danchrist's review against another edition
4.0
Connors book is really a must read for anybody who enjoys the outdoors. His easy prose and gripping recounting of his vigil atop a lookout tower in the Gila wilderness of the American southwest pulled me in, and his detailed descriptions of the life of a lookout kept me coming back for more.
I also enjoyed Connors' description of copying Kerouac's fire lookout journal, and Norman MacLean's book about the Mann Gulch fire. The latter is now on my To Read list.
One other notable takeaway for me was Connors' comparison of John Muir and Gifford Pinchot. Given the latter's emphasis on using the wilderness only for what men can harvest from it has definitely taken some of the luster off his legacy, at least for me.
I also enjoyed Connors' description of copying Kerouac's fire lookout journal, and Norman MacLean's book about the Mann Gulch fire. The latter is now on my To Read list.
One other notable takeaway for me was Connors' comparison of John Muir and Gifford Pinchot. Given the latter's emphasis on using the wilderness only for what men can harvest from it has definitely taken some of the luster off his legacy, at least for me.
emburs9's review
reflective
sad
slow-paced
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Rape
holly_studies's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting read. I never knew how much debate went into controlled forest burns and firewatching. Also the relationship between the author and his wife is a wild one and was fascinating to read!
coffeecrusader's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely breathtaking, a meditation on life, isolation, conservation, and the experiences made by them all.
blueskygreentreesyellowsun's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book. The writing was both direct and beautiful, a powerful combination. Highly recommend.
judyward's review against another edition
4.0
After reading a glowing review of this book, I was both pleased and surprised to find it on my local library's new book shelf. So, Philip Connors worked as an editor for the Wall Street Journal until he couldn't stand it anymore and September 11th happened. Then he moved to New Mexico where for five months out of the year he has what he considers to be the world's best job. He lives alone in the New Mexico mountains working as a fire spotter for the National Forest Service--which calls the people who hold these jobs "freaks on the peaks". Getting to his summer office involves a five mile hike into an official wilderness area where motorized vehicles are prohibited, living in a cabin where he has to remove dead rodents and scrub away their "waste products" at the beginning of each season, and spending hours every day in a 7'by7' glass enclosed room at the top of a tower 10,000 feet above sea level looking for tell-take plumes of smoke. The area in which Connors works is extremely active durng the fire season because of the more than 30,000 lightning strikes that it receives each year. Also included in this account of one summer at the office, is a history of the geography of the area in which he is stationed and an account of the conflicts that has marked this territory, especially between Native Americans and the soldiers who were sent into the Southwest, and the cattle and farming interests and the conservationists. He also discusses the history of the National Forest Service and its changing attitudes about how to handle fires in the wilderness which has evolved from a policy of immediate suppression to a more modern attitude of recognizing that fire is a necessary and beneficial force in a wilderness area. A fascinating book.
wildreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
emilysurface's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
5.0
hmatt's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
2.75
I found the parts of this book that describe the author's experiences manning a fire lookout quite interesting, and I thought these connected well with some (SOME) of the historical accounts. Unfortunately, a lot of times these accounts devolve into Kerouac (/insert other old white naturalist writer) fanboy narratives. The overly-poetic musings on life felt forced and just don't match the narrative, in my opinion. I also didn't care for the kids-these-days tone the author used when referring to people who, shock horror, deigned to own a cell phone or something equally below him.
I wish the author had stuck more to the narrative memoir, because I enjoyed reading about his experiences and the history of fire management in the United States.
I wish the author had stuck more to the narrative memoir, because I enjoyed reading about his experiences and the history of fire management in the United States.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use