Customer Reviews

The Wilderness of Denali

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Charles Sheldon exemplified the conservation-minded hunter-- and while that may seem a contradiction in terms to some modern readers, Sheldon and his companions were the moving force behind many of our parks and wilderness places. This book details Sheldon's adventures in Alaska hunting bighorn sheep, during which he also gathered museum specimens and came to appreciate the glory of Alaska's landscape. The adventures he had are often told in a self-deprecating way which downplays suspense, but his gentle good humor shines through, and his descriptions of the landscape and its beauty make you feel as if you are seeing them with him. Some readers may feel that the pairing of such aesthetic appreciation with the constant shooting of animals jars-- and in terms of modern nature reading it does!-- but it can also transport us to a time when hunting and wilderness appreciation were inseparably linked for most Americans. Sheldon killed a lot of sheep, but he also was the force behind the creation of Denali National Park-- and perhaps the only voice for keeping (at that time) the Native American names for both Denali and the park, although Congress chose to name it after McKinley. Overall, an interesting hunting narrative & window into past views about wilderness, written by a man with a mild but charming personality-- one of the few big-game hunters you can imagine enjoying going camping with!

This is a beautiful read, that displays the hardships, determination, and stamina of a generation long gone. Few people were cut from this cloth at the turn of the century, and even fewer are today. Sheldon was a close friend, and travel companion, of President Roosevelt. He was an enthusiatic student of nature, and an avid hunter. Though some here would look down on him for hunting, he is the classic example that hunters(including Roosevelt) were responsible for protecting these wild places. Hunting even today, pays the bulk of the monies to protect and preserve America's wild places and wild things. Hunting practices of today are almost nothing like they were at the time this book was written, and this is an important account of how things used to be.

This is an excellent account of the lifestyles and the rugged men that explored this Country. I highly recommend this book to those of us that aren't afraid of the truth. Those with a Disney idea of the World around them, might find this book offensive.