The Adirondacks: A History of America's First Wilderness

Amazon.com

The vast Adirondack region of upstate New York is very much a wilderness, but one ringed by towns and close enough to major cities that it is heavily traveled. Long viewed as a natural playground, the Adirondacks were a favorite haunt of transcendentalist philosophers Henry Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, of conservationists such as Franklin Burroughs and Theodore Roosevelt, of bohemians and hippies, and of back-to-the-land types. Still wild enough that wolf reintroduction has been proposed for the Adirondacks, the territory remains a powerfully inspiring place of refuge and recreation. Paul Schneider tells the story of this river-laced, forested land with imagination and a flair for just the right anecdote.

Book Description

A New York Times Notable Book

His book is a romance, a story of first love between Americans and a thing they call "wilderness." For it was in the Adirondacks that masses of non-Native Americans first learned to cherish the wilderness as a place of recreation and solace.

In this lyrical narrative history, the author reveals that the affair between Americans and the Adirondacks was by no means one of love at first sight. And even now, Schneider shows that Americans' relationship with the glorious mountains and rivers of the Adirondacks continues to change. As in every good romance, nothing is as simple as it appears.

Customer Reviews:

New York's Hidden Paradise........2005-10-21

Adirondack Park was created in 1892 to preserve the wild forest land and inhabitants and to keep the 2300 lakes and ponds flowing freely to ensure that the Hudson River will not dry up. It encompasses six million acres in the northeastern portion of New York. Blue Mountain Lake is beautiful on Indian summer days, as is Whiteface Mountain with the autumn foliage of russet maples and golden birches. Soon the brilliance will fade and the foliage will fall away.

Coon Mountain, High Peaks, Mt. Marcy, and Eagle Island are sights to see in the Fall. Sagamore, the camp once owned by the Vanderbilts and had compounds consisting of multiple buildings on the vein of European villages. This one consists of 27 structures, made of spruce. In Cape Cod, the Kennedys have their own compound. On Eagle Island, a family camp was built in 1899 by Benjamin Harrison's vice president, and has been a summer camp for the Girls Scouts since 1937.

"Practically speaking, in the Adirondacks, conservationists have never won a major battle without the support of the trappers and their far more plentiful brethren, the hunters and anglers." Mink and red fox are the favorites of the wealthy. By the mid-1800s, wolves, moose, and panthers had become extremely scarce. A trapper couldn't make a decent full-time living from lynx, fisher, marten, and most of the other furbearers.

At Lake Placid, the mountain resort which hosts the Winter Olympics, you will find the loons with velvety black haeads, ruby eyes, and dagger-like bills. The loon's predator, the bald eagle, does not spook the birds as they float placidly on the pond. But the mercury in the ponds and the acid rain which pollutes the water is making a dent, as the loons' culinary diet comes from the fish, which in turn affects their offspring.

You can see why the Roosevelts chose to go to this wilderness park for their summer outings. Teddy, the hunter, chose to find his trophies there. It borders Vermont and is as large as the state of New Hampshire.

Another Peak.......2004-08-26

Aside from a traditional recount of the important white guys who did everything, Mr. Schneider captures the essence of the people throughout the modern eras. His time with modern trappers, loggers and bureaucrats capture the sense of urgency for anybody involved in the Park. Initially sought as a farming area after the strategic significance of the French and Revolutionary Wars, lumber and mining interests drove the Park after the attempt to cultivate a place with only 10 percent of its land arable. Mining was sort of disaster at first with many tragic elements. The descriptions of the old facilities as they sit or stand now was a pretty neat journalistic trick.

The historical portrayal of notables like Sir William Johnson and John Brown were real page turners. I've seen the signs just outside Lake Placid to John Brown's house and always thought it was the John Brown involved in the early 19th Century, not the infamous abolitionist. The tragic story of Mr. Henderson and his death in front of his eleven year old son was a real gut wrencher for any tough guy. It seems like there were at least half a dozen fellows who spawned the model for Fenimore's Natty Bumppo. Roger's Rangers, famous guides, French Aristocracy's designs and numerous other affairs and plans sets up a lot of good story telling.

