Wildlife in America [B1998]

1975 PB Viking Compass reprint of the 1959 conservation classic, with amazingly little wear and notations in the margins on a few pages. This classic history of the rare, threatened, and extinct animals of North America is a dramatic chronicle of man's role in the disappearance of great and small species of our land. "Should be the number one source volume for everyone who embraces the philosophy of conservation."--Roger Tory Peterson. Black & white drawings throughout.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I prefer the 1959 edition to later editions (with updates from other authors), for several reasons. For one thing, Matthiessen writes beautifully, and the book is both informative and compelling. For another, it's interesting to get a take on the topic before we had Earth Day, before we had the EPA, and so on. The book is a wonderful document of what was lost and what had been saved at that time, and there are lovely drawings by Bob Hines scattered throughout the book, which greatly enhance the reading experience. Perhaps after all organic life has been snuffed out on our little world in search of that last ounce of fossil fuel, some space aliens will find a copy of this book amidst the ruins and wonder why we couldn't manage to save ourselves and our fellow creatures."; "This is a book best read a chapter at a time to fully take in information and reflect on the shear scope of our human hunger--hunger for land, food, entertainment, control of our environments at any cost. Which is not to say reading this will only bring despair! Rich portraits of birds, fish, mammals, etc., in their historical settings--along with the included illustrations and the poetic language--make this a compelling, educational, and heart-wrenching work that everyone should read. And now, it will be hard for me to shake the longing for another heaven and another earth."; "In addition to specific wildlife, it discusses conservation methods and related politics (pre-1959). Whenever the author mentioned a species that was on the verge of extinction, or recovering from near extinction, I researched the current status. I found it very informative and interesting."; "An informative, dramatic history of American wildlife as only Peter Matthiessen can immerse you in."