Wilderness Within: The Life of Sigurd F. Olson [Hardcover]

David Backes (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This well-balanced assessment of Sigurd Olson (1899-1982) pays as much attention to his spiritual quest as to his activism in defense of America's natural resources with such groups as The Wilderness Society and the National Parks Association. Olson found a sense of completeness while hiking, canoeing, and hunting in the northern Midwest. He conveys these feelings in influential books such as The Singing Wilderness, which inspired a generation of younger nature writers. David Backes, who knew Olson in his later years, captures his personality and evaluates his achievements in lucid prose.

From Library Journal

Sigurd Olson, winner of the John Burroughs Medal, the highest award for nature writing, enjoyed continued success as an author after the publication in 1956 of his first book of nature essays, The Singing Wilderness. But his dream of recognition was realized only after years of frustration and an agonizing search for meaning. In this first and only biography of the icon of the 1960s and 1970s conservation movement, Backes (Canoe Country, Northwood, 1991. pap.) provides a surprising portrait of a man whose early conventional life, first as a teacher and dean of Ely Junior College, followed much later by a highly successful public life, belied his inner struggles. The abundance of anecdotes and quotes gleaned from Olson's letters and journals, as well as family interviews, make this a fascinating and highly readable book. Essential for any collection with works by Olson and recommended for general collections as well.?Maureen Delaney-Lehman, Lake Superior State Univ. Lib., Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: Univ Of Minnesota Press; 1 edition (August 13, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816628424
• ISBN-13: 978-0816628421
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #306,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent and broad review of the life of Sig Olson., January 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Wilderness Within: The Life of Sigurd F. Olson (Hardcover)

Anyone who has enjoyed the incredible beauty of Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area owes a debt to Sigurd Olson, subject of David Backe's "A Wilderness Within". This well-written book helps us understand Sig and how his intense passion to become a significant writer intertwined with his deep spiritual need for wilderness. The book may go a bit overboard in emphasizing some of his shortcomings: his temper, his need to be important, his occasional mistakes, but it also makes clear how much those close to him loved him. It is painful to consider how much the northern Minnesota wilderness would have been developed and decimated but for his efforts. TH Bracken MD Onamia MN

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They don't Make them that way anymore, October 28, 2000

By 

Michael A. Ciccone - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wilderness Within: The Life of Sigurd F. Olson (Hardcover)

After reading five books by Sigurd F. Olson I felt it only right to read his biography. A Wilderness Within: The Life of Sigurd F. Olson was an insightful look at an incredible person.

From the very early days of Sigurds Life he is drawn toward nature. As Olson's life progresses this propensity turns into his lifes calling. Olson accomplishes more than ten people could in one lifetime. Wilderness defender, author, family man, canoeist- If you are entranced by Sigurd Olson's books you owe it to yourself to read his biography.

The biography describes things about Sigurd F. Olson that one would never guess from reading his books, and elaborates on others.

I'm particularly enjoy reading how hard it was for Olson to get published. He encountered numerous rejections before his first book The Singing Wilderness way published in the 1950's.

Perhaps what I like most about this biography is that Olson seems so much like myself. With each page I learned more about myself and my potential. There is a lot we can learn from the life of Sigurd F. Olson. It is best summed up this way: If you have a cause that is worth persuing keep at it, and don't stop until you've achieved your goals.

Thanks Becks for writing such a wonderful book about a wonderful person.