I would still like know why places like Pottersville are called what they are. Where the summer camps were located and who went there. Famous painters, philosophers and robber barons are all very interesting. Knowing the issues and their implications of the future is very important too. Beating them to death is certainly something another volume must do. Fortunately this effort doesn't digress too much into any of these arenas without qualifications and genuine purpose. The real gems are the conversations with loggers like John Courtney and trappers like Toby Edwards. Each offer a unique perspective on the lives they have chosen in this region. Death & Taxes and the Price of Otter in China are two of the best chapters in the book.

Having told a number of people who frequent the Park about this book. I wish that I could give this book to one of them with assurance that it would be read and passed along. I'm sure this is the exact feeling of those with intimate knowledge and time in this vast area. A little bit of everything and everybody is covered in a well told story that spans centuries. I've yet to find the haunting image of Thomas Cole's Course of Empire. I'm sure that when I do it will serve as a guidepost to all that man is and will be in relation to the massive presence of nature in relation to the foibles of man. Certainly the small amount of time left to me on this planet will afford numerous jaunts to some of the treasures scattered about the six million acres that serves as model to the notion, forever wild.

Well written but not what I expected.......2001-03-10

The title of this book, more than anything else, misses the mark here. "A History of America's First Wilderness" suggests a comprehensive history of key forces that shaped Adirondack geography and culture, and this book doesn't attempt to be that. Paul Schneider is a journalist, not an historian, and this difference in perspective is reflected in his writing. His book consists of a series of anecdotal essays, snapshots in time, with little thematic development, analysis, or reference across chapters. It's enjoyable reading and will give some insight into historical forces that have formed the ongoing battle in the Adirondacks over development, but better regional histories, such as Diana Muir's "Reflections in Bullough's Pond; Economy and Ecosystem in New England" probe deeper than "The Adirondacks" even tries.

shallow.......2000-11-28

Schneider knows his Adirondacks in a superficial way, and after reading his book, so will you. If the topic intrests you, pick up a copy of CONTESTED TERRAIN by Philip Terrie. Contested Terain is as sound as The Adirondacks is shallow. Style, of course is a matter of taste. Many people appear to enjoy Schneider's carefully studied casual prose.

Excellent regional history.......1998-10-29

Paul Schneider's The Adirondacks: A History of America's First Wilderness is both good history and great story-telling. Taking the region that is now the Adirondack Park from the first arrival of whites through the present, Schneider skillfully weaves together both present and past. For example, his chapter "The Prince of Otter China" tells about fur trapping today, and introduces the reader to several living "characters." Neighboring chapters then recount the history of trapping in the Park. Other groupings of chapters do likewise for lumbering, wilderness guiding, and mining. One "chapter" of the Adirondacks which he unfortunately slights are Dr. Trudeau and the tuberculosis "cure cottages" in and around Saranac Lake. This small quibble aside, I recommend this book to readers -- both New Yorkers /Adirondackers and general readers -- who want to learn more both about a specific, fascinating place and time and the idea of the American "wilderness" in general.

Woodswoman: Young Ecologist Meets Challenge Living Alone Adirondack Wilderness

Average customer rating:

Engrossing story, don't miss it.
Captivating!
On the Road with the WOODSWOMAN
A sensitive, intelligent, and compelling book
Enthralling!

Woodswoman: Young Ecologist Meets Challenge Living Alone Adirondack Wilderness
Anne LaBastille
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Woodswoman II: Beyond Black Bear Lake
Woodswoman III: Book Three of the Woodswoman's Adventures
Women and Wilderness (Sierra Club Paperback Library)
A Place in the Woods
We Took to the Woods, 2nd Edition

ASIN: 0140153349

Customer Reviews:

Engrossing story, don't miss it........2005-04-23

I read this book when it was first published and I have carried it around in my head ever since. My copy has "gone missing" and now intend to repurchase and read it again. I will always recall Anne's adventures warmly. Her statement about using the wind as a dryer has stuck with me. She is a remarkble woman.

