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Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park by Lee H. Whittlesey
trin's review against another edition
3.0
Extremely autistic book (complimentary). Whittlesey has done exhaustive research on his special interest and he is going to tell you about it in similarly exhaustive detail. I enjoyed the first 2/3rds or so, which are about accidents and idiocy with thermal pools, high places, and wild animals, and oddly found the litany of fatal fuckups kind of relaxing. However, the final third, about murders and suicides, etc. -- the types of human deaths that could happen anywhere -- just made me tired and sad.
In summary: don't pet a bear or a bison, don't take a dip in a thermal pool or wander around Yellowstone at night, and also don't get drunk and use a firearm, ever. Solid life advice!
In summary: don't pet a bear or a bison, don't take a dip in a thermal pool or wander around Yellowstone at night, and also don't get drunk and use a firearm, ever. Solid life advice!
book_concierge's review against another edition
1.0
The subtitle states: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park.
I’ve had this on my tbr for some time. In general, I like nonfiction about natural history and the great outdoors. I read Jack Olsen’s [b:Night of the Grizzlies|1357414|Night of the Grizzlies|Jack Olsen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422463032s/1357414.jpg|1347143] a few years ago and found it fascinating and compelling. I was expecting something akin to Olsen’s work with this book, and was sorely disappointed.
Whittlesey give us a recitation of incidents in the park, and surrounding communities, divided into categories/chapters. The first two are fairly interesting despite the dry, factual delivery. Whittlesey begins with people who have been burned / scalded by falling – or diving (!) – into various hot springs. The second chapter is devoted to encounters with bears, primarily grizzlies. In each chapter, he relates the incidents in chronological order, beginning with vague reports of events in the late 1800s, for which we have minimal historical data or first-hand accounts. He includes chapters on poisonous plants, falls, runaway horses, Indian battles, suicide, car accidents, drowning, and avalanches among others.
I appreciate the amount of work involved in gathering all this information, and Whittlesey obviously spent time trying to corroborate various accounts (frequently without success, though he noted his efforts). However, the delivery of this information is so dry and “just the facts, Ma’m” that I quickly grew bored.
I’ve had this on my tbr for some time. In general, I like nonfiction about natural history and the great outdoors. I read Jack Olsen’s [b:Night of the Grizzlies|1357414|Night of the Grizzlies|Jack Olsen|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1422463032s/1357414.jpg|1347143] a few years ago and found it fascinating and compelling. I was expecting something akin to Olsen’s work with this book, and was sorely disappointed.
Whittlesey give us a recitation of incidents in the park, and surrounding communities, divided into categories/chapters. The first two are fairly interesting despite the dry, factual delivery. Whittlesey begins with people who have been burned / scalded by falling – or diving (!) – into various hot springs. The second chapter is devoted to encounters with bears, primarily grizzlies. In each chapter, he relates the incidents in chronological order, beginning with vague reports of events in the late 1800s, for which we have minimal historical data or first-hand accounts. He includes chapters on poisonous plants, falls, runaway horses, Indian battles, suicide, car accidents, drowning, and avalanches among others.
I appreciate the amount of work involved in gathering all this information, and Whittlesey obviously spent time trying to corroborate various accounts (frequently without success, though he noted his efforts). However, the delivery of this information is so dry and “just the facts, Ma’m” that I quickly grew bored.
readrunrepeat42's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
skylerae's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
4.0
It was interesting to read about all the different ways to die in Yellowstone National Park. There are such a variety of ways between the deaths caused by nature and deaths caused by man. It was also interesting to hear about deaths from the late 1800’s through recently.
I really liked the line “While appreciating its wholeness, we must never abandon a healthy respect for wilderness. Wilderness is impersonal. It does not care whether you live or die. It does not care how much you love it.
So while we are loving the Yellowstone wilderness, while we play in it, we indeed revel in it, taking it on its own terms and helping to protect it, we foolish mortals must always remember to respect it. For not only can it bite us, but, indeed, it can devour us.”
I really liked the line “While appreciating its wholeness, we must never abandon a healthy respect for wilderness. Wilderness is impersonal. It does not care whether you live or die. It does not care how much you love it.
So while we are loving the Yellowstone wilderness, while we play in it, we indeed revel in it, taking it on its own terms and helping to protect it, we foolish mortals must always remember to respect it. For not only can it bite us, but, indeed, it can devour us.”
mheckman0429's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
2.5
It was very interesting, but I wish it would have told one or two stories in each category in more detail, not just matter of fact this is.what happened.
nadiajohnsonbooks's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.75
This book is an interesting, well-researched dive into the many things that can go wrong if you aren't careful while exploring America's great wilderness. The content can, at times, be repetitive, but this is less of a reflection on the author and more a function of the types of mistakes that people routinely make in Yellowstone. On the whole, I found it to be informative and interesting, with some warnings that I will definitely keep in mind when I visit the park.