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Engrossing read with a great deal of new information about wolves and their role in the environment.
Highly recommend this book if you care at all about wildlife and adventure living. Enjoyed this book very much. A touching story about the very misunderstood lives of wolves.
It helps if you think wolves are awesome as I do. This book was incredible, and is definantly my favorite non-fiction book. This book is great for anyone who has a slight intrest in nature.
It's easy to see why the National Geographic Society/National Public Radio has named Ms. There is also repetition in the telling of their studies, but that captures the flavor of their scientific existence, so is acceptable. But that's nit picking. The trio infiltrates the Richardson Mountains in Canada's Yukon Territory in search of the greatest villains in all of children's literature. But maybe more importantly is the realization that these creatures are truly magnificent and caring individuals, and anyone who reads this book with an open mind will forever despise hunters who slaughter entire packs by shooting them from low flying airplanes. Thayer one of the great explorers of the 20th Century.
To enhance this telling, dozens of pictures taken during this adventure are sprinkled throughout. This book is my second literary experience with Helen Thayer and her dog Charlie following her 2002 book "Polar Dream," in which the pair join together as Ms. Thayer became the first woman (and oldest person at 50) to walk and ski solo (not counting Charlie) to the Magnetic North Pole. First, the scientific data discovered for the first time.
The payoff from this book is two-fold. The hardships and danger the three faces on a daily basis are amazing to contemplate. Thayer makes it crystal clear that wolves deserve to be part of the world community. All outdoorsmen, naturalists, and animal lovers will treasure this book.
I only need to be told once that the northern lights are called aurora borealis or that animals burrow under the snow were it is a few degrees warmer than above. After struggling through most difficult terrains, they come upon a family of wolves and spend months living in a tent within the animals' sight studying the social interplay of these beasts. There is a bit of repetition in the book. In this adventure her husband Bill joins the pair as they spend a year living with wolves in the wild above the Arctic Circle.
Ms. After this near-death adventure, they ski back to the Mackenzie Delta and set up housekeeping next to another group of wolves. Her stamina and perseverance are phenomenal. Completing this phase of their adventure, they sadly leave this family and trek further north into the shifting and dangerous ice of Beaufort Sea to discover the wintertime interplay between wolves and polar bears, considered by many to be the most dangerous of all wild animals.
We see the close relationship of many species of animals sharing wild wolf habitat, and at times depending on each other. A true story of two people, their wolf-dog and their amazing adventures with wild wolves in Canada's far north tundra and frozen ocean.Helen Thayer, a recipient of many awards and honored by the White House, is a veteran world wide explorer over many years. Her writing and lectures have inspired people of all ages in many countries. An excellent addition to anyones book shelf.
The numerous photos add to the account. A valuable addition to the story are the descriptions of the various animals the Thayers' encountered who share wolf habitat. Also beautifully descriptive, compassionate and in places humerous. Of course beloved part-wolf Charlie is the reason for the success of the year long project as the author readily acknowledges.The story is fast moving and flows smoothly from one chapter to the next.
This is a true life experience of living among wild wolf packs in which Charlie, her Inuit dog who once saved her life from a polar bear attack, is the story's star. The observation of wild wolf family life, their ability to adjust their survival skills, the raising of the pups and even the concern over an injured family member show close observation and remarkable intuitive understanding of wolf behavior. She and her husband explore the world's remote places seeking material to add to their highly successful educational programs which I and fellow educators nationwide use in classrooms. Her first book, POLAR DREAM, tells of her adventure with Charlie when she became the first woman to walk alone pulling her own sled without dog teams or snowmobiles to the Magnetic North Pole.This exciting story and THREE AMONG THE WOLVES are on the same informative, page turning level.
This very different approach to wolf study is a welcome addition to our knowledge of these animals. I had the pleasure of meeting this dynamic 66 year old, five feet two inch woman after she spoke at a national corporate convention in Florida. Just as POLAR DREAM was, this new book is well written with vivid description that takes you on this remarkable journey.
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