Captivating!.......2005-04-22

Her first - WOODSWOMAN - just captivated me from the first page to the last. Then, every other book in the series - WOODSWOMAN II, WOODSWOMAN III - was like watching a movie. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. WOODSWOMAN IV is the most exciting yet - her walk across Black Bear Lake in February through three inches of ice water over one foot of snow is riveting. The chapters about her German shepherd, Chekika, who was quadriplegic for two years, show the deep love the author has for her dogs. When James Herriot published his books, I didn't think anyone could come close to his writing. But, Anne has. I love her books as much as his!

On the Road with the WOODSWOMAN.......2005-02-18

WOODSWOMAN IV - Book Four of the Woodswoman's Adventures.
Anne LaBastille ISBN 0-9632846-3-0

Strong and independent, Anne LaBastille has chosen to live very simply as an ecologist and an Adirondack wilderness guide. She loves the solitude of the mountain lakes and woodlands. Fortunately for us she shares her vision once again in this fourth book of the WOODSWOMAN series. She seeks solitude and revels in everyday miracles of nature. She lives a contemplative, traditional life in an increasingly technological world. In this book she shares vignettes of life in her log cabin next to the Adirondack wilderness; a frugal, yankee approach to publishing; a "Deliverance-like" adventure in Appalachia and much more. Her style is conversational and easy. Delve into a chapter and into the book's 50 photos and you are there, alongside her. It is a fast and delightful read.
I really didn't want this book to end.

Ellie Horwitz
Concord, MA

A sensitive, intelligent, and compelling book.......2003-10-02

I have to admit up front: I'm an Anne LaBastille fan. Ever since I read her gripping book, Woodswoman, I've been hooked. As an avid conservationist and author, I've even had the privelege of meeting her and having dinner with her at her cabin on her beloved Black Bear Lake. Sitting around a crackling fire, drinking wine, we talked about book publishing, writing, and the acid rain that has devastated lakes like hers in the northeastern United States.

This book, while tamer than Woodswoman is a sensitive, intelligent, and compelling tale of five years in Anne's life in the Adirondacks. Those who, like me, read her books will be rewarded many times over. Those who haven't yet had the opportunity to explore her world will likely find this book a delight. No matter what the topic -- her self-publishing ventures, a hummingbird that landed on her hand to seek refuge from an overzealous suitor, the death of her beloved dog Chekika or her wild adventures in America's South -- Anne's skilled story telling will keep you entranced. You'll smile, you'll laugh, you'll shiver in fear, and you'll cry as you read this wonderful book. You'll no doubt want to go back to the beginning to pick up a copy of Woodswoman.

Enthralling!.......2003-06-21

Anne LaBastille has penned another riveting read recounting her adventures as an independent woman residing in the wilderness and as a wildlife biologist striving to protect the natural world. She shares her forays in the complex world of self-publishing which adds a new dimension to this already accomplished visionary. Quite frankly, LaBastille is my favorite writer - her life is fascinating and I marvel at her commitment and ability to convey the emotional pain of losing her beloved pet-companions. Her talented writing style allows the reader to experience the fear of death she faced when confronted by out-of-control, gun-wielding thugs while camping in a public wilderness park. WOODSWOMAN IV is a page-turner that chronicles the changes in "Woodswoman's" life - and society.

...

Bob Marshall in the Adirondacks: Writings of a Pioneering Peak-Bagger, Pond-Hopper, and Wilderness Preservationist
Average customer rating:

Adirondack Hero

Bob Marshall in the Adirondacks: Writings of a Pioneering Peak-Bagger, Pond-Hopper, and Wilderness Preservationist
Phil Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0978925408
Release Date: 2006-10-01

Product Description

Nearly forty writings about the Adirondacks by one of America's greatest champions of wilderness. These articles reveal Marshall's deep personal connection to the Adirondacks and the inspiration for his commitment to wilderness preservation.

