Last Stand

November 1, 2007
Adult/High School-Grinnell was the kind of man every generation needs. He had one eye focused on the future and, fortunately, he did something about what he saw coming. His foresight was one of the main factors in the continued existence of the buffalo, Yellowstone National Park, and Glacier National Park. Punke ties together the fascinating story of Grinnell and the threatened treasures he loved. The decline of the buffalo is a very human story, and the author leads readers through the hunting culture of the Indians and the even more ferocious killers from the East that superseded it. This book shows the evolution of a well-to-do boy who shed the safety of the privileged life he could have kept to embrace and protect the wild animals and men of the frontier. This is the story of how one person worked to turn the tide of greed and apathy that seemed invincible and in the process educated and elevated the conscience of a nation. Teens will find this modern morality tale exciting and inspiring."Will Marston, Berkeley Public Library, CA"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2007
Well-born George Grinnell received early tutoring from Lucy Audubon (wife of John James Audubon), earned degrees from Yale, and traveled extensively in the West. These forays coincided with the settlement of the Great Plains, the defeat of the Native Americans, the building of the transcontinental railroad, and the destruction of the immense bison herds. This history by lawyer-turned-writer Punke traces how Grinnell witnessed this mass slaughter and as editor of Field and Stream and cofounder (with Teddy Roosevelt) of the Boone and Crocket Club used the media and political pressure to bring about the preservation and protection of the last free-roaming bison in Yellowstone National Park. Interspersed throughout are excellent historical descriptions of the Native Americans' relationships with the bison, the development of the Sharps rifle used by hide hunters, the building of the rail lines that divided the bison herd, and the early development of the U.S. conservation movement. This solid study is essential for all environmental collections.Patricia Ann Owens, Wabash Valley Coll., Mount Carmel, IL

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.