Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park 
asked by miceandmen on November 12, 2006 5:34 PM
Intriguing stories of how people have died in Yellowstone warn about the many dangers that exist there and in wild areas in general.
Reviews
0%
0%
The author fills the book with lots and lots (and lots) of true incidents gleaned from court and historical records. Unfortunately, the book reads like a court document...full of facts and dry as toast. With the exception of only a few of the incidents there is very little to humanize many of the tragic incidents here. Everything is too "just the facts Ma'am."
Mr. Whittlesey does do a good job showing the ugly side when tourists meet the wild. Park visitors are to blame for many, but certainly not all, of the close encounters with nature that go awry. He also shows a large number incidents involving "experienced" park employees whose behavior can be deemed even more foolhardy than the tourists because they should certainly know better. And some instances show that even by doing everything correctly in the wilderness (running a clean camp in a designated camping area, etc) you can still have a a negative experience with the local wildlife.
I still rated this book as 4 stars depite being a rather slow read because it should be read by anyone that is new to exploring the outdoors. Yellowstone is not, in the words of the author, Disneyland. Smart planning of your trips, observance of park regulations, and respect for the wilderness and it's inhabitants (aka common sense) will enhance rather than detract from your enjoyment of the natural world.
Mr. Whittlesey does do a good job showing the ugly side when tourists meet the wild. Park visitors are to blame for many, but certainly not all, of the close encounters with nature that go awry. He also shows a large number incidents involving "experienced" park employees whose behavior can be deemed even more foolhardy than the tourists because they should certainly know better. And some instances show that even by doing everything correctly in the wilderness (running a clean camp in a designated camping area, etc) you can still have a a negative experience with the local wildlife.
I still rated this book as 4 stars depite being a rather slow read because it should be read by anyone that is new to exploring the outdoors. Yellowstone is not, in the words of the author, Disneyland. Smart planning of your trips, observance of park regulations, and respect for the wilderness and it's inhabitants (aka common sense) will enhance rather than detract from your enjoyment of the natural world.
reviewed by costa on November 25, 2006 3:43 AM
0%
0%
The author paints a picture of fatalities in Yellowstone which ,for the most part,shows the foolishness of some visitors to this beautiful national park.Whether it be animal attacks,falls,drownings,thermal scaldings or just plain carelessness Lee Whittlesey relates over 100 years of what can happen when humans don't respect the dangers of a wonderful natural environment.It is a fine historical account taken from an unusual persective.It is worth reading for those who have been to Yellowstone or are planning a trip there in the future.
reviewed by aries on November 27, 2006 7:07 PM
0%
0%
Growing up in southeast Alaska, I've heard stories of tourists chasing a bear cub down the road near the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau as well as a tourist getting bitten while trying to feed a sandwich to a bear. I've been yelled at by a tourist for clapping and making noise to alert bears to my presence while hiking because they were concerned they would not see a bear with all the noise I was making (well, that is the point). With my experience with how dumb tourists can be in Alaska, I was interested to find out stories of tourists and others in Yellowstone.
This was a book that I had mixed feelings about. The first three chapters were the best. These chapters were on deaths from hot springs, death by park animals (except bears), and death by bears. The remaining 22 chapters range from death by poison gasses to death by vehicles. I felt these chapters while factual, were not very exciting.
Overall, I found the book decently researched, but overall I found it kind of depressing. I found the first chapter on the hot springs quite horrific (especially when some of the victims were young kids like my children and a couple involved dogs that just wanted to go swimming). As I read the book, I kept thinking the victims were someone's children, spouse, SO, friends, or other loved one. With this being said, I did find the book respectful and tasteful.
This is a book I think people can take a lesson from. Nature is real and while it should be enjoyed, people need to be reminded that it can be dangerous.
This was a book that I had mixed feelings about. The first three chapters were the best. These chapters were on deaths from hot springs, death by park animals (except bears), and death by bears. The remaining 22 chapters range from death by poison gasses to death by vehicles. I felt these chapters while factual, were not very exciting.
Overall, I found the book decently researched, but overall I found it kind of depressing. I found the first chapter on the hot springs quite horrific (especially when some of the victims were young kids like my children and a couple involved dogs that just wanted to go swimming). As I read the book, I kept thinking the victims were someone's children, spouse, SO, friends, or other loved one. With this being said, I did find the book respectful and tasteful.
This is a book I think people can take a lesson from. Nature is real and while it should be enjoyed, people need to be reminded that it can be dangerous.
reviewed by ibook on November 29, 2006 1:38 PM