Customer Reviews:

Adirondack Hero.......2007-09-23

Few people in the world have had a wilderness area named after them, much less two. Bob Marshall is one such intrepid hiker/conservationist. Although the largest named after Marshall is in Montana, most of this book focuses on the Adirondacks. Bob Marshall was noted for his love of hiking and exploring, most notably the Adirondacks High Peaks and the Cranberry Lake Region. Marshall received a master's degree in forestry from Harvard.

Author Phil Brown has done a marvelous job reprinting all of Marshall's writings. Most notably are those about the High Peaks, in which, Marshall notes and ranks level of views and difficulty in climbing. Also of amazing clarity are Marshall's Cranberry Lake Region "pond-hopping" writings. Here Marshall also rates the beauty of each pond or lake he visits, easily hiking thirty miles in any given day. Marshall writes of numerous topics regarding preservation of the wilderness, going into marvelous detail of specific areas, watersheds and wild lands. He speaks eloquently of colleagues he hiked, explored and bonded with. The stories are colorful and rich with passion. Marshall's impact on the public's view of preservation in the first quarter of the last century cannot be underestimated. The legacy continues in this book. If the reader has been to any of these areas, they will feel the spirit of Bob Marshall hiking alongside them.

Author Phil Brown has a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's in philosophy. This exhaustive work was a three year project.

Discover the South Central Adirondacks: Four-Season Adventures That Include the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area

Average customer rating:

Discover the South Central Adirondacks: Four-Season Adventures That Include the Siamese Ponds Wilderness Area
Barbara McMartin
Manufacturer: Backcountry Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Reference | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0942440498

Adirondacks: Views of An American Wilderness

Average customer rating:

The Fullest Range With Majectic Moods!
Spectacular Photography

Adirondacks: Views of An American Wilderness

Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Travel with Pets | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Adirondacks: Mini
Adirondack: Wilderness
The Adirondack Atlas: A Geographic Portrait of the Adirondack Park

ASIN: 0847821706
Release Date: 1999-06-12

Book Description

"In most places, human beings dominate the picture. But in a few spots...nature rules unchallenged." So writes Bill McKibben in his uplifting introduction to Adirondacks, a book that reveals nature's glory, and the unique give and take between people and wilderness in the vast Adirondack Park.

Bigger than the Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yellowstone, and Yosemite National Parks combined, the Adirondack Park contains a stunning array of mountains, wildlands, forests, rivers and lakes, waterfalls, and deep gorges. Photographer and Adirondack resident Carl Heilman has traveled from the foothills to the highest peaks in all seasons to photograph the park's natural wonders, its flora and fauna, and the myriad variations of light and weather that make each trip to the region a new experience.

Favorite sites such as Lake George are here, along with secret bogland lakes, and the spectacular mountaintop views that are only experienced by the most intrepid hikers. Adirondacks demonstrates the beauty of nature's gifts-- and serves as a testament to the power of the people who protect them.

Customer Reviews:

The Fullest Range With Majectic Moods!.......2001-06-05

Photographer Carl E. Hellman has crafted a collection of Adirondack photographs that continue to fascinate page after page. All aspects of this remarkable region are well represented from the wildest of waterways and majectic peaks to the outlying areas of cozy farms and inland towns. By far the most amazing photographs are those in wide-screen format - much wider than anything this reviewer has seen elsewhere. Ranging from awe-filled aerial views from high peaks in all seasons to the intimate settings of bogs and marshes, Hellman captures the mood of these mountains. Mist shrouded ponds, newly falling snow, green glimpses through mature virgin forests and close-ups from lady-slippers to primeval bogs; the viewer is mesmerized. Overwhelming beauty and the calm feeling of a lonely untouched wilderness is caught everywhere. This is a collector's item to cherish all year long.

