellowstone, this book will definitely be an asset to your library.

I would rate this book a '5', if it was the illustrated issue.

A compelling story of how the wolves finally came back to Yellowstone. A natural history story about these fascinating animals. A political story about misinformation, disimformation, political infighting, even major splits in the environmental community. The book reads like a novel. I highly recommend it.

This is not only the authoritative account of the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, but also a profound insight into the process of getting things done in American conservation. The return of the Yellowstone wolf was the greatest triumph of species restoration in American history, and there are many lessons to be learned from this book. It's also a thrilling murder mystery, as federal agents track down the killer of the magnificent Wolf Number Ten. Written for adults, but great for kids as well.

A well writtin and extremely interesting book!!! If you love wildlife and the outdoors this is one success story that makes you believe maybe restoration can occur

This is another boonie dog book review from Wolfie and Kansas. We thoroughly enjoyed Thomas McNamee's "The Return of the Wolf to Yellowstone". The problem with books by tree-huggers is that their prose is often wooden. Thomas McNamee's prose is meaty, not wooden. This book is very readable, and McNamee maintains suspense throughout concerning the fate of individual wolves, packs, and the entire gray wolf reintroduction project.

"The Return of the Wolf to Yellowstone" discusses not only the actions of wolves, but also the political and legal machinations of noncanine animals of primate derivation. The anti-wolf humans do not want anything as feral as canis lupus running loose in national parks. Pro-wolf humans believe the parks' ecosystems require something more feral than canis lapdog. We have a modest proposal to prevent similar disputes the next time a national park needs an infusion of canis something. According to local human politricksters, Guam has a surplus of canis boonie. As a result, boonie dogs are rounded up and sent to the euphemistically-named "shelter" to be even-more-euphemistically "put to sleep". GovGuam could resolve its alleged boonie dog overpopulation problem more humanely (and more caninely) by sending its surplus boonie dogs to a mainland national park. Our jungle survival skills, combined with our disinclination to attack carabao, make boonie dogs the perfect canis compromisus for both environmentalists and ranchers.