gillianm06's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
anekov's review against another edition
4.0
Wolf Island is a fascinating account of David Mech's study of wolves in their natural habitat which spanned over several years. The uniqueness of this project lies in the fact that the research was done in a naturally quasi-contained area (Isle Royale in Lake Superior), allowing Mech and his colleagues to monitor the predator-prey relationship between wolves and moose.
All in all Wolf Island is a highly interesting narration of three winters and summers spent studying a fascinating animal.
All in all Wolf Island is a highly interesting narration of three winters and summers spent studying a fascinating animal.
madisondo's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.0
If you like wolves or are familiar with Isle Royale this is an interesting read about the beginning of the wolf/moose study on the Island and Mech's involvement with it.
time4reading's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.0
In the early 1960s, and just starting postgraduate work, David Mech was picked to do field work on the wolves and moose on Isle Royale in Lake Superior. Wolf Island tells the story of those first three years, both summer and winter, where young Mech combed the island on foot, by boat, and from the air, building an understanding of the deeply interwoven lives of the wolves and moose on the island. His work was the beginning of a study closely observing this habitat that continues to this day.
Written in first person in very accessible language, Wolf Island reads as a memoir though it was written by Breining based on extensive interviews with Mech and reference to his notes and journals. I especially enjoyed the early parts of the book as he describes his arrival and initial explorations of the island. Toward the end of the book, there were perhaps more observations of wolves and moose than I needed but they show the depth of knowledge that Mech developed in that time which ultimately led him to be one of the leading experts on wolves. (Also, content warning for some, ahem, detailed description of successful wolf hunts and subsequent feeding.)
If you’re interested in reading about field work in remote places, or you love wolves, this is a great book. Thanks to NetGalley and University of Minnesota Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest (and overdue) review.
Written in first person in very accessible language, Wolf Island reads as a memoir though it was written by Breining based on extensive interviews with Mech and reference to his notes and journals. I especially enjoyed the early parts of the book as he describes his arrival and initial explorations of the island. Toward the end of the book, there were perhaps more observations of wolves and moose than I needed but they show the depth of knowledge that Mech developed in that time which ultimately led him to be one of the leading experts on wolves. (Also, content warning for some, ahem, detailed description of successful wolf hunts and subsequent feeding.)
If you’re interested in reading about field work in remote places, or you love wolves, this is a great book. Thanks to NetGalley and University of Minnesota Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest (and overdue) review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Graphic descriptions of wolves killing and feeding on moose.
More...