Spectacular Photography.......2000-02-09

I was privilaged to be present at the slide show presented by Carl Heilman at the annual Adirondack Club dinner last autumn. Many exquisite pictures from this book were shown. Mr. Heilman has captured the true spirit of dawn in the mountains, children leaping with joy , winter landscapes, and especially the wild creatures that most of us may never be patient enough to discover in their natural homes.Many shots exhibit a seemingly impossible depth of field sharply focusing on both a spider web in the foreground and Mount Marcy in the background. The book is full of beautiful images not to be missed!

25 Bicycle Tours in the Adirondacks: Road Adventures in the East's Largest Wilderness (25 Bicycle Tours)

Average customer rating:

Entertaining, well-written and accurate

25 Bicycle Tours in the Adirondacks: Road Adventures in the East's Largest Wilderness (25 Bicycle Tours)
Bill McKibben , Sue Halpern , Mitchell Hay , and Barbara Lemmel
Manufacturer: Countryman Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Reference | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

25 Bicycle Tours in the Lake Champlain Region: Scenic Tours in Vermont, New York, and Quebec
25 Bicycle Tours in the Hudson Valley: Scenic Rides from Saratoga to Northern Westchester County (25 Bicycle Tours Guide)
25 Mountain Bike Tours in the Adirondacks (25 Bicycle Tours Guide.)
25 Bicycle Tours In Vermont ( A Revised And Expanded Version Of 20 Bicycle Tours In Vermont)
25 Bicycle Tours in Maine: Coastal and Inland Rides from Kittery to Caribou (25 Bicycle Tours Series)

ASIN: 0881503185

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining, well-written and accurate.......1998-02-14

It's not often that real authors (Bill McKibben and Sue Halpern) get in the outdoor guidebook business. This bike book is a winner.

Average customer rating:

Magical timelessness
Magical timelessness
Impossibly Beautiful
Adirondack Wilderness Photography Gold

Adirondack: Wilderness
Nathan Farb , and Nature Conservancy
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Nature & Wildlife | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

The Adirondack Atlas: A Geographic Portrait of the Adirondack Park
Adirondacks: Mini
The Adirondacks: A History of America's First Wilderness
The Adirondack Book: A Complete Guide, Fifth Edition (A Great Destinations Guide)
50 Hikes in the Adirondacks: Short Walks, Day Trips, and Backpacks Throughout the Park, Fourth Edition

ASIN: 0847826384
Release Date: 2004-11-13

Book Description

Since its inception as "forever wild" in the 1880s, New York's Adirondack Park has served as a model of conservation for the world. The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization devoted to protecting the diversity of life on Earth and preeminent Adirondack photographer Nathan Farb here team up to reveal feats of nature that the human eye on its own would not perceive. In the tradition of Ansel Adams and Eliot Porter, Farb renders the most miniscule detail as clearly as the grandest vista.

Customer Reviews:

Magical timelessness.......2006-09-03

Timelessness is felt, while looking at Nathan Farb's extensive views of Adirondack's mountains's landscapes. Thousands of acres of forest and rock without roads, towns, dams, hightension lines, ski lifts etc. are shown. No anecdote pointing to our times. These pictures could have been taken thousands of years ago. For an european wilderness enthusiast like me such views are surprising. Fascinating, because it's very difficult to take such timeless pictures in western Europe. There is no equivalent to Adirondack. Farb's views show Adirondack's immensity very well. More, generally in autumn, the most colourful season. The author goes into detail of the landscape, showing big geological features, like cliffs and landslides, also hydrological like lakes and mires. The scale changes continuously, from big views to very small details of geology or vegetation, showing how much humans depend on their senses for feeling the world of their lives and how much is hidden to us, because of our own sensory boundaries. Obviously we depend so much on our senses. Farb's high photographic talent (technical accuracy and thoroughness, also inspiration etc.) and subtle feelings show what is not obvious. He looks round and finds many invisible things to be shown. A great magician for a magical book. Very strong paper, excellent binding.

