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miocyon's review
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
When I first doing field work in the American West, I was told about a number of books I should read to learn more about the history, culture, and ethos of this area I fell instantly in love with. One of these was Bernard DeVoto’s “Year of Decision” which became my favorite history book. What I did not know is the huge role that BDV played in the conservation movement in the west, in the 40’s and 50’s, including his key role saving my beloved Echo Park in Dinosaur National Monument from inundation from a dam project. This books tells that story and many others about BDV, but more importantly tells of the partnership with his wife Avis, who was a force of nature in her own right. She was his editor, but did work on her own, including getting Julia Child’s “French Cooking” book published, the culmination of a long friendship between the two women (mostly over correspondence). The book is a quick read, and suffers a little from glibness and disorganization at times, but I learned so much that I can mostly overlook that.
susannah_knox's review
informative
medium-paced
3.0
I struggled with the florid writing style, but this was a story worth reading. I didn't know this history of the early conservation movement at all, including the dramatic opposition by Joe McCarthy et al. and the connection to Kennedy's nascent environmentalism. The DeVotos were an inspiring couple and I enjoyed learning about their role.
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