No comments about Acadian Redemption: From Beausoleil Brossard to the Queen's Royal Proclamation.

No comments about Safari Doctor: Life and Adventures of a Texas Wildlife Park Veterinarian.

3 comments about Yellowstone Denied: The Life of Gustavus Cheyney Doane.

1. Gustavus Cheyney Doane was a frontier soldier and explorer who fought in the Civil War, led the first scientific expedition into Yellowstone, and helped foster the Yellowstone National Park - yet fame always eluded him. YELLOWSTONE DENIED: THE LIFE OF GUSTAVUS CHEYNEY DOANE at last celebrates his many achievements and life in a biography that documents American history and considers Doane's behavior, motivations, and times. An inspirational, revealing survey.



2. i bought this on the advice of a cousin because a relative is mentioned in the book. i am a montanan and i have always wanted to know more about my ancestors. this book is helpful on that level. it also tells a story all too familiar to westerners--the expansion of the west during which the native american culture was treated shamefully.



3. Buy this book. Read this book. Modern historical writing is often described as "revisionist", which, in its best form, means worship and hyperbole are set aside in search of truth. In the case of Gustavus C. Doane, little has been written on which to revise, but if it had, Scott's would be the pie and cake. Far from adulatory, this carefully researched biography underscores Doane's character flaws, in particular his unrequited thirst for fame, which leads him to many poor choices of associates and arrogant behaviors. Doane was chosen to be the military escort on the 1870 Washburn expedition into Yellowstone. Historical lore has it that a campfire discussion at the junction of the Firehole and Gibbon Rivers gave birth to the very notion of national parks, a fact corroborated by neither Doan's report, nor Walter Trumbull's journal. Trumbull thought the parklands were poor for agriculture, but could probably support sheep ranching. Doane was present, usually on the periphery, of many landmark events: the chase of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce, the aftermath of Little Big Horn, and the Apache uprisings. He led a near fatal winter expedition to the Snake River, survived a harrowing, failed arctic challenge and participated in an Indian massacre, which he later cited as an achievement. Doane was not lacking in intelligence or physical courage and I urge fellow readers to resist harsh judgement. In his day, outspoken desire for fame and glory was a fairly common trait. Scott's fluid style reads as briskly as any pop-history writer. I read this book after a backcountry trip into Yellowstone. Wish I'd read it before.
   
   Bill Wood
   Clackamas, Oregon

No comments about Henry R. Luce, Time, and the American Crusade in Asia.

1 comments about The Tree Collector: The Life and Explorations of David Douglas.

1. This is a page-turner for gardener and non-gardener alike. It includes many of the journal entries and letters that survive David Douglas' incredible travels, particularly in the Pacific Northwest in the early 19th century. His experiences on a 10,000 mile walk between the Pacific coast and Hudson Bay are unimaginable today. He collected over 200 species -- important sources today of timber as well as ornamental garden plants. This biography suggests that his death at age 35 by falling into a wild-animal trap in Hawaii may have been murder and not an accident as commonly thought.

No comments about Schwatka\'s Search.

No comments about Soaring With the Schweizers: The Fifty-Year History of Their Aviation Adventures.

No comments about Re-tracing the Old Spanish Trail, North Branch: Today's OST travel guide.

2 comments about Smithy: The Life of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.

1. While i confess to not having read any other books on Sir Charles, I have an appreciation of sorts through the many Smithy stories i had grown up with. My father had worked at Brisbane airport where the Southern Cross stands today and as a boy i recall him telling me Smithy stories as we walked around the old plane. Naturally, 70 odd years after the epic flight, traffic streams past and no one gives it a second glance (although oddly this amazing historical icon is almost hidden from view). I wonder how many young Australians today know who this man is and what he contributed to world aviation.

   This book offered a smorgasboard of adventure and excitement and really does put into perspective the amazing feats this man accomplished. It also shows to us a character that was flawed in many ways. Smithy is portrayed as being reckless, selfish and irresponsible and yet also often displayed amazing courage, determination and humour. The book seems factually thorough while continues to flow nicely and is really an entertaining read.

   This book would provide an ideal starting point for a film, that could further document and publicise, not only Smithy but all those other early aviation pioneers. Just so many amazing flights amidst so much danger and often so much fun.

   A great story of a legend from a time when you really had to do something to earn that epithet.




2. I was reading this book on a visit to NZ, flying from Los Angeles to Auckland. This put Smithy's epic adventures in a new light...as a commercial pilot myself, I could start (just start)to appreciate the problems they encountered, let alone the fear they must have felt... An excellent book, well researched, and as the review states, "not a dull page in the book". Well done Ian.

No comments about Étienne Brulé (Amazing Stories).