Magical timelessness.......2006-09-03

Impossibly Beautiful.......2006-08-20

Nathan Farb has been photographing the Adirondacks for nearly sixty years and he has seen more square acres of this park than most people. Taking his cue from the four seasons, Farb excels at not just the grandiose panorama but also the severe details hidden in the landscape. From simple titles such as, `Follensby Pond' or `Lake Lila Sunset' to more enticing titles like, `Remains of Otter Lunch' and `Marion River Lily Pads', Farb captures nature's secrets. His seasonal photographs are timeless in beauty and impossibly simple. This collection is by far his best representation of the craft of landscape photography. A large photograph is dissected into a smaller frame to expose a landscape beauty the average person might miss. That is what sets Nathan Farb apart from other photographers - his impeccable eye for colorful detail. He truly is the Ansel Adams of modern times.

Adirondack Wilderness Photography Gold.......2006-04-06

I was a fan of Nathan's work long before this title and think it only enhances my opinion of his excellent photography. This edition is a tightly edited focused view of the Adirondack wilderness by a man who carries a large format camera deep into the woods. In it he refines his images from the iconic views typical of the previous books, to set his attention toward unusual vantage points and more challenging details which in the end are as expansive as any world we might visit.

His details are highly personal, intimate and revealing to both the experienced ADK hiker and those who simply enjoy images of American Wilderness. His landscapes are expansive and shot with a view toward the optimal seasons which allow us a glimpse of the deep woods without the consequences of weather, work conflicts and the effort these vistas would otherwise require. For lovers of these mountains he captures both the familiar and vantage points you will not be able to reach in your lifetime if you start hiking now, which makes this title all the more interesting.

Rizzoli has outdone itself with high quality reproductions of subtle images. The title is oversized, very well bound and the paper is a heavier stock then his previous titles. My only issue was with my individual copy (an advanced copy) which had misaligned front and rear inside cover spreads and inside the title were 2 spots of printer ink. Neither of these takes away from the importance of this work and when added to his other titles ("The Adirondacks" in particular), this book allows you to enjoy those days between your trips to the North Woods.

I only wish there was a higher rating (than 5*) that i could give this title, it is truly outstanding.

For more on fly fishing, additional comments and reviews - [...]

The Extraordinary Adirondack Journey of Clarence Petty: Wilderness Guide, Pilot, and Conservationist

Average customer rating:

An amazing subject given short shrift.
A good old yarn, except true!
A True Living Legend

The Extraordinary Adirondack Journey of Clarence Petty: Wilderness Guide, Pilot, and Conservationist
Christopher Angus
Manufacturer: Syracuse University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Mid Atlantic | Regional U.S. | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0815607415

Book Description

The inspiring biography of an Adirondack legend whose tireless efforts are credited with much of today's preservation policies in the Adirondacks.

Customer Reviews:

An amazing subject given short shrift........2004-12-29

Let me begin with my biggest complaint regarding this book: No map of the Adirondack Park. Although this book purports to be the biography of Clarence Petty, it is a sketchy bio at best with the principal focus on the creation of this wilderness area in upper New York State. And yet, although this book constantly gives names of places and sections of the Park, not one map to help the reader better understand the forces at work here. I subtract two rating stars right off the top for this oversight. There is a map, a sketch actually, of a few square miles of the area in which Clarence grew up and currently lives. This brings me to my second complaint. Throughout the book, author Christopher Angus states that Clarence lived/lives in Coreys. But, if you look at the sketch in the book and then go to other resources, you find out that that is not true. Clarence's home is on Coreys Road. The hamlet of Coreys is another place entirely, approximately 20 miles to the north, and Coreys Road goes nowhere near Coreys. The book is pretty much a straightforward, simple and unstylistic narrative with appropriate quotes from individuals and other printed sources. One big bonus: Terrific photographs of the people involved in their natural setting. Yet, when I was done with the book, I had the sensation that I knew more than was necessary about the politics of the park, and precious little about Mr. Petty. Of course, his life revolved to such a great extent around the Adirondacks, that both had to be included. But, there is so much more to Clarence. For instance, no other place on earth inspired him to the extent these mountains did, except Alaska. We are told that he made more than half a dozen trips there, but only one is given any exposure, and then only cursorily. I would have liked to learn more about the other trips and what he found there that so moved him. We are told that he was an active letter writer promoting his thoughts on the environment. We get pieces of a letter or two, but not enough to give us an impression of the man. Several well-chosen letters in their entirety would have helped here. We are told he was often on the opposite side of environmental arguments with his older brother Bill, but there's very little evidence given to support that. More comments by both brothers on these debates would have been interesting and thought provoking. Further, except for environmental topics, we get precious little of the philosophy of this Adirondack original who is still driving at 99, who stopped giving pilot instructions at 94, who, for most of the year, lives by himself in the middle of this wilderness. I would have thought the author would have at least asked this man, who is only months away from becoming a centenarian, to what does he attribute his long, vigorous life? Good genes; an exceptionally active body and mind; a special diet; not smoking; not drinking? Or on that one occasion when he chose to imbibe, what thoughts and sensations flooded his mind? What lessons has he learned from life that he wants to impart to those coming after him? Clarence Petty is a remarkable human being, a pioneering environmentalist, activist, and aviator. You'll get the flavor of this man from this book, but not his essence. We need the "Bam!"

A good old yarn, except true!.......2003-10-24

I have to say that I'm impressed with Clarence Petty's life. It almost makes me wish I was born in the Adirondacks around the turn of the century. Most people don't have lives much less the great life he has. It's a good story and the best part is that it's all true.

A True Living Legend.......2003-04-21

Any biography that states in its title "extraordinary...journey" has a great deal to live up to. This is especially true if the person is only regionally known. However, the life of Clarence Petty is nothing short of amazing and his life story confirms him as a living legend.

Author Christopher Angus ("Reflections From Canoe Country: Paddling the Water of the Adirondacks and Canada") has taken on the voluminous task of writing the life story of a man who was bred, worked and still lives in the Adirondack Park. Clarence Petty was born to a poor backwoods wilderness guide and lived his life in countless professions all in the name of the environment.

This is not a mundane tale of a "Dudley Doright". The reader soon discovers that Mr. Petty grew from being a well respected wilderness guide into a Federal and State conservationist, all the while honing his skills as a first class aviationist. Between these two professions Mr. Petty traveled the world. From dangerous missions over the Pacific in World War II to environmental works over Alaska and the Adirondack mountains, Clarence Petty moved forward to serve and protect the environment in which he lives. Also worth noting are the staggering number of conservancy organizations to which Mr. Petty belongs and contributes. There are few Presidents, Governors or other noteworthy politicians that Clarence Petty has not met in the last several decades. It is interesting to note that his viewpoint of politicians is adamantly level headed but not without strong opinion.

If the reader is not familiar with some of the colorful Adirondack legends of the past century, there are some pleasant surprises. His family personally knew all of them and the truth behind most. These tales are woven through the upbringing of Clarence Petty and serve as a time table to his growth. Exciting stories from mountain and river mappings to political controversies over the Adirondack Park fill the saga of Clarence Petty. The reader can not help but wonder what keeps a man like this going so stealthily for so long. His story is impressive.

People like Clarence Petty seem to be put on this earth at a time they are needed most. His influence and hard work to save the qualities of the Adirondack wilderness through the most crucial era of its' existence is inspiring. Mr. Petty's story is told in an unsentimental, yet moving manner.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books